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The Chaos Code
Matt Stribling is stuck spending another vacation with his brilliant, yet scatterbrained archaeologist father. When Matt arrives to find the place turned upside down and his father missing, he's not immediately worried. But a cryptic message and strange footprints quickly persuade Matt that all is not right. With the help of some unusual family friends, Matt discovers that his father had been searching for an ancient code, one rumored to have brought down the Mayans and maybe even the fabled civilization of Atlantis. Now in the hands of a madman, the code is being readied for new and sinister uses. Matt and his friend Robin will traverse the globe, battling terrifying sand creatures and mercenaries alike in their efforts to stop the chaos code from being activated-and dooming the modern world to a catastrophe not seen since the days of Atlantis.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
23 people are currently reading
296 people want to read
About the author
Justin Richards
330 books241 followersJustin Richards is a British writer. He has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and he is Creative Director for the BBC Books range. He has also written for television, contributing to Five's soap opera Family Affairs. He is also the author of a series of crime novels for children about the Invisible Detective, and novels for older children. His Doctor Who novel The Burning was placed sixth in the Top 10 of SFX magazine's "Best SF/Fantasy novelisation or TV tie-in novel" category of 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
December 3, 2008
The old pulp novels of high adventure are brought to mind with this tale that would do Indiana Jones or Robert Langdon proud. It all begins when Matt Stribling, a 15 year old, goes home to spend some time with his father as his mother, who is divorced from dear old dad, is off to a mysterious work assignment out of country. When Matt arrives at his father's place, he finds his archaeologist father missing, things strewn about, and consciousness quickly fading under mysterious circumstances.
Fortunately, for Matt, his father had always set Matt up with coded messages and puzzles that could only be solved with cryptic clues. It is because of this that Matt is able to sort out a secret message guiding him to his aunt's place, which is actually the huge estate of an adventuring millionaire named Julius Venture and his daughter Robin.
Upon his arrival, Matt finds himself falling further into an ancient mystery relating to the Hospitallers, the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, and a hoarded treasure that holds the secrets of an ancient civilization. Searching for his dad and the treasure will keep Matt and his companions globe-hopping at a quick pace and a high level of suspense.
As with all good pulp, the focus is on the quick pace of the action and the mysterious evil that must be overcome ... think page-turner. Along with that, the characters tend to usually be two-dimensional and a bit predictable with easily identified heroes and villains. There is a certain level of comfort in knowing that good will overcome evil even as things look like that would be impossible.
One thing I was particularly impressed about is that Richard seems to really know his stuff with archaeology. He premises a lot of the content on the book on a number of theories relating to ancient cultures that are considered controversial, such as whether a geologist's theory that the Sphinx is about 10,000 years older than expected. These theories support the idea of an older culture with advanced knowledge, something that a number of our ancestral cultures make reference to.
I have to admit to really enjoying this one. I wished I had more time to dedicate toward it, but things have been so busy.
Fortunately, for Matt, his father had always set Matt up with coded messages and puzzles that could only be solved with cryptic clues. It is because of this that Matt is able to sort out a secret message guiding him to his aunt's place, which is actually the huge estate of an adventuring millionaire named Julius Venture and his daughter Robin.
Upon his arrival, Matt finds himself falling further into an ancient mystery relating to the Hospitallers, the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, and a hoarded treasure that holds the secrets of an ancient civilization. Searching for his dad and the treasure will keep Matt and his companions globe-hopping at a quick pace and a high level of suspense.
As with all good pulp, the focus is on the quick pace of the action and the mysterious evil that must be overcome ... think page-turner. Along with that, the characters tend to usually be two-dimensional and a bit predictable with easily identified heroes and villains. There is a certain level of comfort in knowing that good will overcome evil even as things look like that would be impossible.
One thing I was particularly impressed about is that Richard seems to really know his stuff with archaeology. He premises a lot of the content on the book on a number of theories relating to ancient cultures that are considered controversial, such as whether a geologist's theory that the Sphinx is about 10,000 years older than expected. These theories support the idea of an older culture with advanced knowledge, something that a number of our ancestral cultures make reference to.
I have to admit to really enjoying this one. I wished I had more time to dedicate toward it, but things have been so busy.
January 27, 2011
The Chaos Code:
The World Unraveled
If you figured out a way to manipulate the world, how would you use the knowledge? In The Chaos Code, set in present day Europe, Matt arrives at his dad’s house to find it in disarray, and Arnold, his dad, missing. He then heads to his aunt’s house and meets Venture, an old family friend and researcher, and Robin, Venture’s daughter who becomes Matt’s friend. These three, plus Harper, a rich and famous man, head off to look for the treasure of St. John, where they believe Matt’s father will be. Harper turns against them because he only wants the treasure to control the world, and evidently, he can already control the four elements. Justin Richards brings alive the idea of how mankind can bring itself to ruin in this science fiction novel. One of the themes in The Chaos Code is that too much power can destroy the world because the idea of power can turn anyone evil, it is how Atlantis was destroyed, and Harper was planning on gaining enough knowledge to achieve it.
One reason why too much power can destroy the world is because the idea of power can turn anyone evil. An average everyday person named Katherine Feather happens to be in cahoots with Harper. At one point, she pretends to switch back over to Matt’s side, only to betray them and steal their information. Thus, the reader can almost believe that she really is moral, “‘Thanks for helping us’ Matt said to Katherine as they hurried back to the entrance and out into the sunshine. ‘No problem. Like your dad says, there’s a point where money isn’t enough of an excuse. Maybe I’ve just taken it for too long without really thinking’” (264). In this quote, Katherine is playing along just to receive more information for Harper. She actually would do anything for money.
Another example of how why too much power can destroy the world is how the ancient city of Atlantis was destroyed. The book brought up this topic a lot because some of the characters turned out to be survivors that have aged incredibly slowly. Apparently, the Atlantians were on the verge of a major discovery, something like what the characters were solving now. Something or someone wiped out the whole civilization, accidentally or on purpose. Matt has his own theory, “Matt shrugged. ‘Nothing. I just wondered if it was the same last time. If someone deliberately destroyed a civilisation.’ ‘And why would they do that?’ she asked, head tilted to one side. Wet hair rippling in the light breeze. It was her father who answered. ‘To prevent anyone having the same sort of power they were trying to create,’ he said” (387). In this quote, Venture is saying that the reason why Atlantis was destroyed is because they had to protect the world. If the knowledge that they knew had escaped, it could have finished mankind.
Lastly, too much power can destroy the world because Harper was planning on gaining enough knowledge to control every living and nonliving thing. If everything had gone his way, he could go into people’s minds and do what he wanted with them. The affect would be, people frozen until they were desired to play a part in the new world. You couldn’t even call it life, “His father stared ahead, blankly. ‘If you can hear me, try to help Mum. Try to break Harper’s control. You-we-have to get out of here. And she has to stop him copying his program code. Dad?!’ But there was still no reaction” (369). This quote shows that if Harper doesn’t wish for the person to move, then they can’t. Matt and Robin could move because they had strong enough willpower to sever the hold. With this computer code, Harper can control everybody.
One of the themes in The Chaos Code is that too much power can destroy the world because the idea can turn anyone evil, it is how Atlantis was destroyed, and Harper was planning on gaining enough knowledge to achieve it. I would rate this book three out of five stars because I enjoyed it. It was interesting, but also a little peculiar how someone could think of a storyline like this. I can relate to Matt the protagonist because sometimes I feel like people are hiding things from me. I get really nervous, like most people do, if people are whispering around me, just like Matt suspected Robin wasn’t telling him something about her past. Also, I don’t always comprehend everything that’s going on, like a challenging math problem, just like Matt didn’t know what to make of all these new ideas. Third, Matt is really good at working with computers. I’m not an expert, but I know more than the basics because my dad works with them a lot.
After reading this book I realized that no one can know everything because Venture knew a great deal from his long life, but he couldn’t predict what Harper would do. Second, the book teaches us to embrace strange ideas because they could be right. When Matt first met Venture and Robin he thought they were crazy. They told him to not light candles, which was bright because Harper could control fire. Third, think outside the box because your mind has to be open to new ideas. If you sit there not letting anything new sink in, you can’t move forward in life.
I think I deserve an A on this project because I worked hard on assembling everything to flow smoothly. I spent about two hours total on this assignment. Finding a lot of high-quality details for the three reasons was easy because they were three amazing reasons. Summarizing was difficult because there was a lot of information that I wanted to add, I just couldn’t find a way to do it. Next time, I would want to create a better hook because my mind was drawing a blank and I could only think of that one. I think I added a lot of excellent transition words to this paper.
The World Unraveled
If you figured out a way to manipulate the world, how would you use the knowledge? In The Chaos Code, set in present day Europe, Matt arrives at his dad’s house to find it in disarray, and Arnold, his dad, missing. He then heads to his aunt’s house and meets Venture, an old family friend and researcher, and Robin, Venture’s daughter who becomes Matt’s friend. These three, plus Harper, a rich and famous man, head off to look for the treasure of St. John, where they believe Matt’s father will be. Harper turns against them because he only wants the treasure to control the world, and evidently, he can already control the four elements. Justin Richards brings alive the idea of how mankind can bring itself to ruin in this science fiction novel. One of the themes in The Chaos Code is that too much power can destroy the world because the idea of power can turn anyone evil, it is how Atlantis was destroyed, and Harper was planning on gaining enough knowledge to achieve it.
One reason why too much power can destroy the world is because the idea of power can turn anyone evil. An average everyday person named Katherine Feather happens to be in cahoots with Harper. At one point, she pretends to switch back over to Matt’s side, only to betray them and steal their information. Thus, the reader can almost believe that she really is moral, “‘Thanks for helping us’ Matt said to Katherine as they hurried back to the entrance and out into the sunshine. ‘No problem. Like your dad says, there’s a point where money isn’t enough of an excuse. Maybe I’ve just taken it for too long without really thinking’” (264). In this quote, Katherine is playing along just to receive more information for Harper. She actually would do anything for money.
Another example of how why too much power can destroy the world is how the ancient city of Atlantis was destroyed. The book brought up this topic a lot because some of the characters turned out to be survivors that have aged incredibly slowly. Apparently, the Atlantians were on the verge of a major discovery, something like what the characters were solving now. Something or someone wiped out the whole civilization, accidentally or on purpose. Matt has his own theory, “Matt shrugged. ‘Nothing. I just wondered if it was the same last time. If someone deliberately destroyed a civilisation.’ ‘And why would they do that?’ she asked, head tilted to one side. Wet hair rippling in the light breeze. It was her father who answered. ‘To prevent anyone having the same sort of power they were trying to create,’ he said” (387). In this quote, Venture is saying that the reason why Atlantis was destroyed is because they had to protect the world. If the knowledge that they knew had escaped, it could have finished mankind.
Lastly, too much power can destroy the world because Harper was planning on gaining enough knowledge to control every living and nonliving thing. If everything had gone his way, he could go into people’s minds and do what he wanted with them. The affect would be, people frozen until they were desired to play a part in the new world. You couldn’t even call it life, “His father stared ahead, blankly. ‘If you can hear me, try to help Mum. Try to break Harper’s control. You-we-have to get out of here. And she has to stop him copying his program code. Dad?!’ But there was still no reaction” (369). This quote shows that if Harper doesn’t wish for the person to move, then they can’t. Matt and Robin could move because they had strong enough willpower to sever the hold. With this computer code, Harper can control everybody.
One of the themes in The Chaos Code is that too much power can destroy the world because the idea can turn anyone evil, it is how Atlantis was destroyed, and Harper was planning on gaining enough knowledge to achieve it. I would rate this book three out of five stars because I enjoyed it. It was interesting, but also a little peculiar how someone could think of a storyline like this. I can relate to Matt the protagonist because sometimes I feel like people are hiding things from me. I get really nervous, like most people do, if people are whispering around me, just like Matt suspected Robin wasn’t telling him something about her past. Also, I don’t always comprehend everything that’s going on, like a challenging math problem, just like Matt didn’t know what to make of all these new ideas. Third, Matt is really good at working with computers. I’m not an expert, but I know more than the basics because my dad works with them a lot.
After reading this book I realized that no one can know everything because Venture knew a great deal from his long life, but he couldn’t predict what Harper would do. Second, the book teaches us to embrace strange ideas because they could be right. When Matt first met Venture and Robin he thought they were crazy. They told him to not light candles, which was bright because Harper could control fire. Third, think outside the box because your mind has to be open to new ideas. If you sit there not letting anything new sink in, you can’t move forward in life.
I think I deserve an A on this project because I worked hard on assembling everything to flow smoothly. I spent about two hours total on this assignment. Finding a lot of high-quality details for the three reasons was easy because they were three amazing reasons. Summarizing was difficult because there was a lot of information that I wanted to add, I just couldn’t find a way to do it. Next time, I would want to create a better hook because my mind was drawing a blank and I could only think of that one. I think I added a lot of excellent transition words to this paper.
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November 13, 2018I found it very hard to get into this story which is a shame because this has been on my to be read list for quite some time and I was looking forward to it.
January 10, 2014
Throughout reading the The Chaos Code, by Justin Richards, it is apparent that Matt must endure many tasks and challenges in order to find his father. This implies that mysteries and puzzles can dwell deep within everyday life. These types of books always held a certain spot in my heart since in mystery and puzzle books there are unpredictable parts, so you always feel like you are going on a new adventure every time you pick up the book. One strong example was during the beginning of the novel. Matt, the protagonist, is being sent to stay at his father’s house while his mom goes on a business trip out of the country. When he first reaches his house, he is welcomed by no one, “Matt rang the bell, and waited.” Since it is my nature to relate to the story, I predicted Matt would just walk away from the house and ask to stay at a friends, but he didn't. Instead he entered the house and managed to find the clue his dad left him. These clues would add up to solve the whereabouts of his father. However this was only one of the many examples throughout the story. Another thing I especially liked about the book was that it would set up mysteries. One big one was Matt's first encounter with Robin. She is very mysterious and likes to stay that way. When Matt asked her for her age she replied, “Ladies don’t tell their age.” The only information she says is that her name is Robin. Overall the story was what I was looking for in a book except for one thing which is lots of action. I would recommend giving this book a try for a puzzling adventure.
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February 22, 2016Have you ever been clueless as to where your father is and all you have to even have a clue as to where he is is a piece of paper, Well that's exactly what happens to Matt in this story it is obvious that Matt must go through a lot of tasks and challenges in order to find his father. This implies there will be some difficulties in everyday life for Matt.
I've always liked these kind of books because of the unpredictable parts, so you always feel like you are going to find some new adventure everyday. An example was during the beginning of the book. Matt, the protagonist is being escorted to home to his father and when he gets there is welcomed by nothing but a clue left from his dad which would eventually lead to him finding his father.
I really think this realistic book deserves more medals and is really great I recommend this book to anyone who can get their hands on it I believe this book deserves any awards it haves it was given to the right author it was very enjoyable there was only about one boring part in the book that i can think of. I rate this book a 4 out of 5 this book is great.
I think the author tried to show the mood by giving the characters different kind of personalities like when he found his dad he wasn't to happy but was at the same time. The author really did great with this quality work and is amazing.
I've always liked these kind of books because of the unpredictable parts, so you always feel like you are going to find some new adventure everyday. An example was during the beginning of the book. Matt, the protagonist is being escorted to home to his father and when he gets there is welcomed by nothing but a clue left from his dad which would eventually lead to him finding his father.
I really think this realistic book deserves more medals and is really great I recommend this book to anyone who can get their hands on it I believe this book deserves any awards it haves it was given to the right author it was very enjoyable there was only about one boring part in the book that i can think of. I rate this book a 4 out of 5 this book is great.
I think the author tried to show the mood by giving the characters different kind of personalities like when he found his dad he wasn't to happy but was at the same time. The author really did great with this quality work and is amazing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2012
Just listened to this unabridged audiobook on a long car ride from Florida to Maryland.
It was a bit like listening to an Indiana Jones movie. It was fast paced and easy to follow and made a great selection as an audiobook. Peopled primarily by Brits, the language was different enough to keep this Yankee interested as well.
The story centers on a young man home for the Holds and who's foisted off on his divorced father when his divorced mother accepts a computer programming job that's going to take her away from home. When the boy arrives at his father's andfinds him gone amid scenes of foul play, the game's afoot. There are puzzles to be solved, mysteries to be unravelled, golems to escape and a madman bent on world domination to foil. Of course the youngster is not alone in his quest, he's got the aid of his aunt and her employer and the employer's daughter (who all three seem to know an inordinate amount about Atlantis...
Nuff said. If you like adventure books that lean toward the metaphysical without going into any of it too deeply, then this may be your book!
It was a bit like listening to an Indiana Jones movie. It was fast paced and easy to follow and made a great selection as an audiobook. Peopled primarily by Brits, the language was different enough to keep this Yankee interested as well.
The story centers on a young man home for the Holds and who's foisted off on his divorced father when his divorced mother accepts a computer programming job that's going to take her away from home. When the boy arrives at his father's andfinds him gone amid scenes of foul play, the game's afoot. There are puzzles to be solved, mysteries to be unravelled, golems to escape and a madman bent on world domination to foil. Of course the youngster is not alone in his quest, he's got the aid of his aunt and her employer and the employer's daughter (who all three seem to know an inordinate amount about Atlantis...
Nuff said. If you like adventure books that lean toward the metaphysical without going into any of it too deeply, then this may be your book!
July 4, 2018
Matt Sribling goes to stay with his father for the school holidays, but his father is not home. Since his father is a rather eccentric archaeologist he is not surprised when he finds cryptic clues to his father's whereabouts, and instructions to go to stay with his aunt Jane. but the house shows signs of having been broken into, so he is rather worried. His aunt is personal assistant to a wealthy researcher, Julius Venture, and his mysterious daughter Robin, who appears to be about Matt's age and therefore likely to make the holiday more interesting, but his aunt warns him not to get too close to her.
Matt discovers that his father was on the track of some ancient manuscripts and artefacts that had been rescued, or pillaged from a library, and some historical research is needed to find where they are. They enlist the help of a billionaire, and travel from continent to continent in search of the missing treasure, one item of which, it is reputed, will unlock the wisdom of the ancients. At that point the story turns to pure fantasy, and becomes rather unconvincing.
Matt discovers that his father was on the track of some ancient manuscripts and artefacts that had been rescued, or pillaged from a library, and some historical research is needed to find where they are. They enlist the help of a billionaire, and travel from continent to continent in search of the missing treasure, one item of which, it is reputed, will unlock the wisdom of the ancients. At that point the story turns to pure fantasy, and becomes rather unconvincing.
February 16, 2021
As an adolescent, I loved these kinds of far-fetched novels that combined history, codes, archeological fascination with ancient cultures and other utterly improbable but joyous journeys through the impossible.
It all begins when 15-year old Matt comes home from school for a holiday with his mom. She claims she can’t stay and sends him forward to his dad who happens to be nowhere around. He finds himself at his Auntie’s place and the action begins to escalate. I enjoyed the eccentric, fantastical characters and story lines!
It all begins when 15-year old Matt comes home from school for a holiday with his mom. She claims she can’t stay and sends him forward to his dad who happens to be nowhere around. He finds himself at his Auntie’s place and the action begins to escalate. I enjoyed the eccentric, fantastical characters and story lines!
May 12, 2018
I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. The protagonist is likeable and clever. However, when the big mystery surrounds the knowledge of the ancients I lost interest. The author gets into British history and if I'm going to hear about that I want to read the non-fiction version. I did not finish this book which usually results in a one-star review, but gave it three because I think this book will appeal to other readers.
May 12, 2025
This was a lovely return to my childhood. I read this close to when it came out in 2007, and was only able to find it again with the help of a stranger on the Internet. It's a captivating mystery thriller with some fun archeological capers. It definitely dates itself with the fixation on modern computing, but still was fresh and entertaining. I highly recommend to anyone who wants a quick and exciting read.
October 14, 2020
😍😍😍
Thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much Ella for letting me borrow this - it's amazing! It was a bit confusing at times and the end was a bit rushed but tbh if it hadn't been rushed I would'nt've read all of it - I'd skip lots.😂 Overall a great read - really recommend it!
Thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much Ella for letting me borrow this - it's amazing! It was a bit confusing at times and the end was a bit rushed but tbh if it hadn't been rushed I would'nt've read all of it - I'd skip lots.😂 Overall a great read - really recommend it!
April 29, 2018
3.5 stars
clean
exciting at times
clean
exciting at times
July 24, 2018
Fun! I enjoyed the story and the little puzzles. I saw a couple of plot twists coming but it didn't lessen the story at all
December 11, 2019
Very good
July 1, 2020
A very gripping novel that has really given my brain something to have a good think about. I love it.
January 31, 2021
Brilliant and memorable
February 3, 2021
2,5/5 Takie dla dzieci. Bez większego sensu i logiki. Tylko czysta rozrywka. Czytadło odmużdzacz.
March 17, 2022
Przeczytane w czasach podstawówki. Ach te stare czasy.
November 30, 2022
This is a new author for me and I would like to read more. It has that Indian Jones archaeological feel to it. Adventure book with decent teenage protagonists. I will see what book 2 brings.
July 24, 2023
Das Buch hat mir gut gefallen. Es war leicht, gut und schnell zu lesen. Ein richtig entspannendes Abenteuer mit Wissen verpackt.
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April 6, 2025DNF @ 35% Started strong for me, but I'm not interested int he more esoteric plot nor connecting with the characters and adventure part.
December 5, 2025
One of the first books I ever read. Was fun but a bit one dimensional! Was my introduction to the adventure genre
November 22, 2018
Scary story about what happens when a man who has everything wants even more.
August 7, 2015
Order versus chaos. It’s a time honored conflict and the Chaos Code is certainly not the first book to deal with this conflict, and it won’t be the last. Order causes a society to stagnate, thus inhibiting progress. Order also causes society to be stable, thus encouraging progress. Chaos causes a society to fragment, thus inhibiting progress. Chaos also engenders the will to solve pressing challenges, thus encouraging progress. Richards firmly believes that chaos is the answer. But I myself believe that moderation is actually the answer – one needs both chaos and order to advance as a civilization.
Anyway, the Chaos Code begins when Matt goes to stay with his archeologist father and his father’s old friend, millionaire businessman Julius Venture. Venture soon drags Matt to an archeological dig of critical importance. The secrets that they uncover there could end up bringing the earth to a new age of progress – or destroy it entirely. For a villainous individual is bent on using those secrets to bring the world under his control – literally. As you might guess, only Matt can stop the antagonist’s fiendish plans from becoming deadly reality.
Richards provides a surprising depth to the arguments provided within this text, and seamlessly provides a philosophical text and an exciting action novel in the same book to great effect. Although I do not necessarily agree with his beliefs, I recognize that his arguments are cogent and fascinating. Lest you think this text is dull and boring, I can assure you that there is plenty of action to be found as the protagonist battle mercenaries, the elements, and bizarre creatures made of sand for the destiny of the world. Yay for action!
One thing I did not appreciate, but solely on a personal level, is Richards’ bias against technology. People who see technology as ruining society forget that it is technology that has built up society in the first place. In my view, if technology is causing problems for society, it is actually the fault of society for not being able to adapt to it. Furthermore, it’s all well and good to criticize technology if you can easily avoid using it. But I have a writing disability, and I need technology to function in the educational sector and the workforce. Anyway, that was just a rant of mine there.
I seem to have spent more time talking about the themes of the book than the book itself, but that just shows you how insightful and interesting this book actually is. I rarely read books that are as intelligently written as this one. Actually, that’s because most books as intelligently written as this one are also unbelievably pretentious. The Chaos Code is not pretentious. It is a rather brilliant text that also doubles as a thrilling YA novel.
Anyway, the Chaos Code begins when Matt goes to stay with his archeologist father and his father’s old friend, millionaire businessman Julius Venture. Venture soon drags Matt to an archeological dig of critical importance. The secrets that they uncover there could end up bringing the earth to a new age of progress – or destroy it entirely. For a villainous individual is bent on using those secrets to bring the world under his control – literally. As you might guess, only Matt can stop the antagonist’s fiendish plans from becoming deadly reality.
Richards provides a surprising depth to the arguments provided within this text, and seamlessly provides a philosophical text and an exciting action novel in the same book to great effect. Although I do not necessarily agree with his beliefs, I recognize that his arguments are cogent and fascinating. Lest you think this text is dull and boring, I can assure you that there is plenty of action to be found as the protagonist battle mercenaries, the elements, and bizarre creatures made of sand for the destiny of the world. Yay for action!
One thing I did not appreciate, but solely on a personal level, is Richards’ bias against technology. People who see technology as ruining society forget that it is technology that has built up society in the first place. In my view, if technology is causing problems for society, it is actually the fault of society for not being able to adapt to it. Furthermore, it’s all well and good to criticize technology if you can easily avoid using it. But I have a writing disability, and I need technology to function in the educational sector and the workforce. Anyway, that was just a rant of mine there.
I seem to have spent more time talking about the themes of the book than the book itself, but that just shows you how insightful and interesting this book actually is. I rarely read books that are as intelligently written as this one. Actually, that’s because most books as intelligently written as this one are also unbelievably pretentious. The Chaos Code is not pretentious. It is a rather brilliant text that also doubles as a thrilling YA novel.
December 20, 2012
The Chaos Code
Summary: Matt, a child of a divorce, is supposed to spend the weekend with his dad, but when he arrives at his father’s house he finds it empty and cluttered as though someone were looking for something. After looking around, Matt finds his dad was part of a group searching for a code to manipulate the elements, located in a far off country. He also discovers clues that his father left him to find his whereabouts, giving the appearance he was kidnapped. His search for his dad takes him all across the globe, and finds that the corrupted man who took him is really close to finding the code, making it Matt’s job to stop him before he can use it for evil.
Commentary: The best part of the novel to me was when the fire elements burn down the mansion Matt was staying at. This part of the novel showed the realism or the elemental creatures for the first time. Before, there were only footprints and piles of sand in unexpected places, but after the fire creatures Matt new they were for real.
Favorite Parts: Pg. 99 “We shall do all we can to help,” he said sincerely. “You’ve convinced me that this is of the utmost urgency and importance.” This piece from the book shows how much support Matt has in finding his father. Everyone is doing as much as they can to help, and in the end it really pays off.
Pg. 12 “”Dad?” he called again, but he wasn’t calling so loudly now – a plea more than a shout for attention. This quote shows how much he cares about his father even though he barely sees him, being a child of a divorce.
To improve this novel the author could do more to give the reader a better understanding of the characters personality. Sometimes the people in the novel could be a little one-sided or dull.
Comparison: This book reminds me of a book I read on the ancient Mayans because the place the code is actually discovered is in a pyramid under a waterfall. This was located in the amazon, which is where Mayan civilizations used to be. Mayans also used to build pyramids same as in the story.
Summary: Matt, a child of a divorce, is supposed to spend the weekend with his dad, but when he arrives at his father’s house he finds it empty and cluttered as though someone were looking for something. After looking around, Matt finds his dad was part of a group searching for a code to manipulate the elements, located in a far off country. He also discovers clues that his father left him to find his whereabouts, giving the appearance he was kidnapped. His search for his dad takes him all across the globe, and finds that the corrupted man who took him is really close to finding the code, making it Matt’s job to stop him before he can use it for evil.
Commentary: The best part of the novel to me was when the fire elements burn down the mansion Matt was staying at. This part of the novel showed the realism or the elemental creatures for the first time. Before, there were only footprints and piles of sand in unexpected places, but after the fire creatures Matt new they were for real.
Favorite Parts: Pg. 99 “We shall do all we can to help,” he said sincerely. “You’ve convinced me that this is of the utmost urgency and importance.” This piece from the book shows how much support Matt has in finding his father. Everyone is doing as much as they can to help, and in the end it really pays off.
Pg. 12 “”Dad?” he called again, but he wasn’t calling so loudly now – a plea more than a shout for attention. This quote shows how much he cares about his father even though he barely sees him, being a child of a divorce.
To improve this novel the author could do more to give the reader a better understanding of the characters personality. Sometimes the people in the novel could be a little one-sided or dull.
Comparison: This book reminds me of a book I read on the ancient Mayans because the place the code is actually discovered is in a pyramid under a waterfall. This was located in the amazon, which is where Mayan civilizations used to be. Mayans also used to build pyramids same as in the story.
December 13, 2012
I think one of the reasons I wasn't really into this book was because I'd just read a couple of books in the Danger Zone series by David Gilman and found this book to be quite similar in a lot of aspects: both boys the same age, absentee parents they have to rescue, involving following clues left behind for them. While this book has an interesting premise, I found the writing to be a bit sloppy with the overuse of certain phrases and the story to be predicatable. For example, as soon as Matt saw photos of a girl 'who looked a lot like Robin', I could tell where that line of the story was headed. It wasn't hard to make out other parts of the plot.
I also found there to be little character development, particularly in Matt but also in Robin. For someone who is hiding a secret like hers, she wasn't very particular about hiding it, dropping clues so often I thought Matt had to be quite 'daft', as they say, to not realise. It also seemed that Matt had almost forgotten or disregarded the fact that his father was missing (I think this is the fault of the poor writing) once he started searching for the treasure, and so did everyone else. This frustrated me because this was supposed to be the whole point of the story, not just a "oh, what about Dad?" moment dropped in here and there.
The novel also seemed to be unfinished. Did I miss the significance of Smith's blue eyes? Couldn't work that one yet. I would say Richards was probably leaving himself open for a sequel.
2.5 stars
I also found there to be little character development, particularly in Matt but also in Robin. For someone who is hiding a secret like hers, she wasn't very particular about hiding it, dropping clues so often I thought Matt had to be quite 'daft', as they say, to not realise. It also seemed that Matt had almost forgotten or disregarded the fact that his father was missing (I think this is the fault of the poor writing) once he started searching for the treasure, and so did everyone else. This frustrated me because this was supposed to be the whole point of the story, not just a "oh, what about Dad?" moment dropped in here and there.
The novel also seemed to be unfinished. Did I miss the significance of Smith's blue eyes? Couldn't work that one yet. I would say Richards was probably leaving himself open for a sequel.
2.5 stars
June 1, 2008
Reviewed by Jeremey for TeensReadToo.com
Matt Stribling is being sent to live with his brilliant father during summer vacation. Upon arrival, Matt finds a message from his father, which leads him to his aunt's home. Aunt Jane, Mr. Venture, and Atticus Harper explain to Matt that his father has been looking for a code and suddenly went missing.
Possibly kidnapped.
Mr. Harper tells Matt of the treasure, and the power along with it, that caused the fabled "Great Flood" -- and maybe even destroyed Atlantis.
Matt soon learns that the code is in the hands of a wealthy adventurer who plans on using the power to further his own plans to become an almighty being. It is up to Matt and his unusual friend, Robin, to stop the code from being reactivated. They must either hide the code away or protect it with their lives. . .
THE CHAOS CODE is a book that could easily be turned into a movie. It is like Indiana Jones meets Tomb Raider meets The Mummy. This book is fast-paced and doesn't let you stop reading.
Matt Stribling is being sent to live with his brilliant father during summer vacation. Upon arrival, Matt finds a message from his father, which leads him to his aunt's home. Aunt Jane, Mr. Venture, and Atticus Harper explain to Matt that his father has been looking for a code and suddenly went missing.
Possibly kidnapped.
Mr. Harper tells Matt of the treasure, and the power along with it, that caused the fabled "Great Flood" -- and maybe even destroyed Atlantis.
Matt soon learns that the code is in the hands of a wealthy adventurer who plans on using the power to further his own plans to become an almighty being. It is up to Matt and his unusual friend, Robin, to stop the code from being reactivated. They must either hide the code away or protect it with their lives. . .
THE CHAOS CODE is a book that could easily be turned into a movie. It is like Indiana Jones meets Tomb Raider meets The Mummy. This book is fast-paced and doesn't let you stop reading.
January 19, 2015
Chaos Code was ok. It's the story of Matt Stribling. His parents, Mom-computer geek, Dad-archaeologist, are divorced. Mom has no time for him; he's home from school; she sends him to Dad. Dad has been kidnapped. Matt finds a coded message telling him to go to his Aunt Jane. Aunt Jane works for Julius Venture who has a daughter Robin. The Venture family is very mysterious. So-they all end up either working for or against a madman, Atticus Harper. Harper is trying to find the "ancient knowledge" so that he can control the world. He can already control the elements and makes "men" out of earth, air, water and fire. There's a big battle in the Amazon jungle in an ancient pyramid. I won't give the end, but it's a book for young teens, so it ends well. There were some interesting plot elements, but I think it has too many things going on. I liked the characters of Matt and Robin, but even their character's are not really fleshed out well. Everyone else is pretty stereotypical.
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