Infiltration

by Sean Rodman

Bex is into "urban exploration"―going where he's not supposed to go. Bex has always done it just for fun and bragging rights, taking nothing but pictures and leaving nothing but footprints. He has explored almost every abandoned building and tunnel in the city. But that changes when a new kid arrives at school. Kieran is edgy, dangerous and into urban exploration as well. Together, they start pushing each other to radical extremes. When Kieran pitches a plan that involves taking more than just pictures, Bex has a decision to make. Where will he draw the line, and how far will he follow Kieran?

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Ebooks

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

I live and work in Victoria, British Columbia. I am the child of two anthropologists, which gave me a keen eye for observation and a bad case of wanderlust. My interest in writing for teenagers came out of working at a number of interesting schools around the world. In the Snowy Mountains of Australia, I taught ancient history to future Olympic athletes. Closer to home, my family and I lived and worked with students from over 100 countries at a non-profit international school.

Reviews

[Qryzma Kolenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bex is into urban exploration as a hobby, leaving nothing but footprints behind and coming back with nothing but pictures to show for it, this is something he does for fun during his down or alone time. Kieren, who is a bit more edgy and dangerous then Bex, arrives at his school but is also into urban exploration just like he is, seems like the perfect match huh? Before they knew it they were on adventures, trips and tours around the city together that involved the thing they both loved and lived for, exploring the urban city they live in and want to know way more about. Even though Bex has a girlfriend, in the book it’s made clear she is so buried in school and work books she spends just enough time with Bex for him to enjoy his free time and her to get business done.
A little farther into the book, Bex can observe that Kieren is into things that are a little more risky then he would take part in himself, things such as breaking into old buildings, stores, houses and etc. However, of course a teenager trying to fit in with his new friend isn’t going to turn down breaking into buildings and exploring them, especially if the consequences were not there and if there were any, they weren’t anything outstanding.
As you read along you are informed that Bex will not be able to see his girlfriend for the entire summer to go work and make some money to pay for school. He begins to think of ways he could help but in his head he knows he couldn’t get his hands on that type of money in the amount of time he needed it. Then, Kieren comes up with a plan to an abandoned building that involves a lot more than simply taking pictures and it leaves Bex with a tough choice to make. Bex was asked by Kieren to help sneak into a Gov. Building where his father works, any other time Bex wouldn’t have even thought of saying yes to the plan, but there was money involved. Bex agrees because with this money, his girlfriend wouldn’t have to leave for the entire summer, he and Kieren would have cash, it was all a win-win situation but soon Bex realizes there is more to Kieren then he thought he knew. Kieren is a troubled kid, who had gotten into big trouble like this prior to moving to Bex’s school and meeting Bex, and in the book is clearly the grand scheme of plans, and it’s up to Bex to decide whether to help him or to withdraw completely.
I really enjoyed the book because it was full of actions, suspension, wondering what’s going to happen next, it hooks you on until the end and that’s what I love about it the most. The book also had a huge plot twist which caught my attention a lot more than I thought it would. I would recommend this book to people who like suspense, who like to read for a purpose or a final climax somewhere in the book and for people who like to be on their toes while reading waiting to see what’s going to happen next.

[Erica Henry · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story was mediocre and the characters were bland. There was absolutely nothing interesting about the story at all. It doesn't even say whether or not Kieran and his father work things out.

[Peggyl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This quick read Orca Soundings is full of action and suspense. Bad boy Kiernan and new friend Bex attempt to break into abandoned sites to record their excapades. When Kiernan suggests taking on his father's top security office under the guise of stealing high end cell phones for profit, Bex agrees in order to make some tuition money for his girlfriend. Unbeknowst to Bex, Kiernan's true motive is more sinister.

This story is a page-turner.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story was just okay. I thought I was going to like it more than I did, the beginning and middle were okay, but the ending was just meh. I wouldn't recommend this book.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

This book just felt very short. It started off interesting, but I really didn't connect with the story at all. I liked the friend, Jake...he was probably my favorite character.

[Alan Klimov · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about Bex, an “urban explorer” who would go into his city’s abandoned areas and explore them and take photos. He did not break any laws, he left nothing but footprints. The first part is where he goes into an abandoned theater,takes photos, and gets caught, then escapes. After that he gets into a fight with his girlfriend and wants to make it up. That’s when Kieran, a troublemaker who is also an urban explorer that transferred from another school came in. When he first meets Kieran, kieran challenges Bex to a race up a bridge. Kieran wins and Bex almost falls off, but Kieran saves him.Then he offers to make a plan to crack into a military base, step phone, and sell them and split the money with bex. Bex, faced with a tough decision, takes the choice.First, they attempt to break in with another member, jack. Jack is Bex’s best friend. However, during the infiltration, Jack gets injured. Already dissenting the idea of bringing him along, Kieran decides he isn’t part of the group. The next week, they break into the military base and it turns out that Kieran had made a different plan, he planned to set the place on fire and go out with the military base to get back at his father. Kieran, lights the area on fire, but doesn't die. Not long after that, Bex carries him outside, where the guards get them to an ambulance. Next, Bex wakes up to find his girlfriend telling him that he didn't need to plan everything out and just go with the flow sometimes. I really enjoyed the way the characters decisions conflicted throughout the book. The interactions seemed real, and engaging. I really enjoy the concept of “urban explorers” and think that putting it into a book like this was a great idea. I also enjoyed the description of setting throughout the book. It made it feel like I was part of their plan to infiltrate the theater and the military base in the story. I would recommend this book to people who often stay at home. This book offers a cool insight into how people go and explore places.

[Atsada P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Infiltration,a fiction book by Sean Rodman, is a good book. However, it can be very disappointing at times. The plot also doesn't flow that well later in the story. The book is about Bex, a boy who likes to travel where he's not suppose to. There is also Kieran, a new kid that becomes friends with Bex. Bex goes on a adventure with him with intentions to get his girlfriend back.

The book can be very disappointing in the events of the plot. For example, the ending of the story was very disappointing. There was a lot more Sean Rodman could of done with the amount of buildup. Rodman making the ending very anti-climatic was a bad move. I'm sure Rodman could have done more than make Bex's adventure completely pointless. I just thought the plot wasn't full thought out.

Infiltration's plot was very interesting at first,but it got confusing at some parts. An example of this is Bex's first adventure with Kieran. Rodman does a good job of introducing the characters in the book. On the other hand, the story gets very hard to follow through, and the next thing you know Kieran saves Bex. I think a better choice of words could have fixed this. Rodman needed to work on this more in order to make the book a lot better.

Overall, the book was great but not that great. It had major flaws, but most of the plot was pretty interesting. The ending had a lot of potential, but was not thought out that well.

I recommend this book for teenagers. It is a good read for passing time. It has a very interesting topic for people in the teen age group.

[Richelys Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of the book that I read is “Infiltration” by Sean Rodman. This book is about a boy named Bex and he loves to visit abandoned buildings and tunnels. He basically does things that he is not supposed to do. But then a twist is coming his way because there is a new kid attending his school. His name is Kieran and he also likes to do the same things that Bex likes to do (which is to visit creepy buildings and tunnels). I enjoyed this book because when I was done with a chapter I didn't know what to expect. The book is just crazy. These kids are putting their own life in danger doing things they not suppose to do. Someone else might like this book because its like you never want to stop reading you wanna see what is gonna happen next.

[Caden Yanko · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a great book and got to the point fast

[Lindsay]

Very quick read. Characters are good, but the book was somewhat predictable of what was going happen each time.

[TeenRA Resource Teens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catherine's Response:
I had a somewhat mixed response to this title. The fast pacing and compelling storyline made it an easy book to get into. While Bex’s reasoning did not always seem like the most rational choices he could make, the felt authentic to the thought processes of a teenage boy desperate to stay close to his girlfriend. Character development is fairly shallow but that is to be expected in a book that comes in under 150 pages. Rodman does address some fairly serious themes that many teens will identify with, such as, parental suicide, financial struggles, peer pressure, and first love. Despite its shortcomings, I think this book would be popular with struggling readers who enjoy realistic fiction.

Quick Pitch:
Have you ever wondered what’s inside old abandoned buildings? Bex is a legend in the online community of urban explorers. He knows the tunnels and hidden places of his city better that anyone. He’s got it all, an awesome girlfriend, good friends, an adrenaline-inducing hobby, and a great family. Enter Kieran, the new bad boy at school, who happens to share Bex’s passion for urban exploration. When Kieran suggests that they try to break into a high-security facility where his dad works and steal a forgotten batch of expensive cell phones, Bex reluctantly agrees. He hopes to earn extra money to give his girlfriend for her college tuition so she won’t have to go away to work all summer. But it quickly becomes apparent that Kieran has ulterior motives for this break-in. Bex will have to decide if the money is really worth the risk before Kieran’s desire for revenge destroys them both.

[James Moberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bex is young boy who has a personal hobby of urban exploration, or exploring abandoned buildings. He has a beautiful girlfriend, a personal hobby, and overall, a good life. However, things go downhill when a boy named Kieran starts school. Kieran is a troubled kid, who has gotten in big trouble in the past. When he finds out who Bex is, they start to become friends, and talk about what Bex does. However, things go really badly quickly when Kieran reveals a grand scheme of plans, which involves something Bex doesn't do when urban exploring; stealing. It's up to Bex as to what he does.
Overall, I thought this book wasn't bad. It wasn't that good however. I picked up this book due to my interest in urban exploration. However, I was dissapointed when I found out that this book doesn't have that much to do with actual urban exploration, as it's only seen in the first few parts of the book. The plot wasn't bad, and had some intriguing moments, but overall, felt short and summarized. I feel that if this book was 70 to 100 pages longer with details, it would've been a much better story. For example, the overall main part of the story,( Kierans big plan), only lasts about 40 pages. That, and the aftermath of the plan is barely revealed, and kind of includes a cliffhanger ending. The plot twist that is in the story wasn't bad, and I felt it actually saved the story in a way from being a bad one. The story was good, but truly could've been better with more of a focus on urban exploration, and more details of everything.

[Peter Hile · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was ok. The first few chapters were really good and was hooking me in to read more until the characters started to get stupid. I feel like the author did a good job of explaining the average teenager. Bex(one of the mane characters) is just like me, a normal ordinary high school kid. But one thing, he spends his time going to abandoned buildings with is girl friend Asha and best friend Jake. One thing that comes to my mind is how douse he do this. In the book we know that he is home before 12 clock at night. So douse his parents not notice that their some is gone and have no idea where he is. After the first chapter the story tacks a vary big turn. Hex meats this kid. Not just any kid a kid that was said to punch the teacher and sex a whole school on fire. Bex and all of his fraiends where really scared of Kieran. Now this part of the story when I did not what to put down my book. I had no idea what was going to happen next it was crazy. But when you get closes to the end of the book that was when things got real. Bex thinks Asha is going to leave him and Josh too Bex starts to do all this staeLling phones because that is going to totally fix things. So Kiran was total a bad mental person at the end and I was not expecting this I thought he and Bex would be friends but know Kiran try's to blow up is fathers office. I thought this blog was ok

[bjneary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to Laurie O for reading and reviewing this for PSLA 2012!
Bex is on top of the world; he gets good grades, has a great girlfriend, a supportive family and the best hobby: urban exploration. Bex explores every crevice of the city by sneaking into abandoned buildings, bridges and tunnels; he posts his pictures online and is admired by all the other urban explorers. Bex starts to feel like he is losing control of his life when his girlfriend Asha tells him that she is going to spend the summer away, working at a camp, when a new kid, Kieran arrives at school. Kieran is also an urban explorer and needs Bex's help to get into the government building where his dad works. Bex is hesitant, especially when Kieran tells him that they are going to steal phones from the building. Bex decides that this could be the key to getting Asha to stay home for the summer. Their plan quickly goes awry and Bex realizes there's more to Kieran than what he saw. Infiltration is action packed with one surprise after another!

[E Holden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bex is your average teen, gets pretty good grades, has lots of friends, and things are going well with his girlfriend. Bex also has a secret, he's one of the internet's most well know urban explorers. When new guy, Kieran shows up, life for Bex changes, and it may not be for the better. Clear concise writing and a fast paced plot that's full of suspense makes this easy read great for tween readers.

[South Orange Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bex is your average teen, gets pretty good grades, has lots of friends, and things are going well with his girlfriend. Bex also has a secret, he's one of the internet's most well know urban explorers. When new guy, Kieran shows up, life for Bex changes, and it may not be for the better. Clear concise writing and a fast paced plot that's full of suspense makes this easy read great for tween readers. --Erin

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short read for those who really don’t like to read. It’s about urban exploration. When Bex discovers Kieran, the new kid at school, also indulges in this forbidden indulgence, the two pair up for a challenge that forces Bex to decide where he will draw the line.

[Teplybre97 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book was a good crime story about a group of teenagers. I also think that Kieran was good at making strategies to break into houses for infiltration. This also tells of Kieran planning to steal money to keep a friend of his in town.

[Javon Whitehead]

This Book was kinda cool because Bex goes to almost each abandoned house. This book also relates to teens now days because when he gets a new friend that does the same thing he does want to do more then what Bex Usually does he's getting peer pressured to do something Wrong.

[Zephyr · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't like the ending

[Shannon Rickert · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a good book it deals with death and how it effects teens, and their family's

[George Taterosian · Rating 3 out of 5]

goood

[Olivia Ballaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was really good but it was too short, if it was longer it would have been better.

[George Taterosian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

[Megalion · Rating 3 out of 5]

A YA adventure featuring urban explorers. Rather short novella. Came up as 170 pages in my iPhone Overdrive app.

Enjoyable. I don't come across much fiction featuring urban exploration.

[Jiayi Zhang · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think this book is very good

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what’s inside old abandoned buildings? Bex is a legend in the online community of urban explorers. He knows the tunnels and hidden places of his city better that anyone. He basically does things that he is not supposed to do for fun as a hobby and bragging rights. He’s got it all, an awesome girlfriend, good friends, an adrenaline-inducing hobby, and a great family. Then comes Kieran, the new bad boy at school, who happens to share Bex’s passion for urban exploration. When Kieran suggests that they try to break into a high-security facility where his dad works and steal a forgotten batch of expensive cell phones, Bex reluctantly agrees. He hopes to earn extra money to give his girlfriend for her college tuition so she won’t have to go away to work all summer. But it quickly becomes apparent that Kieran has secret motives for this break-in. Bex will have to decide if the money is worth the risk before Kieran’s desire for revenge destroys them both.
The fast pacing and compelling storyline made it an easy book to get into. While Bex’s reasoning did not always seem like the most rational choices he could make, it felt authentic to the thought processes of a teenage boy desperate to stay close to his girlfriend. Rodman does address some serious themes that many teens will identify with such as parental suicide, financial struggles, peer pressure, and first love. Despite its shortcomings, I think this quick read full of action and suspense book would be a good book for readers who enjoy realistic fiction.

[Paul Vender]

Infiltration by Sean Rooman is a book about teens who love to explore where they aren’t supposed to be. Bex the main character is in a bad spot. Bex his girlfriend Asha and is planning on leaving the summer to go work far away for college tuition money. Keiran has this plan to steal phones from his dad place at the DMA factory. Bex looks at this as a way to get money for his girlfriend. Being Bex’s best friend Jake joins in on Keiran and Bex plan’s to steal theses phones so he can back up Bex. My favorite part of the book is when Keiran opened up to Bex about his family problems, how his mom died, how he got kicked out of his last school, how he wants to steal his dads phones to get back at him and make a profit. Infiltration kept me on edge because I wanted to keep finding out if they would make it through the DMA factory. As the boys attempt for the first time they have a little problem. They first couldn’t find the entrance and to realize the tunnel is two foot underwater once you get in there. Bex is my favorite because he is willing to put his life at risk just to help pay Asha so she can stay home for the summer so they can go out and explore abandoned buildings with her. Overall I really enjoyed reading this book as it was short but also really interesting. The author is really good at explaining parts of the book where it could be confusing at times. I recommend this book to people who likes adventure and action books.