The Truth App

Liars #1

by Jack Heath

In this pulse-pounding techno-thriller, Jack Heath creates a world where everyone knows when you lie—and telling the truth doesn’t always set you free.

Jarli likes to think he’s an honest guy. He’s a big believer in telling the truth, no matter what. So he develops The Truth App, a mobile application that listens in on your conversations and can tell when someone’s lying. Then his app goes viral and, suddenly, Jarli is an internet sensation.

But, soon enough, Jarli realizes that being famous can be dangerous—especially when you’ve just exposed everyone’s deepest, darkest secrets. Now his entire town is out to get him; kids at school, teachers, the police, even his own family.

Also, an underground network of criminals has just added Jarli to their hit list. Sometimes, exposing the truth comes with a price…

Genres: Thriller, Young Adult, Mystery, Middle Grade, Crime, Suspense, Action

224 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2018

About the author

Jack Heath wrote his debut novel, The Lab, in secondary school and sent it to a publisher at age seventeen. He's now the award-winning author of forty novels for adults and children, including the international bestsellers Hangman, The Wife Swap and 300 Minutes of Danger. His books have been translated into ten languages, optioned for TV and adapted for film. He lives on Ngunnawal/Ngambri country in Canberra, Australia, with his wife, their children, several chickens, a few fish and a possum named Oreo.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wham......... No back story necessary in a Jack Heath thriller. We are straight into the action within 2 sentences.
As he himself says..... he writes for reluctant (and voracious) readers, aged 8-14, who like fast-paced stories with plenty of stunts.
And in this latest book, part 1 in a 5 part series, he is true to his word. With only the barest of intriguing glimpses into the back stories of the main characters, Jack Heath still manages to take us on one roller coaster of a ride.

Jarli invents a Truth App. The world goes wild. The jostling scrum of intrusive paparazzi descend. His life is in danger. Is knowing the truth always a good thing? Long term friend, Bess (with nose stud, punky haircut and crutches), plus new friend, Anya (older, Russian, boxer, mysterious past), come to his aid.... and boy, does Jarli need help. A lot happens in a very short space of time......and this is just the start.
Book 2 in this series is due out in December 2018. What will happen next?

Will be recommending to my library kids.

[Chantelle Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: The author is an acquaintance on Facebook.
This is a fast paced story which deals with modern day issues about what could go wrong on social media. It is mixed with a fantastic thriller and lots of action.

[Chip · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unexpectedly, and far far too, juvenile. Aimed at 10-12 year old or so readers I think.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book by Jack Heath that I have read, and it is my favorite. I am really looking forward to where this series is going. This book is written for teens or a Young Adult audience, but I believe any fans of a good mystery or thriller will love this book. In some ways reading this was like watching an action movie. Once I started, I could not stop. And I devoured most of the novel in a single sitting. This is an incredible beginning in what looks like an amazing series!

Jarli Durras is a high school student who loves to code. He has created an app called ‘The Truth App’ he released it to a forum to get some beta testers. But It instantly became a worldwide hit. The problem is not everyone wants their secrets exposed. And many want their lies kept secret. What started as a personal project is turning the world upside down. And when you combine that with someone trying to either kill Jarli or his father and this story has some series action.

Jarli is being hunted. First the man hit his father car twice with a large ute (truck). Then he showed up at the hospital after the ‘accident’ and chases Jaeli and shoots at him. The police do not believe Jarli and his app going viral has the media from all over converging on the small town of Kelton. After getting mobbed by students upset about the app, Jarli gets assistance from Anya a new girl at the school and his best friend Bess. But things go from bad to worse and soon Jarli is sprinting away from one danger and maybe heading into another.

The plot of this story is intense. And this first volume ends on a cliff hanger. The characters are wonderful. Jarli and his family, and his friends Anya and Bess. The small town feel with a big secret and mystery is an interesting twist. Very well written.

This was a great novel. I look forward to rereading it with my son. And I am thankful that the eBooks of all four are available now. The four volumes are available electronically and from Australia, the North American Print edition comes out in the winter in 2020. And excellent story with action from the first sentence to the last page. Be warned you will be hooked!

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Jack Heath.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliantly nail biting and such a cool concept - isolated in a dead end town you’d think nothing could happen... but when Jarli (yes weird name choice) invents a truth app all hell breaks loose!! Snakes abound as in 48 hrs a normal nerd becomes a wanted and hunted celebrity. Heath is the master of quick read suspense. Book Number 2 we cant wait!!

[jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

y'all this book was weird

the content is like YA stuff but the writing is MG. why?

tw: death threats, car accidents, guns

and yet it's for kids 8-14?? questionable

this guy needs to either get YA writing or MG content. make up your mind dude!

[Auriyanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely THRILLING! I was on the edge of my bed the last 5 chapters I mean wow what a RIDE ! My library needs to order the other books ASAP bc I need to know what happens next AAHHH

[Daisy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had such an original idea, but the way it was portrayed was terrible.

For a start, the plot development was poorly laid out across the story. There were large chunks where either nothing was happening or the event happening was being dragged out far longer than necessary. Yet towards the end of the story, everything happens at once. Perhaps this is intended as a fast-moving storyline, but it doesn’t leave any room for suspense to build.

The character development is acceptable. Personally I find Jarli annoying, but judging from other reviews that’s probably an opinion only I hold. I didn’t mind Bess, but who is Anya? Why is she important? We know nothing about her, and I don’t really think we ever learn anything about her. Other than having no history, Anya is a flat, uninteresting character who seems to have been solely created for assisting Jarli when he needs her.

I know this book is the first in a series, but the ending left me really unsatisfied. I really had to push through this book, it wasn’t something I did for enjoyment. The ending was probably supposed to leave the reader hungry for more, but I groaned out loud. When the story ends you are left with virtually the same situation as the start: an old man is on the loose, trying to kill Jarli and his dad. The fact that there are books to follow is not an excuse for so many unanswered questions, books such as Michael Grant’s Gone series answer an adequate amount of questions in each novel while still leaving mysteries to be solved in the future.

There was nothing in this book that made me want to keep reading. There was no suspense, it was all ‘then this happened then this happened then this happened’. Half the time I wasn’t 100% sure what was happening, because this book dropped the reader in the middle of a random situation and crammed ‘danger’ down their throat.

The plot could have taken more interesting paths. For example, I would have been more interested in trying to track down the creator of the fake app, instead of being followed around by some old man with a *try not to wet your pants, this is so scary* gun. The ‘horror’ is so dumbed down for the intended age group, using ideas done so many times before such as ‘secret hideouts’, ‘secret tunnels’, ‘guns’ and other similar inaffective words.

I am 13 years old and therefore part of what I believe to be the intended audience, but I haven’t been so badly disappointed by a book in a while. You’re better off just reading the blurb. If I was you, I would save your money and find a book that isn’t about trying to cram the most amount of ‘scary’ words as possible into such a short amount of space.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

(THIS WAS A SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT)

Boom, bang, pow! Jack Heath’s books always engage the reader in the first few lines with anticipating action. Guns firing, people scurrying, reporters raiding Jarli’s house, even murderers are on the loose in this book.

The Truth App, by Jack Heath has so far been one of Jack’s greatest books in my opinion, and I think it will be yours too. “Truth never damages a cause that is just.” Says Mahatma Gandhi. This quote explains what Jarli, an ordinary schoolboy, was thinking when he published a lie-detector app. A few days after Jarli releases the app publicly, he turns to realise, what impact he has made on his hometown, Kelton.

Jarli has made a truth app which was available to download for free. It was tested repeatedly, with an extremely high chance of succeeding in telling whether a person is telling the truth or not. Over the course of a few days, millions of people had downloaded it. Jarli had not become a millionaire, but he had become famous. Crowds of paparazzies bombarded his house, and people were extremely happy to be finding the truth about some other people. But what about the other people? The app had revealed many people’s secrets, and they wanted revenge, especially Viper. Jarli had been an ordinary boy last week, and now he was on a mastermind villain’s death list. Viper will do anything to kill Jarli.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced, with pro-active, brave young heroes.

There will be more.

[macee :D · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked it. i thought the writing and the descriptions of the characters were amazing, however one thing i didn’t like was the ending. the ending just did not sit right with me and i feel like with one or two more chapters i would have been satisfied. other than that it was a great book i highly recommend :)

[Joy Kirr · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 LOVED the first 100 pages that I read in one sitting - thanks to a seventh grader’s recommendation. A lot of it was far-fetched (in my opinion), but I can see how it could get the kids reading. (He’s reading the second one now, too.) Good for first-chapter Friday, too.

[Charline Beaulieu · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
To much action in not much time

[Isabella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for one of my prac subjects. Engaging but nothing crazy.

[Stephanie Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I found this book to be very slow at first and then it picked up around the half-way mark. It was boring for the first half, but the second half was definitely very interesting. I enjoyed reading this book. I so cannot wait for book 2!

[LeslecturesdeMylene · Rating 5 out of 5]

17/20 - https://www.leslecturesdemylene.com/2...

[Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: Abduction, car crash

6/10, looking back at this it was the first book I've read from this author and to be honest it was an ok novel to say the least and he has written so many other good books since then that I can't wait to read, that being said this was a very interesting concept that was executed in an alright manner and I want to read the next four books, where do I even begin. It starts off immediately with the main character Jarli who made this new app which apparently tells the truth for you for free, no need for lie detectors anymore. Not long after some shady people are after him and he was even abducted one all because of his app though I do admit he must be a very good programmer if he can make an app like this. This very action packed sci-fi mystery thriller book but it left me wanting more since it ended in a cliffhanger. The characters were flat and didn't experience any development whatsoever and not much information is known about the villainous organisation yet but I'll find out soon in the next book and I had a hunch that was intentional to build up the suspense for a big reveal coming up soon enough.

[Gabrielle Viszs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelton, Australie.

Merci aux Flammarion Jeunesse éditions pour cette découverte. VERITE. Encore heureux vu que c'est la vérité. Une couverture digne des suspenses pour les adultes et une lecture plus que plaisante.

Trois parties composent le livre, L'assassin, Paria et Fugitif. Trois étapes importantes dans la vie de Jarli, avec un J et pas Charlie ! Une fin de soirée très peu enjouée à la sortie d'une réunion parents-professeurs où son père et lui rentre chez eux tranquillement... jusqu'à ce qu'un 4X4 les percute de plein fouet à deux reprises. Pas de coïncidence, une fois aurait pu passer, deux c'est trop. On cherche à les tuer ! Pourquoi ? Pour l'application Vérité que Jarli a créée et qui est téléchargée gratuitement par des millions de gens ? Oui, car Jarli a programmé une application et l'a mise sur la toile. 90% est de lui, le reste sont des codages qu'il a pris, mais il a nommé les créateurs. Et puis c'est une application qui indique qui ment, à la seconde près. Tentative de meurtre pour ça ? Probablement, car l'appli fonctionne parfaitement bien et pourrait poser des problèmes. Et si ce n'était pas cela ? Qu'est-ce que cela pourrait bien être ?

Une enquête intrigante qui nous entraîne dans une petite ville d'Australie où les serpents s'amusent à glisser sur les doigts de jeunes filles. Scène très sympathique à découvrir. MENSONGE. OK, j'avoue que j'en ai eu des frissons. Qui voudrait tuer Jarli et son père ? Et si ce n'était qu'une illusion ? Car cette route est dangereuse, il y a déjà eu 2 accidents mortels peu de temps avant. Sans compter qu'il n'y a pas de traces au sol, pas de témoins. La police ne comprends pas ce que dis le jeune collégien, surtout que le père accidenté leur avoue ouvertement qu'il ne se souvient de rien. MENSONGE. Pourquoi son père dirait des mensonges, à moins qu'il ne sache quelque chose ?

Beaucoup de questions sans réponses et nous restons focalisés sur le fait qu'il y avait bien un petit vieux au volant d'un boui-boui pas possible qui les a fracassé. Par la suite, les ennuis n'arrêtent pas de tourner autour de Jarli. Pauvre gamin, il échappe de peu à la mort à plusieurs reprises. Il dérange quelqu'un ce petit, on pourrait presque pleurer pour le sort qui pourrait lui tomber dessus. DEMI-VERITE. Non je ne vais pas pleurer pour son sort, quelle idée aussi de créer une appli pareille ? Un coussin mortuaire, des balles qui fusent, un saut du haut d'une falaise pour échapper à ces fichus balles, MENSONGE, bon ce n'était pas une falaise, c'était bien plus petit, mais il a été obligé de plonger dans une eau boueuse : Beurk !

C'est une course contre la mort, la sienne, celle de ses amis, de sa famille. Jarli doit découvrir ce qui se passe, surtout que l'accident semble être un début de piste. Un cambriolage qui les laisse sans un gramme de modernité (autant dire de suite que la télé, les PCs et autres accessoires ont été volé) et tout cela en très peu de pages. Alors la suite part au quart de tour. Difficile pour Jarli de suivre tout ce qui se passe. Le livre se déroule sur 2 jours. Deux malheureuses journées où sa vie prend un tournant et pas le meilleur. Entre les journalistes qui sont sur le qui-vive, la police qui ne comprend rien, les menaces de mort et tout ce qui suit, oui, nous pouvons dire que la vie de Jarli et ses amis est bouleversée ET mouvementée.

Et des amis, il en a encore, même si depuis qu'il est sur le devant de la scène avec cette appli, il perd des soi-disant amis. Bess est sa meilleure amie et Anya le devient de plus en plus. Tous les trois vont montrer ce dont ils sont capables. Bess a beau être en béquilles, elle a un cerveau en parfait état de fonctionnement et les béquilles sont des instruments pouvant être considérées comme des armes. Anya est plus intrigante dans le sens où l'auteur divulgue un tout petit peu sur elle et sa famille, qui vient de Russie. C'est une jeune fille qui en connait un rayon sur beaucoup d'éléments. J'adorerais en savoir plus encore maintenant que l'auteur m'a mis l'eau à la bouche. Quant à Jarli, il ne supporte pas le mensonge, c'est pour cela qu'il a crée l'appli, mais toute vérité n'est pas forcément bonne à dire ni à entendre. Pourtant il y a des moments de vérité qui font mal.

Tout le monde ou presque utilise cette appli ce qui donne de bons moments d'humour. MENSONGE. Si pour le lecteur c'est drôle de voir, ou plutôt d'entendre tous ces petits "bip" lorsque quelqu'un raconte n'importe quoi. Si certains adultes pensent qu'il ne s'agit que de petits secrets sans grande importance, le logiciel détecte surtout ceux et celles qui racontent des idioties pour un sujet grave. Et quand il s'agit de la police, il vaut mieux jouer carte sur table, ou savoir fuir sans se faire repérer. Ce qui n'est pas toujours le cas, de ne pas se faire repérer.

Venons en à la famille de Jarli, le père travaille dans une petite entreprise qui garde des informations, la mère est un peu folle et ne comprends pas toujours ses enfants, quant à la sœur et bien je me dis que bientôt nous pourrions peut-être avoir un avis sur elle et son journal intime qui a disparu. Affaire à suivre donc. Et en parlant d'affaires à suivre, nous connaissons ceux qui sont derrière tout cela et le pourquoi. Enfin, presque, car il y a un gros bonnet dans les parages bien dans l'ombre et le pourquoi reste encore un peu flou malgré tout. Que se passe-t-il réellement au final ? Pourquoi la gentille petite note pour Jarli ? Aurait-il mis le doigt dans quelque chose ?

En conclusion, un récit qui démarre sur une tentative de meurtre et qui finit en menace, tout cela sans oublier que Jarli est obligé de courir pour sauver sa peau et celle de ses proches. Pas de temps mort pour les personnages et beaucoup de stress passé et à venir !

http://chroniqueslivresques.eklablog....

[Rennai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I have only given this 3 stars (probably closer to 2.5), I'm pretty sure the target audience will give it more. It is easy to read and pretty fast paced. It has some mystery and suspense and incorporates modern communication technologies. These elements should make it popular, especially with the junior boys (who aren't big readers) at our secondary school. Jarli has invented a truth app and has made it available for free on the internet. Heath explore the consequences of such an app quite nicely. The fallout is massive but there are other more dire things Jarli has to contend with. You don't want to dissect the plot too much or you will probably be disappointed. I'm hoping the reluctant young male readers will just go along for the ride and enjoy it. Heath sets up the next in the series well and hopefully those that read book one will be enticed to continue the series.

[RE Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was okay. I liked the premise, and it was definitely fast paced. My main issue is that it reads like a middle grade book with young teen protags, and it really skimmed the surface (not only of the main conflicts but also of any possible emotions throughout). I also found it strange that the conflict wasn't really about Jarli's app. Instead, it was all about his dad's work -- and because of the way the story was structured, it felt like we should have been reading his dad's story, perhaps. And I didn't really understand why the Truth App was even part of the story, as it seemed somewhat contrived and even peripheral.

I'd give it 3 stars for the premise, but the rest was weak enough that it lowered my overall rating. I might pick up the next one ... or I might not.

[Anna Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling crime novel with plenty of fast paced action to keep young readers on the edge of their seats. With a very topical subject, the development of a ‘truth’ app and professional hacking, this book is bound to please upper primary readers who enjoy gripping action stories.

[Kristin Emmons · Rating 2 out of 5]

For some reason I just had a difficult time connecting to the characters and caring about the plot. The premise was interesting and the writing was okay, but I probably won't continue with this series.

[Lola Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book hits the ground running and never stops! A super fast-paced read, this book will appeal to a those who have a hard time with heavier stories. Yes, the writing is simpler (it's not a work of great literature), yes, the bad guys are pretty basic (so far), but it's a fun read.

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know I'm not the right demographic but I feel this book dumbs down how a real criminal behaves.

[Anika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean it was fine but definitely intended for boys aged 8-12 lol

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Jarli thinks his latest app could be a big hit: the Truth App can tell when someone is lying by analysing their voice. Jarli doesn’t see a problem with this since he’s very honest himself. Maybe too honest, as his friend Bess keeps pulling him out of scrapes at school. Before the app is officially released, it goes viral and suddenly dozens, then hundreds, then thousands of people have downloaded it. Now Jarli’s world is out of control: reporters are chasing him, his schoolmates hate him, and a mysterious man (Cobra) is trying to kill him. It seems that some people would rather the truth stays hidden." In fact, it takes Jarli quite a long time, to convince the police that the "car accident" which he was in with his dad, was not an accident; but, rather two attempts by an old man driving a ute to kill them.

This man is determined to track down Jarli and a big escape from the school and showdown at an old warehouse follows. The police arrive in time and they get Cobra. However, right at the end of the story, Cobra has escaped from his police cell! Such a cliffhanger! In addition, they also know that his father's boss, Mr Gorman and Cobra were making people disappear. "These people were rich and they had powerful enemies. So they paid a crim lord - codenamed Viper - to help them vanish. Clients would pay him [Mr Gorman], supposedly to secure their data, and he would give the money to Viper. I don't know who Viper is, or how he was helping these peopl esape, but Ben Gorman will tell us... when we catch him" p227

Jack Heath is the Australian master of the YA thriller, and his latest book is another non-stop action-adventure ride, from the car crash on the opening page to the tense finale in a remote warehouse. Jarli and his friends are plucky and relatable, and some of them have secrets of their own. This is the first book in a new junior-fiction series, all five of which will be released on a tight schedule over the next few months. It is recommended for upper primary and lower secondary fans of techno-thrillers packed with tension and plot twists.

Heath Graham is a teacher and former bookseller"

[Jinte · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Truth App

The Truth App by Jack Heath is a fast-paced, interesting thriller that I hope to see more of in the future.

The story is about a boy, Jarli, who has made an app that tells you if you're lying or not, but things go south rather quickly. And when I say rather quickly, I mean that the action will start on the first page. Depending on the type of reader you are, this may get you hooked or it will leave you a tad bit confused about what is going on, who are all these people, and why do they act like this.

For me, it was the second one. I had to re-read paragraphs often to understand what was going on. The fast-paced writing style didn’t exactly help with that in the beginning, even though when you finally understand what is going on, the quick story does keep you reading to the point it will be hard to put down again.

The storyline is the thing I want to praise most here, it's an interesting concept that has been worked out into a good book. The characters, however, aren't that memorable and I think are lacking personality and depth. On the surface, they're good characters, fit for the job of the story, when you want to look deeper into certain characters, however, they remind me of nothing but skills used to progress the story. I especially had this problem with Anya who had very few flaws and was an amazing fighter and very well manoeuvred even under high amounts of stress and danger and knows what to do in every situation possible... Which just doesn't sound so realistic for (someone that I imagined is) a teenage girl.

Maybe I am too nit-picky about the characters, however, because in the end, I still really enjoyed this book and am even planning on reading the second part. I am especially excited to see what will happen next and especially to see if the characters will show more depth and backstory, but also to see how this story will progress further.

[Jessica Kloss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book in the YA section, but it felt very middle-grade in length, tone, and content. That being said it is the type of plot I would have absolutely eaten up as a kid, and it strikes me as a very exciting yet age-appropriate thriller for the middle-grade group. My rating is based on assuming the author intended it for that readership.

The premise requires a lot of suspension of disbelief: Jarli has invented a lie detector app that is much more precise than professional polygraphs and even has a textual analysis component that borders on AI. His app has millions of downloads and people are angry at him for inventing a way to expose everyone's secrets. From the first chapter on, Jarli's life is threatened by a mysterious old man whose motives he suspects to be connected to the app. However, the police think he is lying about the old man, and Jarli's dad, who works for a security company, is pretending not to remember that their near-fatal car accident was no accident.

Throughout the book, as things heat up, Jarli and his friends are sometimes able to get the adults on their side but sometimes are forced to handle things on their own. The believability is stretched thin here too: If Jarli could text Bess that the old man was on the phone making ransom demands, he could have written a note to the police too. But ultimately there is a good balance between kids getting to be the heroes, while still having caring adults present in their lives. There were also enough clues as to what the old man wanted, that it's possible for readers to solve the mystery.

[William]

In Jack Heath's book The Truth App is a fast paced mystery that hooks the reader from the first chapter. The story starts off with this boy named Jarli and he recently made this truth app to see if people are lying or telling the truth. Everyone thinks it's the coolest thing that has happened until it starts to fall apart and goes out of control. Now everyone from social media and criminals wants a piece of it to make their own profit. Jarli’s life turns chaotic from there because when he made this app it caught lots of lies that put criminals in jail so now there are kidnappers, hackers, and killers targeting him. Social media hates him and starts threatening him to the point where he has to only rely on his instincts. Jack Heath's writing makes the book more tense and cinematic. The writing style of the book is like an action movie with constant suspense. But the theme for the story is the danger of knowing too much of the truth. Jack Heath makes readers think if it's good to know all of the truth. Jack Heath's characters in his book makes it more like something teenagers feel like worries, distress, and lots of flaws. The depth of the story of the side characters just lifts the book to make it more interesting and hooks the reader, making them want to read more after each chapter. Overall his book and his Liar series all together make it such a great story. It's perfect for those who like mysteries that are too difficult to solve.

[Jill Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a heart pounding story, from the first sentence to the last.

Jarli, is a school kid with a great imagination. He creates THE TRUTH APP and posts the code for people to try and see if it works. Leaving the school with his dad, after a stressful teacher parent night his dad quizzing him about hacking into his teachers emails. Jarli couldn’t guess that the old guy in a Ute following them would deliberately crash into them, then ram them a second time. Why is this old guy trying to kill them?

With the app being taken up by loads of people and being copied and sold, Jarli looses his chance to become a millionaire and gains the terror of being chased and shot at. What’s happening? Things get crazy when another girl from school, Anya, and her mother come across their crumpled car. She’s seen the old man in the Ute and could verify Jarli’s story. She becomes involved in the flight from the baddies.

His dad was hurt in the crash but is recovering. The police don’t take him seriously when he tells them it wasn’t a car accident. His friend Bess believes him and sticks with him to protect him.

This is the first book in a series and the pages virtually turned themselves, so I’ll have to get hold of the rest of this series. I can see teenagers loving this thrilling adventure and cheering Jarli on.