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Drone Chase
Ray will need every ounce of his drone skills and outdoor smarts to recover his missing bear cub before poachers get to it first.
When his orphan bear cub goes missing, sixteen-year-old drone enthusiast Ray McLellan decides to use his airborne spying skills to find it. Little does he know that a bear-poaching gang operating in the surrounding forest has drones, too — and a cold welcome for anyone who would attempt to take them down.
As a New York City kid recently forced to move to the Great Bear Rainforest by his parents, what Ray doesn’t have is a lifetime of outdoor instincts or familiarity with the valley and its wildlife. That makes him very different from his grumpy grandfather, who — like his new school friends — berates his city-kid uselessness at every opportunity. Can Ray use his drones and smarts to prove himself, find his cub, and expose what’s going on in the woods?
When his orphan bear cub goes missing, sixteen-year-old drone enthusiast Ray McLellan decides to use his airborne spying skills to find it. Little does he know that a bear-poaching gang operating in the surrounding forest has drones, too — and a cold welcome for anyone who would attempt to take them down.
As a New York City kid recently forced to move to the Great Bear Rainforest by his parents, what Ray doesn’t have is a lifetime of outdoor instincts or familiarity with the valley and its wildlife. That makes him very different from his grumpy grandfather, who — like his new school friends — berates his city-kid uselessness at every opportunity. Can Ray use his drones and smarts to prove himself, find his cub, and expose what’s going on in the woods?
171 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 26, 2021
1 person is currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Pam Withers
34 books53 followersAward-winning YA author Pam Withers -- a former outdoor guide, journalist and editor -- has written 21 sports and outdoor adventure books for teens. She has been nominated for three Red Maple Awards and numerous others. Besides her novels, she has written an athlete's biography and Jump-Starting Boys, a book for parents on getting boys to read. Pam lives in Vancouver, Canada, and tours North America extensively.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 11, 2020
*coming out in January*.
4 stars..
When I read a YA book and I find the hero as brave and smart as Ray was.. I feel so happy and when the story has a strong aspect of technology like this.. I'm even happier.
This was the second book I read from the author, and honestly, it was such a really good book..
It talks about friendship, dreams, and a bright future full of love.
And in my opinion Ray should be a wonderful example of the fighter teenager who never lost hope and worked hard to get to what he wanted and wished for... Despite all the family issues and bullying he always had, which some times can break us and knock us down..
But here comes the insistence to rise and adapt.
And that's what our awesome hero did.
The writing stile was great but the story pace was a bit slow at the first chapters.
But over all... I definitely injoyed my journey through the book and really loved every adventure with Ray.
Note: I received an advanced review copy from the author in an exchange for an honest review
4 stars..
When I read a YA book and I find the hero as brave and smart as Ray was.. I feel so happy and when the story has a strong aspect of technology like this.. I'm even happier.
This was the second book I read from the author, and honestly, it was such a really good book..
It talks about friendship, dreams, and a bright future full of love.
And in my opinion Ray should be a wonderful example of the fighter teenager who never lost hope and worked hard to get to what he wanted and wished for... Despite all the family issues and bullying he always had, which some times can break us and knock us down..
But here comes the insistence to rise and adapt.
And that's what our awesome hero did.
The writing stile was great but the story pace was a bit slow at the first chapters.
But over all... I definitely injoyed my journey through the book and really loved every adventure with Ray.
Note: I received an advanced review copy from the author in an exchange for an honest review
November 28, 2020
This book has a lot of positive things going for it in my reading world. First, it is set in Bella Coola, BC. That is my home province and I lived about an hour from there for a year or so when I first started teaching. I know very little about drones, but enjoyed the main characters interest in them, and how there were facts for the drone ignorant like me. The fish out of water story is familiar and lots of kids can connect to this in some way. The connection to nature and the land worked well for me too.
Ray has to move with his mother and father from New York to Bella Coola to help look after his Grandad. The transition is very hard. He misses his friends and their drone duels, his grandfather and mother do not get along and for the first time the family fights, and the town is not very welcoming to their vet clinic. Ray fight for the approval of the locals, and his Grandad requires that he display a much higher level of outdoorsmanship than he has previously been capable of and that he act and dress less like he comes from the city.
When Ray encounters a yearling bear that is injured, his family looks after it, but Ray soon sees that the source of the bear's injuries is suspicious. He decides, against the advice of his family, to investigate using his custom made drones. The investigation is dangerous, and made this an exciting read.
Ray has to move with his mother and father from New York to Bella Coola to help look after his Grandad. The transition is very hard. He misses his friends and their drone duels, his grandfather and mother do not get along and for the first time the family fights, and the town is not very welcoming to their vet clinic. Ray fight for the approval of the locals, and his Grandad requires that he display a much higher level of outdoorsmanship than he has previously been capable of and that he act and dress less like he comes from the city.
When Ray encounters a yearling bear that is injured, his family looks after it, but Ray soon sees that the source of the bear's injuries is suspicious. He decides, against the advice of his family, to investigate using his custom made drones. The investigation is dangerous, and made this an exciting read.
January 4, 2021
What a great book for teens! I really learned a lot about bear poaching and drones. It was sometimes really sad to read about, but it had great lessons. The book subtly encourages readers to both empathize with animals and take action to protect them (which I love). It was clear that this author did her research and I look forward to reading more books by her. It is also action packed and didn't lose my interest for a second! On top of the bear poaching mystery, there were some complicated family dynamics involved. I can't say I had as much sympathy for the grandfather as the author did but, overall, I liked that it is about following your passion and not caring what others think of you. The main character doesn't fit in but he doesn't take it personally. He has a sense of self that I wish I had had as a teen...highly recommend!
February 10, 2021
Drone Chase is a great book especially for teens and young adults! Drones are very popular right now and the main character is a drone enthusiast building his own drones with each one having its own purpose/use. This book is very relatable for lots of readers because it deals with the main character moving, family struggles, disabilities, drones, and adventure! I highly recommend this books!
March 29, 2021
When the adopted bear cup of drone enthusiast Ray goes missing, he uses his drones to attempt to find him. His investigation leads to poachers who want to keep their operation a secret. While Ray has his drones, he soon discovers the poachers also know a few things about drones. This is a straightforward story of a boy who moves from the city to a rural area who encounters a problem that his unique skills can help him solve. This book seems more like a checklist of YA tropes masquerading as a story. Ray is the new kid from New York City who moves to the country to take care of his sick grandfather, who hates city folk; he gets bullied by the other kids and develops a crush on a girl his bully also likes. This novel plays out as you expect. Ray is supposedly from NYC, yet all the New York described are based on outdated stereotypes. At its heart, Drone Chase is an adventure book with a male protagonist that is suitable for reluctant readers. Readers may also want to look at the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz or the Spirits of Chaos series by Nicole Conway.
February 26, 2021
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
When a New York City drone enthusiast moves to Canada with his parents to be with his dying grandfather, it’s like he’s moved to a new world. Instead of his comfortable city life, he now has to contend with his cantankerous grandfather, homesick mother, resentful classmates, and a gang of bear poachers.
This book has a lot of plot elements, but the author does a good job of keeping all of them moving along at a pretty fast pace. I liked the main character, but felt he developed an unusually close bond to an orphaned bear cub that compelled him to seek out the major conflict of the story.
I gave Drone Chase five stars. I would read more from this author depending on the premise.
When a New York City drone enthusiast moves to Canada with his parents to be with his dying grandfather, it’s like he’s moved to a new world. Instead of his comfortable city life, he now has to contend with his cantankerous grandfather, homesick mother, resentful classmates, and a gang of bear poachers.
This book has a lot of plot elements, but the author does a good job of keeping all of them moving along at a pretty fast pace. I liked the main character, but felt he developed an unusually close bond to an orphaned bear cub that compelled him to seek out the major conflict of the story.
I gave Drone Chase five stars. I would read more from this author depending on the premise.
September 9, 2020
This is a marvelous story about a teenager inundated with the stresses of his parents’ failing marriage, a move to a new community and a dying grandfather. His one true outlet: the hobby of building and flying his custom-made drones. Set in the fantastic bear country of British Columbia, saving the local bear population from villainous poachers involved in the nefarious bear organ trade becomes the mission of the main character. This is a heart-stopping, tear-jerking story of the battle to survive adolescence and the battle with evil that inevitably surrounds beauty and innocence. Truly worthwhile read.
July 16, 2021
This is a solid YA offering. It had some good elements, the animal protection, the remote setting, the drone enthusiast details. There is nothing particularly outstanding about the book but I will recommend it to students wanting a quick adventure tale.
May 8, 2021
A great outdoor adventure story. The parts about the use of bears was brutal for me to read. This book may not be good for sensitive readers, especially animal lovers.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews