This was such a well written book- you didn't even notice all of the description that Jack Higgins planted into your mind while reading it, all you saw were the vivid pictures of every event and the wonderfully developed main characters. I was hanging on to Higgins's every word from the beginning when the children meet their father- just as everyone says, he is an unbelievably good story teller and has such talent that this book will make you crawl on your knees for more... I felt as if I were watching a movie not reading a 240 pager. I could see the quality of it even before I began the first chapter- Grow Up Fast- Or Else made it all too clear for me. The plot wasn't too complicated but you never knew what would happen next, the characters weren't too many but you were left asking hundreds of questions about the mysterious ones. I could easily keep up with the plot and was interested in every character. This the first novel I've ever read by Jack Higgins but boy was I surprised, from the covers I never felt that it was something I would read and I almost gave up from taking this one out of the library but I will never regret it. One of the best written action books I've read with thankfully not too many guts spilling out :) This isn't just a book about spies and all of the stuff you read about every day but also about self-discovery, dealing with loss and being found again. Here is a very good part from inside "Sure Fire":Jade grabbed Rich's arm and pulled him into the bedroom. "What?" Rich said. "What do you mean, 'what'? If this job of his is so important and if it's on the level, and if he really does work in the oil industry..." "If?" Rich countered. "Yes, if. If that's all true, then why is he going to a meeting to hand over something he shouldn't have, in a scrap yard?" Rich sighed. "All right. Look, he said there were things he couldn't tell us right now. But maybe we should find out." The character personalities are very familiar because every novel has a quick tempered and sometimes almost paranoid girl character and a calm, collected and logical boy character which is shown very well in these two siblings. It reminds me of "Genious Files" by Dan Gutman...It lacked a bit of humor at some places but I quickly stepped over that since the plot held me in so much. I finished this one in about 2- 2 and a half hours, not more. I loved Jade even though she was sometimes a little paranoid she worked well under pressure and in action. Beautiful action scenes by the way but I don't know if I would have survived Sure Fire if it were made into a movie :))A very clever idea comes to life in this novel.I would recommend but stay tuned for crazy action ahead... Interest level: Low-medium Reading level: Medium
When fifteen-year-old twins Rich and Jade lose their mother in a car accident, their estranged father is summoned to look after them. But he intends to separate them, put them in different boarding school so he doesn't have to worry about them. When he's kidnapped by thugs, the twins learn that their father is an industrial spy looking to deal a blow to a corrupt oil company. Rich and Jade need to save him. As you can see, this book is similar to 'Stormbreaker', turning kids into spies. It doesn't work this time, not by a long shot. Something about the writing just feels lazy and churned out. No effort with the composition and the imagery. Just poor and unexciting writing. That didn't mean the story wouldn't be compelling. It isn't anyway. It takes ages for anything to happen, and when you consider the tough family circumstances of the twins, everything is weirdly emotionless. In other words, the book is crap and is not worth reading. I didn't think it would be hard for adult writers to put together a somewhat thrilling Young Adult novel, especially for the main author Jack Higgins, but for some reason he must have decided everything must be toned down for kids. This is supposed to be an action novel, and while there is moderate violence such as headshots, it feels incredibly weak and yet again, unexciting. Just plain bad, this book will not raise your heart rate - not once was I drawn into the story, not once was there an inventive plot complication. Things go on forever without actually challenging the reader (except for the fact there are too many cardboard characters to keep track of). I guess with twins you just expect something special to happen. Maybe something fun concerning their appearance. In this book, nothing remarkable. Why are they even twins? What's the significance? It seems there's only two kids because one kid wouldn't have been able to have conversations by themselves. Also, in terms of the villains, they're crap. Not scary, not interesting, they don't stick in your mind and there are too many of them. They don't get adequate screen-time and there's no backstory to get to know their evil goals.Enjoyment Factor: 1 starMovie Potential: 1 star
What do You think about Sure Fire (2009)?
When I remembered that this was the author who wrote The Eagle Has Landed, I was immediately excited that he, Jack Higgins, had decided to venture into young adult literature. I was forced to read "the Eagle has Landed" over Christmas break last year for school, but I loved it. Now that Jack Higgins has perhaps toned down, I think he made quite an effort, with the help of Justin Richards, to make an entertaining young adult action book. Sure Fire follows Jade and Rich, two twins who recently lost their mother in a car accident. A mysterious man, who they quickly discover is their father, comes to unwillingly collect them. After a few twists and turns, it turns out their father's a spy, and Jade and Rich get tangled in quite an interesting espionage game between British agents and executive business giants in a foreign country. If you've read any other Jack Higgins novel before, you will easily recognize his style of how action and adventure, suspense etc. is carried out, however in a bit more toned down fashion, as in you can also easily tell that violence and language is kept to a minimum to keep within young adult genres. This does not, however, mean it's a bad book.If you've never read Jack Higgins' work, as a young reader this may easily get you hooked onto his adult fiction. It's still quite action filled and entertaining. And the fact that these books have been extended into a series makes me still want to read on.
—Robbie
SURE FIRE follows the adventures of Rich and Jade, twins who lost their mother in a tragic car accident. At the funeral a mysterious man appears who they quickly find to be their father. Forced to stay with him in his tiny apartment the twins start to discover things about him they would never have guessed and are thrown into a world of lies, guns, and explosions.Sure Fire keeps you turning pages, loaded with action, adventure, deception, twists, humor, and lots of gun fights!Rich is the more book smart of the two and Jade the more physically gifted. I gotta say I didn't like them at first, and not because they weren't automatically super spies, because they were obnoxious brats. But they eventually turn around and end up being awesome.All secondary characters are outstanding - a bunch of super-cool guys from the world of espionage. They all feel like they've been around the block and then back around the block to assassinate the target they just scouted out. Kind of like this, only less fluffy.The situations in which Rich and Jade find themselves feel very real and not dramatically over-the-top, giving the book an epic yet non-campy feel. Fantastic start to a thrilling series, SURE FIRE is like The Bourne Identity with kids - a great read for anyone who likes exciting action-adventure that ends with a bang! Full Review:http://www.teensreadandwrite.com/2010...
—A&E
A fast-paced read for action lovers. After their mother dies in a car accident, Jade and Rich have to go to live with their estranged father, whom they've never met before. Things don't seem quite right at his appartment, the phone has a scrambler attached to it, there's no food in the house, and their father throws all his mail straight into the rubbish. And on top of that, he doesn't seem too keen on having them with him. Then they witness his capture, and realise they have to do something... but why are there hidden strangers now watching their every move? The chase begins, and with it, the search for who their father really is, and who among all the people who approach them they can really trust. A well plotted adventure that fits tightly together and keeps you glued to the page. Perhaps some of the stunt-work is a little over the top, but it's fun just the same. Everything ends up as it should. Recommended espeically for boys 11-15yrs+
—Clare Cannon
