Thicker Than Water by Bruce Hale (review)

In Max Segredo’s series debut (Playing with Fire, BCCB 7/13), the teen had risen to be a promising spy at the Merry Sunshine Orphanage, a school for the S.P.I.E.S. organization, and discovered that his thought-to-be-dead father was still alive but working for the enemy, LOTUS. Max opens Book Two in a state of disillusionment with dear old Dad, but with a strong commitment to S.P.I.E.S. and its director, Hantai Annie; he’s totally onboard with their new assignment to steal an electro-neuromanipulator before it’s offered on public auction or, worse, falls into the evil clutches of LOTUS. While the squabbling orphans and their teachers put together a plan, the Health Ministry is investigating the program for safety and general orphan well-being, Mr. Segredo is trying to reclaim his son’s loyalty, a gorgeous new student has Max moon-eyed, and Hantai Annie has issued Max a suspicious order to turn traitor if captured by LOTUS. This entry boasts a generous balance of droll narration, comedic dialogue, and racing action, and it’s also clearly a set-up for the dysfunctional Segredo family storyline to expand. Hale somewhat glosses over the brainwashing device that is central to the plot at hand, but he does drop some tantalizing clues regarding Max’s mother (who may turn out to be as not-dead as his father), and another fractured family spat within LOTUS should certainly prove entertaining in Volume Three. Stay tuned.