The Last Thirteen Book 11: 3

The Last Thirteen Book 11:3 by James Phelan (Scholastic Australia
PB RRP $14.99

ISBN 978-1-74283-194-7

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

13 books. 13 nightmares. 1 destiny.

In this, the eleventh instalment of the globetrotting, action packed adventure The Last Thirteen, Sam finds himself searching for the next Dreamer and her gear in the Australian Outback.  The eleventh Dreamer is someone Sam knows well and this time, in the search which takes him below Uluru, Stella and Solaris are hot on his heels and closer than they have ever been. After losing a friend in the most recent stage of the search, Sam is determined not to lose another in Australia. It will take great skill by Sam and the Dreamers to manipulate their own dreams to keep their enemies at bay and win the gear for themselves.

Meanwhile, captured by pirates, Alex, Hans and Dr Kader have their own battle to win before they can continue on their quest. Alex's relief at being rid of these pirates cannot quite overcome his anxiety about Han's true motivations towards Antarctica, the next gear and the Dreamgate.

Shiva discovers that Stella's headquarters are at the nuclear disaster site of Chernobyl in the Ukraine, so Lora, Xavier and a team of the remaining loyal guardians plan to storm the hideout. But is this a trap set by their enemies?

Once again the three storylines are told in alternating chapters, sometimes intersecting, but always thrilling and integral to the central plot. The closer we get to the end of the race, the more intense and nail biting the adventure gets.

With only two more instalments to go, readers (10+) will be reaching for the next in the series without pausing for breath.