Summary
Connor Reeves is a teenaged martial arts champion. He lives in the shadow of his dad who died a “hero” even though Connor doesn’t know what happened to him. But Connor has a similar nature evidenced by his coming to the aid of a boy being mugged in an alleyway.
Connor’s rescue attempt puts him on the radar of the Guardian program. Guardian trains kids to serve as bodyguards to other kids. Another kid can blend in, seeing things that other professional security might miss.
This makes Connor a perfect candidate for protecting the President’s daughter. Bristling from being under constant surveillance, Alicia Mendez can be unpredictable and difficult to protect. She knows the need for her Secret Service team intellectually, but she doesn’t see the danger around her that makes them essential. But since she thinks Connor is only an English exchange student, he will be able to stay close enough to her to hopefully keep her safe. And that will be important because Alicia is definitely in danger.
Review
I first heard about this book when I read about the publicity campaign. The first four books in this series were released simultaneously. (In fact, originally, it seems these were published in the UK as two novels, but they were split into 4 for the US release.) I appreciate not having to wait 6-12 months to see what happens next.
Connor is a fantastic character. I would have loved more time with his full team at Guardian, but I know it was important to get Connor onto his assignment in the US.
The First Daughter is a typical teen. And her frustration over her limits is understandable. But her flippancy over the need for her protection was really frustrating for me as a reader. I know it makes for a fun story, but it was aggravating to watch her risk everything to rebel and push back against her limits.
I was chomping at the bit to get to book 2. You can tell this was originally part of a larger story arc. This ends on a major cliffhanger and a twist. If you are getting this book for a kid, be sure to get the books two at a time so the reader can enjoy the full arc. I enjoyed book two – Hostage – just as much. Tons of great action. The First Daughter is still extremely frustrating, but it makes for good suspense. I enjoyed both of the first two books in this series (in the US) – the whole series is likely to be very popular with readers who enjoy action and suspense.