Although as a child I’d been brought up on James Bond films, which – unbelievably to today’s kids – were a rare treat that were only ever shown on Bank Holiday Mondays, it wasn’t until my mid-teens that the idea of becoming a spy or secret agent became appealing. If I’m honest, this was mainly down to the BBC showing several The Man from U.N.C.L.E. films in the summer holidays a few years in a row and my developing a huge crush on Illya Kuryakin, played by the late David McCallum, but all these years later, I’d still be thrilled to be sent on a mission with him and Robert Vaughan’s Napoleon Solo.

Today’s young readers are far more likely to be familiar with James Bond than I was at their age, either through the films or Charlie Higson’s Young Bond books, and the continuing popularity of these together with Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider stories will have left many of them hungry for more adventures filled with espionage and gadgets, leading me onto this new read for them. Fast-paced and action-packed, this opener for a new series is one that is filled with twists and turns and one that introduces us to protagonist Zac Thorne, whose life is changed forever when infighting within his family of master criminals leads to his being taken into protective custody.

Following a murder attempt by one family member against another two months ago, Zak has found himself in the care of covert residential protection officer Danny, who works for the National Crime Agency. When Danny offers him the chance to join a team called Python, which is overseen by the NCA and MI5 and is staffed by teenagers whose lives have been damaged by organised crime, a reluctant Zak agrees.

Sent on his first mission to local shopping mall the Kewford Centre, Zak is initially tasked with finding the other members of the team who are already in place there as part of a plan to take down a mobster operating from within its walls, but unwilling to do the groundwork expected of him ahead of time, quickly finds himself in trouble.

Having managed to worm his way out of the situation, Zak identifies the other Python members and between them they start to formulate a plan to put a stop to the criminal activities being carried out in the mall. But when a hunch leads him to uncover the mobster’s base, Zak impulsively decides to act alone, throwing everything into confusion and putting himself and the rest of his team in danger. Untrained for the situation in which he now finds himself, Can Zak somehow find a way not only to alert those in control to what is going on but also to save his own skin and those of his new teammates?

Very soon after picking up Zak’s story, we learn that although his family appears to be a bunch of amoral criminals who are prepared to stop at nothing in their attempts to carry out their crooked business dealings, Zak clearly doesn’t fit in. Torn by loyalty to his father, who runs the corp of which he desperately wants to be a part, and doing what his conscience tells him is the right thing, after being placed in Danny’s care, Zak is keen to do all that he can to reunite himself with his father and reestablish his hopes of joining his dad’s business empire, leading him to agree to join Python.

When he meets the other teenagers who will be working alongside him, his misplaced self-confidence almost scuppers their task before it’s even started and as we watch him try to put things right, his inexperience of both breaking the law and being part of a team continue to trip him up, leading to what is a really exciting read as he tries to do whatever it takes not just to stay alive but also to bring down those who are on the wrong side of the law. I don’t think it’s too spoilery, with this being just the start of the series, to say that he makes it to the end and I can’t wait for Book 2 to reveal just what he has learnt and how he puts it to use in Python’s next mission.

Ahead of that, my enormous thanks go to publisher Simon & Schuster and to NetGalley for my advance read of this title. Python: The New Recruit publishes July 2nd for 11+ readers.

Fifteen year old Zac Thorne really loves his dad Joey. Sure Joey might test the boundaries of the law sometimes with his ‘Corporation’, but he’s basically a nice guy, isn’t he? Zac can’t wait to be allowed to join the family business, even if his dad seems to have doubts. Then one day Zac is confronted with just how far his dad is prepared to go to protect the Corporation and suddenly Zac isn’t sure whose side he wants to be on.

´Python: The new recruit’ is an action packed page turner with a cliff hanger (sometimes literally) in every chapter. Zac is a likeable and conflicted hero and there are plenty of plot twists and turns to keep me guessing and genuinely suspenseful moments that left me wondering whether Zac (or anyone in his vicinity) would survive to the end of the book.

Perfect for age 10+ fans of Action and Adventure books.

Disclaimer: I am most grateful to the publishers Simon & Schuster Children’s UK and NetGalley for allowing me access to the advance e-copy of Python: The new recruit in exchange for my honest opinion.

Intriguing title?- check.
Pick me up and look at me cover?- double check
Pulse pounding, attention grabbing, funny when it needs to be, twisty turny, thrilling story with plenty of heart? - All the checks!

Fantastic read, Make room on your library shelves for this one and the rest of the series. Dare I say it, may have enjoyed this one even more than Bite Risk!

I loved this book! It’s an action-packed, suspenseful spy story that kept me hooked throughout. Zac, the son of a powerful mobster, is a brilliant main character, and I liked how, despite his background, he still has strong values.
The friendship storyline adds real heart, and there are fun Home Alone-style moments with the criminals that made me smile.
Perfect for readers in higher KS2 to KS3, especially fans of fast-paced adventures. If you enjoy Alex Rider, you’ll love this!

This was the exact action packed adventure I was looking for! I knew I was in safe hands after throughly enjoying this authors other books so I eagerly hopped into this one.

It didn’t take me very long at all to get hooked. It’s fast-paced and I flew through chapters without even realising it.

It was also the perfect book to christen my brand new Kindle with so not only did I have fresh new kindle vibes, but paired with an exciting book made for a perfect first reading experience.

Zac is a character still very much in his character development arc and I can’t wait to see how he will progress through the series. His criminal overlord dad has a controlling influence over him, he has a lot to overcome and he’s still finding out his place in the world. Will the help of friends and a brand new mission help him figure out who he’s meant to be? It’s set itself up to be a fab set of books and anyone who enjoys a spy themed thriller will find themselves loving this one too. I can’t wait for the sequel!

Zach Thorne is your typical fifteen year old, except for the fact that his dad is a notorious crime boss, running the family corps. When Zach calls the police just before his aunt is about to carry out a hit on somebody, he suddenly finds himself as the one they want to kill. To protect him, he is given a new identity and is put into protective custody. Not long after that, he is offered a chance to change everything: to become part of a deeply secret government agency known as Python, an elite group of teenagers. His first day on the job isn't really the glamorous affair he imagined as he spends the day with his new 'crew' wandering round a shopping centre trying to gather intel on The Manicurist, a rival crime boss of his father's. The day starts slow but then things take a rather dramatic turn and Zac and his fellow agents find themselves in a fight for their lives.

Ok, so most of you will know that I'm a huge fan of the Bite Risk series (one of my class is currently reading my copy of the fist book), and it was by chance that I stumbled upon Python on NetGalley. To say that I squealed and raced through the book I was reading at the time so I could begin it would be an understatement!

Oh my goodness, what a rush of excitement this book is! From the start, the action and adventure takes you on a rollercoaster of a ride which makes it a book you simply won't be able to put down (be warned: this book will keep you reading late into the night!).

Zac really goes through the ringer as the plot unfolds. Without his father, he feels alone and is desperate to go home but he knows it's too dangerous. The relationship with his dad changes in so many ways over the course of the book (I won't say too much so as not to spoil anything) and his life really does turn upside down. He may only spend a day with the Python team but it's a day he'll never forget; after a rocky start, they have no choice but to bond as their skills are seriously put to the test. Zach discovers more about himself in that one day than any other, and it's a day that changes things forever for him.

Python: The New Recruit is a book where the twists in the plot keep on coming! Just as you think you've got everything straight in your head an other curve ball hits you! It really is a book where you never quite know who you can trust.

Told from the points of view of multiple characters, the book is a real adrenaline rush of a read that will have you utterly gripped, completely breathless and will leave you with a serious book hangover. Publishing 2nd July, I'm already desperate for book 2 and my class are counting down the days until this book is released! (one child even asked if they could borrow my iPad so they could read my electronic copy!!).

Fantastic, fast paced adventure book which is perfect for fans of Alex Rider. Will be a great addition to any school library. Keeps you entertained and wanting to read more. Exciting and perfect for readers aged 11 years and older.

Wow. Even as an adult, I was instantly swept away and into this book with its edgy characters, raw emotions and thrilling storyline.
Definitely for the oldest end of primary and into secondary due to the violence contained although it was very well written and didn’t come across as ‘scary’.

Zac Thorne is 15 years old and desperately wants to join his Dad's Corp. But then he breaks the most sacred rule, saving a human life: never snitch. Now he is in the witness protection program and his family wants to see him dead. He is in a hopeless situation with no way home when he gets recruited by Python as a secret agent for the government. If he helps them, he might get a chance to go home. But let's just say: Nothing goes as planned.

It took me a moment to get into the story. The blurb reminded me of CHERUB (by Robert Muchamore), but it later became more obvious that the book is more similar to City Spies (by James Ponti), even though it was a lot less organized. In the beginning, I was a little annoyed that everything seemed so unorganized, but it later became clear that it was on purpose and was important to the plot.
The book is a promising start to the series. The story mostly takes place in one day, or more like one night. While it took me a moment to get into, I finished the last 200 pages in one night. There was so much happening, and every time you thought you had it figured out, it all got turned upside down.
Because of the short timespan of the storyline and it all being so rushed/unorganized, the story didn't feel finished to me. I was ready to pick up the next book in the series, but it is not yet published. This is an art that not all authors manage to create. Sad that I now have to wait for the next book...

If you like spy stories with kids, I can only recommend this book. There is a lot of action, and nothing is as it seems. It might take a moment to connect with the story and the characters, but it is worth it.

A fantastic fast-paced action adventure and a teen spy thriller that will have readers hooked from the very start. Perfect for fans of Alex Rider. A brilliant start to an exciting new series.

James Bond meets Die Hard for teens!

After he snitches on his mafia family, Zac is taken into protective custody, until he's given the opportunity to work for the secret government agency Python. Seeing as this might give him a way home, he reluctantly agrees. But when the team ends up trapped in a shopping centre with rival crime boss The Manicurist, a cat-and-mouse game ensues that will test Zac's loyalties and force him to fight for his life.

"Python: The New Recruit" by SJ Wills is an action-packed, teen spy thriller full of twists that were never quite what I expected. It's fun, super fast-paced, and very cool.

I adored the contained setting in the shopping centre, that's in some ways almost an antagonist in and of itself, and that probably gave me the Die Hard vibes. Filled with spies and mobsters, revenge and secrets, this story left me excited for the sequel!

I read Bite Risk, the author’s previous series. I loved it as an adult, a fun read. But it’s written for children. S. J. Wills books are children’s stories with pace, action, humour, a bit of villainy and absolutely are perfect for children readers to get their teeth into. (See what I did?)

This new series is full of the same. But now spying, espionage, and revenge, is centre stage. Intrigue and mixed up past family history are firmly in the mix. Some real snakes in the grass too. (I’ve done it again!) Once more just right for children.

So buy, get your parents to buy, request from your public library, or say please, please, pleaseeee to your school librarian.

If you are an adult read the book too, or maybe read it along with, and connect with, your child.

Also the second book with Zac and his new friends will be out soon. What will happen when their personal secrets start getting revealed? I know it’s a children’s book, and I’m not a child, but ‘first dibs!!’

Thank you to Simon and Schuster UK Children’s and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children's UK for this eCopy to review.

🕵️‍♂️🐍💥 Plot Summary
Zac Thorne is the son of one of the country's most notorious crime bosses, but when he breaks the family's most important rule and informs on them, his life changes forever. His identity is erased, his family wants him dead, and he finds himself hidden away in witness protection.

Then an opportunity arrives in the form of PYTHON, a secret government agency that recruits teenagers with insider knowledge of the criminal world. Zac reluctantly joins their ranks, hoping it might offer a path to a better future.

But his first mission quickly spirals out of control, leaving Zac and his fellow recruits trapped in a deadly situation surrounded by dangerous criminals. As the night unfolds, Zac must work out who he can trust while confronting difficult truths about his past, his family, and himself.

🕵️‍♂️🐍💥 What I Loved Most
A thrilling premise that combines spies and organised crime.
A likeable, relatable protagonist in Zac.
Fast-paced action that rarely lets up.
Strong team dynamics among the young agents.
Plenty of twists, secrets, and suspense.

🕵️‍♂️🐍💥 Final Thoughts
Python: The New Recruit is an exciting start to what promises to be a fantastic series. With action, mystery, and plenty of heart, it will appeal to fans of Alex Rider and Young Bond

An action-packed and hugely entertaining adventure

Could not put this down, it's addictive, fast paced and exhilarating. There's secrets buried below secrets, hidden identities, twists, and action exploding out of the pages of this young spy thriller.

Zac is a great character, a young, naive teenager trying so desperately to get the approval of his dad. Wanting to make him proud but unable to follow through thanks to his own moral compass and ethics. I admired the inner strength it took for him to follow his own heart on these decisions.

The Python group are a misfits band but each brought great skills and background to the overall story. I'm glad that there are now adventures to come to delve deeper into the relationships between them all. Their group dynamics were fun to watch as they tried to complete the mission.

I had great fun reading this and am excited about the prospect of more from Zac and the Python team. It scratched an itch left behind by bAlex Rider and young bond.

Thank you to the author, Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for my copy.