Ali Cross: 1

Product Information

This series is brilliant for mystery and adventure-loving readers 9+, fans of Alex Rider and any readers of parents who enjoy Alex Cross! I didn’t know if this was going to help, but I figured it couldn’t hurt. How often do you get the chance to send four hundred prayers someone’s way, all at once? My voice was kind of shaky, but I just kept talking.

Ali Cross Book Review | Common Sense Media Ali Cross Book Review | Common Sense Media

At school, Ali faces many in his class who side with the people, that the police are never there when needed and shoot first when they arrive. There is merit to the concern, though Ali does not want every police officer whitewashed with this stereotype. As he tries to have himself heard, Ali becomes the scapegoat for the police, with many feeling he is only spouting what his father professes at home. I recently finished James Patterson’s latest Alex Cross novel, which saw an increase in Ali’s presence. It felt fitting to turn to this shorter piece to give Ali his time in the spotlight and to see if younger readers were getting the same intensity in their novels related to this DC family. Patterson does well to pull a new set of Cross fans in, setting a mystery with Ali in the middle. Ali Cross is a middle-schooler who has all the tools to live a 21st century life, including an online presence that keeps him in touch with his friends. However, he has Cross blood in his veins and if he is not going to excel in athletics like his siblings, he might as well take up sleuthing. The reader can see this throughout this piece, as Ali Cross comes into his own. He loves a good mystery and has the empathy to make his work mean something. Other characters help pave the way to a successful story, including Alex Cross, which enriches the entire reading experience. While it is hard to place this on the Alex Cross timeline of books, there is surely a little character development for Alex and Ali, though it might be in a vacuum and not entirely in line with the chronology of the larger Cross series (if that makes sense as I pen it now). The story was strong and helped introduce the reader to Ali Cross in such a way that readers will want to know more. With some eerie goings-on in the Alex Cross series and a few hints that Ali Cross has not tripped on his only mystery, Patterson keeps readers of all ages wondering what will come next in the Cross saga and how long until Ali takes over the spotlight, letting Alex relax and fade into the role of advisor, rather than ‘feet on the ground’ detective. Patterson is passionate about children’s literacy, driven by the firm belief that “There’s no such thing as a kid who hates reading. There are kids who love reading, and kids who are reading the wrong books”. Main character Ali aspires to be a member of the police force and is caught between the hurt and anger of his neighbourhood, and the good work he knows his detective father and his colleagues perform.In fact, if anyone had asked me, I would have told them there was only one thing I wanted for Christmas that year. I wanted Gabe Qualls to be found. Ali’s desire to become a much respected detective like his father (Alex Cross) still burns brightly inside him. His friend Gabe has developed an app that feeds into local police radio, sending texts and notifications to Ali at all times, day and night. This allows Ali to follow his passion as he and Gabe observe crimes in progress. This book differs from the previous two books and the title seems misleading. Ali isn’t actually solving any crimes as he’s caught up in tensions between the police and the public. The story itself is thought-provoking but it’s not what readers might expect when they start the book. It had been three days since my friend disappeared and I was starting to think the worst might have happened.

Ali Cross by James Patterson - Penguin Books Australia Extract | Ali Cross by James Patterson - Penguin Books Australia

No. 3 in this series, this episode explores the very real tension between police and the communities they serve. Many police officers misuse their authority and also judge-before-they-know, resulting in shootings of people, often those who are innocent of any crime.But when Ali witnesses something terrible, he must grapple with some tough questions about what it means to be a detective, and a detective's son. The main topic of the book is a current event that’s also an important social issue. The role of the police in society is debated, both figuratively and literally. The catalyst this time involves the shooting of a gang member by a policeman trying to stop a shootout between opposing gangs. The boy isn’t seriously hurt but it ignites deep feelings by people with conflicting thoughts. One side thinks the police are murderers and that their excessive use of force is a threat to citizens. The other view thinks the police are honest and caring and they’re trying to do their best in difficult situations. The author effectively shares ideas from both sides in an intriguing tale about a real-life problem. Gabe said, "I'm glad you didn't give up on me." I was standing there looking at Gabe grateful he was fine. This was a good mystery and with Big Alex and Little Ali and the other family members it made for quite a delightful story. Recommend. I thought Father Bernadin might cut me off right there, but he didn’t. Everyone just waited, so I kept going.

Ali Cross Summary and Study Guide | SuperSummary Ali Cross Summary and Study Guide | SuperSummary

There are many gangs in their area and tensions are high between them and the police. This tension steps up a notch when a gang member is shot by an officer. With every day that passes Ali knows it’s less likely that Gabe will be found. What price will he have to pay to solve the mystery of his friend’s disappearance?The excitement in this book comes from an app that Gabe, Ali's friend, has developed. The app scans police frequency and they get alerted of crimes close to home. Ali sneaks out at night and observes the police in action over a range of different crimes. The crimes are setup to help support Ali's point of view on the police debate.