Steve Stoessler ,The Awakening of the Lion

Good book if you like topical thrillers. Pacey, topical and thought-provoking. Largely realistic. Characters interesting. Conveys brutal reality of terrorism.

I was interested to read The Awakening Of The Lion as I think the author, Steve Stoessler, is brave to pick terrorism as a key theme in his first published book. He's obviously done his research and been following the news, as the result is a real-sounding depiction of a boy's journey into (and eventually out of) terrorism.

There's a certain element of fiction involved, as any good author will employ, but mainly the book takes you right into the heart of a terrorist gang - what drives them and what tactics they use to get others to follow their cause. Ultimately, the book is about every human (embodied in Asad) having the power to choose for themselves their path in life, and that making mistakes does not make redemption impossible if you are prepared to balance those mistakes with positive action.

A moral, educating story, as well as a good read.

I read this in one sitting. It's good if you like action books, and also if you're interested in current affairs like terrorism. In the wake of 9/11 and the London bombings, this book is very relevant and handles the subject well. It also has a bit of everything in the story like love and friendship as well as hate and prejudice and is well-rounded.

In all, The Awakening of the Lion is a pretty good book and I'd read more from this author. Lots of action and dialogue and quite simple writing that makes it easy to read.