Kalahari

December 15, 2014
Khoury follows Origin and Vitro with another exciting novel of teens battling corporate evil in a far-flung setting. Sarah has grown up far from civilization, the daughter of field biologists, intelligent but ignorant of the outside world. She’s also still grieving her mother’s recent, supposedly accidental death. After Sarah’s father hastily leaves their Kalahari Desert camp to trail poachers and fails to return, she finds herself in charge of five ill-sorted American and Canadian teens from a conservation exchange program. When a mysterious silver lion suddenly appears, “as metallic and gleaming as mercury,” and the poachers turn out to be hired guns working for an illegal genetic research laboratory, Sarah and her greenhorn companions make a dangerous cross-country trek to escape. Khoury’s favorite story elements are all on display, including the talented but isolated heroine, evil corporate scientists, and a wilderness setting. Sarah is a believable heroine and the Kalahari a fascinating environment, though the teens’ encounters with dangerous animals come a bit too regularly. Still, it’s an enjoyable biological thriller that will appeal to Khoury’s existing readership. Ages 12–up. Agent: Lucy Carson, Friedrich Agency.

December 1, 2014
Sarah is forced to explore her own boundaries when left not just on her own, but wholly responsible for others. Sarah is not your average teen. Raised by zoologists in a series of remote and isolated environs, she doesn't really know how to relate to the teens who have come to Africa's Kalahari Desert on an educational safari. They thrive in cities and rely on electronic gadgets, while she relates to animal behavior and indigenous lore. In many respects, Sarah doesn't even speak the same language as these sophisticated visitors. But when her father is lost, her guide friend killed, their camp destroyed, and the survivors become the target of a paramilitary group, it's up to Sarah to lead them to safety. This means trekking across the desert, finding food and water, and avoiding animal predators and determined mercenaries on the hunt. But all this pales when Sarah discovers that some of the animals have been infected with a deadly disease...and that virus has now spread to her. The novel is part adventure, part science fiction and part love story, all parts in service to its theme of exploring independence and responsibility. Regrettably, narrator Sarah too often refers to guide and friend Theo as "the Bushman," a device that both distances and exoticizes him. Cultural infelicities aside, a gripping adventure. (Thriller. 12-16)

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November 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Having grown up traveling the world with her zoologist parents, Sarah doesn't have many friends that are human, let alone her own age. Now her mom is dead and it's just Sarah, her father, and their research assistant Theo camped in the middle of the Kalahari. Enter Avani, Joey, Sam, Miranda, and Kase, five teenagers signed up for an educational safari led by the teen's father. But when he and Theo leave the others on the first night in pursuit of dangerous poachers and never return, Sarah is left to keep herself and the visitors safe while simultaneously searching the desert for her dad and Theo. It doesn't take long for the group to discover that they are dealing with something far bigger than poachers as they come across a silver lion and a murdered Theo. They become the prey after they discover a top-secret laboratory that has unleashed a deadly virus. Can they find Sarah's father and the cure? Can they survive the desert climate and evade capture by the evil corporation? Khoury's latest novel is enthralling and filled with suspense, taking readers on a roller-coaster ride. Some parts of the story such as Sarah's romance with Sam seems contrived and the narrow escapes are often unbelievable. Still, this story is a entertaining and will capture teens' attention.-Betsy Davison, Cortland Free Library, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2015
Raised by research-zoologist parents in Africa's Kalahari Desert, Sarah is more comfortable with monkeys than peers. Tragedy strikes, and Sarah struggles to navigate a group of visiting American teens to safety. Hiding in the Corpus lab, they discover a virus that could end life on Earth. The book suffers from stereotypical characters and stilted pacing, but the setting is interesting and vivid.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)