I Love New York

Mac Slater Cool Hunter #2

by Tristan Bancks

Can Mac Slater master Manhattan? Find out in the latest Coolhunting adventure—now in paperback!Mac Slater was elated to win a trip to New York City from the Coolhunters website. After all, if you can find cool in New York City, you can hunt cool anywhere. Right? Except Mac, who’s brought his father and best friend along for the trip, is having a harder time than he ever imagined. First his camera is stolen, then he is humiliated by a lame post on the Coolhunters website. And when Mac finally meets a unique group of people who invent and create for themselves, they want no part of the commercial world. But how can Mac ignore something as cool as a perpetual motion machine? Will Mac be able keep a secret, or will he prove he can truly hunt the cool once and for all?

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Tristan Bancks tells stories for the page and screen. His books for kids and teens include Two Wolves, The Fall, Detention, the Tom Weekly series, and Nit Boy. Ginger Meggs, Tristan’s 100th anniversary book of short stories, is based on characters created by his great-great uncle, Jimmy Bancks, in 1921. His books have won and been shortlisted for many awards, including a Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour Book, the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, ABIA, YABBA, KOALA, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and Queensland Literary Awards. His latest release is Cop & Robber, a nailbiting crime story for age 10+.

Tristan is a writer-ambassador for literacy non-profit Room to Read. He is currently working with producers to develop a number of his books for the screen. He’s excited by the future of storytelling and inspiring others to create. You can find out more about Tristan’s books, play games, watch videos, join his Young Writer’s StorySchool and help him try to change the world at tristanbancks.com

Reviews

[Isabel]

I did not finish this book. I probably made it 65% through. It wasn;t one of those satisfying books. I thought it was really really boring. I might give it another try in a year or so.

[Barbara]

In the follow-up to his earlier Mac Slater Hunts the Cool, Mac and his friend Paul travel to the Big Apple as part of a competition with the other coolhunters from across the globe. Their assignment is to identify something cool and noteworthy before it becomes a trend. The two bumble around before stumbling onto a highly original but secret group of teen inventors. Mac must decide whether to betray a friend's trust on his quest for fame and fortune. There are some hilarious passages in the book, but I wish the author had addressed the fleeting quality of trends a little bit more.

[Sue Poduska]

When Mac Slater arrives in New York City, he is charged with finding cool stuff. Mac meets Melody, an unbelievably cool inventor, who reluctantly shows him even cooler inventions. Melody is part of a top secret group of young inventors. Mac learns life lessons about friendship and about trust in general, though few of his adventure are actually believable. But maybe that’s part of the charm of the book.

[Derelict Space Sheep]

42 WORD REVIEW:

Not so much an adventure as a prolonged discomfit. Mac Slater is the sort of protagonist who makes cringeworthy decisions continuously and without redemption, just to create narrative conflict. His gushing appreciation of New York (authorial toadying?) is equally hard to stomach.

[Heep]

It was worth reading but not really a gem.

[Patricia Baker]

Mac Slater "Coolhunter" is in New York competing to find the latest cool thing in a city full of cool. Will he betray a new friend to reveal an amazing new discovery?

[Jennifer]

Read for professional review.

[R]

Don't remember well enough to rate.