Adam Undercover, The Consortium Directive

by Aaron Foster

Adam and Emma are used to being the youngest agents in the Arcanum Trivindico. Remarkable gadgets, vehicles, and advanced training continue to hone their abilities as undercover operatives. When the US government pleads for them to engage an unhackable global crime syndicate, the students are forced to abandon their unusual education. A pair of new classmates and a dangerous assignment bring questioned loyalties and sparks of romance. As they battle their way across an unfamiliar continent, each of them will be pushed to the limit to complete their mission.

376 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2016

About the author

Aaron Foster lives in the verdant, idyllic haven otherwise known as Eugene, Oregon. His wife, two preciously precocious children, and a rather spoiled Shih Tzu leave him just enough time to dream up spy adventures for Adam and his friends. When not writing, Aaron enjoys woodworking, tinkering with his electric car, and other seemingly benign activities that throw the nefarious forces in the world off his scent. A day job as a IT systems engineer provides the spark of real-world inspiration for the fantastic technology that plays a prominent part in his stories.

Reviews

[LitPick Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adam has just finished the best school year of his lifetime. He has saved the world and has become a secret agent. Unfortunately, his parents do not and cannot know about what he has done. As the secrets are welling up inside of him, he cannot wait to get back to the world that he knows, the world of a secret agent. When he does, he finds out that the son of the person most hated by the organization Adam works for is joining him at his secret agent school. Things are tense.

The most wanted man from the organization, Reznik, has killed his wife and lost his son. As a result, he sinks himself into his evil work. When he does, he creates an “eBay for evil,” so to speak. People can buy evil services and sell them too. Can they stop Reznik without revealing what is going on to his son? Can his son be trusted? Will the students be able to help, or do the adults hold them back because they are "just kids"? Find out in this amazing book.

Opinion:
This is a really good book because of the reality. Just like Harry Potter, the author spins a web of present day aspects of family and relationships, then adds a twist of unusual to make you believe that something like getting recruited by a secret organization might actually be real. That combined with the real world characters, personality complexity, and hormones adds up to an exciting story filled with adventures and friendships (or maybe a little more than friends).

Reviewed by a LitPick student book reviewer Age 13

Second LitPick review

Adam and Emma return in Adam Undercover, The Consortium Directive. The two friends have become the youngest secret agents in the Arcanum Trivindico. Having just survived their first dangerous undercover mission (not to mention the grueling schoolwork their teacher makes them do), they are enjoying a nice summer vacation. Adam isn’t complaining about the break that he has been given, but near the end of it he starts to get really bored, which is why he is so excited to get the letter marking the start of his “private school.”

He and Emma both arrive at the Trivindico Headquarters, wondering what this year would bring. Shortly after their schooling starts, they find that they won’t be the only kids there this year. They are joined by two old friends they never would have guessed would be there. Their schooling continues in earnest, but soon another roadblock is thrown at them. The U.S. government asks for the Trivindico’s help in a very tricky case. Will the Trivindico succeed in stopping this threat, or will the seemingly limitless reach of their enemies prove too much for them this time?
Opinion:

I loved this book! The amazing blend of action, adventure, and suspense kept me wanting more from start to finish. I loved how the author, Aaron Foster, was able to make this book so completely realistic. I felt like I was right there with Adam as things were happening. When something happened that wasn’t really fair, it made me think of how I would respond if I were one of the characters. It was also great that the author built on the characters so much more from book one, which meant that we got to see more of their fantastic personalities.

The storyline flowed really well; there weren’t any spots where the book got slow or boring. Fast cars, cool gadgets, powerful enemies, and the element of danger will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first page to the last. I would recommend this book to anyone who has read the first book or to anyone ages 12 and up.

Reviewed by a LitPick student book reviewer Age 15

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book and like the second book the same or better. Some of the things that I like are the growth with all of the characters, as well as the adding of new characters into the mix. I like how as Adam gets a little older that he's had to try to figure out his relationships with co workers/friends/or more than friends? Love the juggling act that's happening. In conclusion, author Foster has created a broad pallet to play in and I expect the series to continue with the same break neck pace for many books and years to come.

[Rachel Claric · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just as good as the first. The addition of the two new students created a new dynamic in the school that was fun to read. The emotional battles the kids face added a new element that was not as present in the first book. The emotional element made it seem more real, but didn't become ridiculous as it sometimes does in teen fiction. The teens continued to be able to think like real people instead of being hormonal idiots. A refreshing change to teen lit.

[Karl Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dammed good

This is a dammed good series so far and would thoroughly like to see more of Adam and the gang through more of these adventures with more detail in the science and technology, if possible.