November 1

‘Ice Station’ by Matthew Reilly

“Strap yourself in for the ride…what follows is action, action and more action” quotes a reporter from the Daily Telegraph and they couldn’t have given any better advice. Ice Station is the most fast-paced, mind-blowing and unputdownable book you will ever read.

Wilkes Ice station is a remote research facility on the coast of Antarctica occupied by a team of mild-mannered scientists hoping to one day make a major discovery under the hundred thousand year old ice shelf. When one of the drills hits something made of metal, a diving team is sent down to investigate. They were never heard from again. The last message that was sent back to the station was muffled screams of monsters and a ‘spaceship’. This is when the residents of Wilkes decide they will need more help.

Enter the USMC or United States Marine Core. A tough-as-nails crew led by the mysterious Lieutenant Commander Shane ‘Scarecrow’ Schofield. The marines enter the station thinking that this mission will be a piece of cake. Secure the residents of the station, secure the spaceship and wait for reinforcements to arrive. But their plans go awry when a hovercraft is found down in a deep crevice. Inside the hovercraft – bodies; dead bodies of the American scientists supposedly sent to a neighbouring station accompanied by the French scientists who are nowhere to be found. Which could only mean one thing. The French are actually a rival military team, the French Paratroopers. Armed with crossbows, they launch a full-scale attack and catch the marines off guard. From then onwards the research facility becomes a battlefield.

I really enjoyed the book, ‘Ice Station’ because it is all about trust and what people would risk to become famous. The book was absolutely full of action and I lay awake some nights just constantly reading and wondering what would happen next. Matthew Reilly has done a massive amount of research on the US marines and the type of weapons that they use along with the vehicles as well. The credibility gained from this research helps make the book so easy to understand; the reader can make sense of what’s happening.

I would recommend this book to mainly males aged between 13 and 30 who are interested in sci-fi action thrillers. Once again this book was unputdownable and I would stay up late at night, constantly intrigued about what would happen next. I rate it 4/5 stars because although it is a fantastic book it is sometimes a little too far fetched.

By Dan, aged 14

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At a remote US ice station in Antarctica, Wilks Ice Station, the diving team was doing their job, diving. But they were all killed by mysterious activity. At the same time, the scientist of the station made a huge, blow your mind, amazing discovery. They found something buried underneath a layer of ice that was 400 million years old.

This thing was made out of metal. This thing should not be here; this thing is a discovery of a lifetime, something men will kill for. To secure the discovery of this thing for their nation, a team of US Marines led by the enigmatic Lieutenant Shane Schofield, or Scarecrow, rush to the ice station in Antarctica.

Other countries have found out about this discovery and would just about do anything to have this thing. Scarecrow’s men are all tough. All of them were set to follow their leader to the deepest pits of hell.

This book was about people trying to own this amazing thing. They would fight to the death for it. I like this book because of its breathtaking action scenes and the bonds that people have with one another. One thing I liked about this book was the main character, Shane Schofield or Scarecrow. This man is filled with mysteries and dark secrets. I like main characters that are interesting and have a dark background so this book was the perfect choice.

I recommend this book to people who like machinery, war and hardcore actions. I rate this book 4.5/5. The action and the story is the best thing that make this book good. So I recommend reading it ASAP!

Hanna, Year 9

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Ice Station takes place on the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica. It begins when a group of American scientists working there discovers something deep in the ancient ice. The “something” is made of metal, which means it was created by an intelligent race millions of years before. Almost every country in the world is after the technology inside the spacecraft.

This is a nonstop, roller-coaster ride of a novel that I was eager to finish. It jumps from action scene to action scene and creating an elaborate story that kept me reading.

The whole thing is fast paced and interesting, with many plot twists and surprises on every page.

By Dante, Year 9

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Posted November 1, 2012 by marjk in category Adventure stories, Student Reviews

About the Author

Teacher-librarian at Aquinas College, Southport, Gold Coast, Australia

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