Xtinct!

This new action series from Ash Stone throws extinct creatures from history and  prehistory into the present day, with exciting and dramatic consequences. Jeevan is angry that his mother – a dedicated scientist and fossil finder – has moved them out of the city and into the countryside away from all of his friends. His only solace is in exploring the huge forest behind his mum’s lab, and looking for fossils and dinosaur bones of his own. Hanging out in your parent’s laboratory and helping to classify old rocks is a pretty boring after-school activity, and Jeevan certainly thinks so. That is until he suddenly finds himself pedalling furiously through the forest to rescue a dodo and a Neanderthal girl from a marauding T-rex, in an adrenaline-filled chapter that is the standout scene of the book by some distance. The book would benefit from one or two more moments of excitement, like this. There is also an atmosphere of intrigue and mystery, provided by Mum’s wealthy benefactor (a secretive bearded man who owns the lab and the surrounding forest) and also by the enigmatic billionaire with a passion for big game hunting, who wants to buy the forest for reasons unknown. However, young readers may feel slightly frustrated that so much is left unanswered, as the book is evidently a curtain-raiser for new stories to come. The prospect of new adventures for Jeevan and his unusual band of resurrected species is exciting, and this series opener leaves plenty of room for them to find new adventures.