Oh, boy! In Matt Archer: Monster Hunter, Matt discovers he is born to hunt monsters with the aid of a knife which seems to give him special powers. Now Matt finds so much more about this knife – and most of it in the most dangerous locations you can imagine.

Monsters are being found all over the world – they are making off with the young and vulnerable, and leaving able-bodied men disfigured and dying outside the homes they were trying to defend. The monster hunting unit is doing its best, but have to call up Matt, with his special affinity to his knife, even though he is only fifteen.

There is action all the way in Ms Highley’s amazing adventure. The only relief is when Matt is at home, and then he is squirming to keep his friends from knowing the truth, and his mother from knowing anything at all. I sometimes wonder at the precise definition of violence allowable for teen and YA readers – I’m sure there is too much here for older MG, but then it isn’t much more than Jack Templar (also a monster hunter, but different monsters, different setting and a different set of legends). Maybe it is the contemporary setting and US Army inside information that makes the difference. It seems very real, judging from what we see of army activity in films and in documentaries about Afghanistan, where much of this book is set.

It is terrifically well written, and the tension just builds and builds. As hinted by the book blast last month, there is plenty more to come. This is an outstanding series, and I’m looking forward to the next one – when I’ve recovered! ( )