Assault by Brian Falkner

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Recon Team Angel, Book 1. Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 9781921720543.
(Ages 14 +) Recommended. When the story begins it is 2030 and most of the world has been taken over by an alien race called Bzadians.  We are introduced to a highly trained multinational group of teenagers who are part of an elite fighting squad, Recon Team Angel. They have learned the Bzadian language, how to operate their weapons and have been disguised through surgery and skin dying to resemble the enemy. This team of six is dropped into the centre of Australia to break into the Bzadian top secret facility under Uluru and destroy it.
One of the six teenage soldiers is a traitor and solving this mystery is an important element of the story. The main character of Ryan Chisnall is well developed and the bravery and inventiveness of his team leads to some exciting battle scenes. The teenage fighters are forced to make some thought provoking ethical decisions and these would be interesting to explore with readers in a class or individual discussion. For example, how many lives can be classed as just collateral damage?
This book is the first of a planned sci fi series documenting the war to defeat the Bzadians. It is recommended for boys who love adventure and war novels.
Chris Lloyd

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