Cassie Clark: Outlaw
Brian Falkner
OneTree House
pub 2018

September 16, 2020

Cassie Clark: Outlaw by Brian Falkner is a fast-paced adventurous mystery novel set in America. It’s about a teenager, Cassie, who is a brave and fiercely independent character whose curiosity often gets her into trouble. Her father is the speaker of the house third in line for the presidency. This means that she and her family gain the rights to their own bodyguard.

Cassie’s is Cam, a young and reliable bodyguard who has formed a bond with Cassie over the years that he has protected her. He is her closest friend and the person she trusts most in a world where she can supposedly trust no one. But does Cam know more than he is letting on? Can Cassie really trust him? Or is he just another piece of a crumbling puzzle?

When Cassie’s father goes missing she must ensure that she stays out of mischief she must stay safe for her mother and for her younger sister. But Cassie feels as if she should be doing something to help in the fight to locate the man who speaks for the house, the man who is her father. To do that she must also find his kidnappers who are more dangerous and powerful than she could ever imagine. These people are faceless and they control every event, change history and are called the puppet masters. They will do anything to not be discovered.

This conversation is taken from when Cassie has just begun to figure out what is truly going on. She’s questioning a man whose wife has recently gone missing.

“My wife believed in a vast worldwide conspiracy,” Ethan says.

“What kind of conspiracy?” I ask.

“A shadowy group controlling our lives” he says.

Soon she will find out that her dearest father is only a tiny piece of a much bigger jigsaw puzzle. This story is infused with mystery and adventure of the most spine-tingling type. It’s filled with bombs, guns, fist fights and bubbling mud pools. Cassie’s life will come under threat many times but will she rise above her enemies or will she crumple at their feet? This is the story of a privileged teenager with a seemingly perfect life who becomes an outlaw; this is the story of Cassie Clark.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat and was thoroughly enjoyable. I think the author could have spent more time setting the scene and developing the story. It also wasn’t very believable that the FBI couldn’t find out as much as a teenager although that’s only my opinion. Many people enjoy a fast-paced book with a surprising storyline. This book gets right to the point and makes you truly wish you had a life of mystery. And rather than sitting on your couch you feel as if you yourself are fighting evil right alongside Cassie Clark. I would recommend this book to fans of adventure and mystery novels aged 12 and up. This is a great book that should be read by many more people so go to your library or bookstore and buy this book because you won’t regret it.

• Hannah Hogan is 13 and lives in Dunedin