Cool Nukes
Des Hunt
Scholastic NZ
Pub. 2015

 

November 16, 2021

“As it was, the rider had just enough time to raise his hands for protection before the crash. From the sound of snapping and crumpling behind him, Max would later claim that the bike was a write-off. Whether the same was true for the rider, he didn’t know. Neither Max nor TC looked back to find out.”

 Biker gangs, peculiar scientists and one dangerous arch-nemesis. This is what Maximilian Taylor has to deal with on a day-to-day basis. He lives in Hamilton, New Zealand and he takes great pride in figuring out how things work and conducting experiments. His best friend Lin Jian Xin, on the other hand, prefers mathematics and computer programming. When Max’s maths tutor suddenly disappears and starts to send anonymous messages, it is up to him and his friends to prove that cold fusion works. Even if it means putting their lives in danger. The clock is ticking…

“But there’s also a possibility that someone, somewhere, will make a discovery so dramatic that cold fusion comes out of the distant future to become the energy of now. This is a story of how that might happen.”

Cold fusion is when nuclear fusion is achieved at room temperature and could be a substitute for many energy sources including gas and petrol. In Cool Nukes, Des Hunt explores the unrenowned theory that cold fusion could succeed in our society. Although this book is fictional, all of the facts surrounding the experiments are well researched and play a big part in the storyline.

Hunt uses a wide range of vocabulary that amplifies the characters’ personalities and gives a hint of his writing style and experience. The blurb at the back of the book is written in a unique style and includes a nail-biting end sentence: “If it works, their machine will be worth a fortune – but is it worth a life?” Des Hunt has thought this out well and it was hard not to pick up the book after seeing it.

Cool Nukes’ front page is decorated with a huge title and a picture that illustrates what the book is going to be about. In this instance, the book has a sci-fi feel to it. But don’t judge a book by its cover! The book only dips slightly into the science world and it teaches the importance of responsibility. In this case, the main character has to hide his experiment and save his friends from getting wound up in all the action. Cool Nukes ties in nicely with the quote… “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Cool Nukes is an informative, action packed and heart stopping thriller. I would recommend it to anyone over the age of eight years old who is interested in sci-fi, New Zealand based and mind-blowing books. I was really engrossed in the way cold fusion worked and it inspired me to learn more about science. The compelling storyline of Cool Nukes will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat, yelling, crying and laughing with the characters.

• Sophie Whittaker is a Year 8 student on the West Coast.