Monday, February 10, 2014

Blog Tour/Review: EKHO by Marie D. Jones

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EKHO by Marie D. Jones

Ten-year-old Elvis Jones is tired of being picked on, taunted, and teased by the bullies at his elementary school, so he does what any smart, technologically brilliant kid his age would do: he creates EKHO, the Evil Kid Hunting Organization, a sophisticated network of kid spies and secret agents that utilize a variety of cool gadgets to stay one step ahead of the enemy – the bullies. They hire kids, make them swear allegiance to the organization, and train them as Commandos, Privates, and Elite Spies. As kids rise through the ranks, the missions, posted on an encrypted EKHO website, require more smarts and skill, especially when the bullies form their own counterspy group called DEKE (Destroy EKHO Kids Everywhere).

It’s all in good fun, until the kids of EKHO must put their pretend skills to use for far more serious, and dangerous, missions. As field agents come across evidence of more sinister forces, they now have to deal with the strange, weird, and the unknown as they look for the truth about the bizarre and creepy threats to their school, their families, and their own lives. They experience betrayal, intrigue, infiltration and counter-espionage as well as teachers and adults who act more mysterious with each passing day, which leaves Elvis and his EKHO team wondering: who can you trust when the person standing next to you might not be entirely human?


The kids that generally get bullied at Royal Elementary are tired of it so they decide to fight back by forming EKHO, Evil Kid Hunting Organization. They put up a website, buy cool gadgets and taste success! Elvis is the leader of this group and the other elites are Levi, Jackson and Jordy. Then Elvis allows his crush, Kayley, to become an elite but there is soon trouble. The bullies decide to fight back with DEKE, Destroy EKHO Kids Everywhere. They hack into EKHO's website and create havoc. Elvis knows someone from the inside had to give them info and Kayley appears to be the leak. Would she really betray them or is she trustworthy after all?

I like that the little guys were willing to stand against the bullies and thought their approach was quite creative. I like Elvis. He was born with a condition similar to cerebral palsy and has had a lot of surgeries and therapies through the years and walks with a limp, which makes him a prime target to be bullied. He has a lot stacked against him but does the best he can and wants all the kids to feel safe in school. He is smart and flexible and willing to deal with harsh realities. He has a good relationship with his mother. 

I also like his mother, Daphne. His parents are divorced but they have a good relationship and are able to be civil to each other. Daphne sticks up for Elvis but also teaches him the importance of respecting those in authority. She's a hard worker and, even though she doesn't make much money, they have everything they need and are happy with it.

What I don't like about this book is the swearing. I don't usually give a content warning on middle-grade reads. She doesn't technically use the "f" word, but does use dashes once. Other swear words are used and some of the boys' language was rough. I thought they used the word "pedo" way too often. 

There is a cliffhanger at the end but overall the book didn't draw me in enough to make me want to continue reading the series.

My Rating=3 Stars

Author Marie D. Jones

Marie D. Jones is a best-selling author with an extensive background in unknown mysteries, metaphysics, science, and the paranormal. She has been featured multiple times on the History Channel in Ancient Aliens and Nostradamus Effect. Marie also served as a special UFO/abduction consultant for the 2009 Universal Pictures movie, The Fourth Kind. She is a staff writer for FATE Magazine and Intrepid Magazine and a regular contributor to Paranoia Magazine and New Dawn Magazine. Marie has been interviewed on hundreds of radio talk shows all over the world, including Coast to Coast AM, and has been featured in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and online publications, internationally. She has lectured widely at major paranormal, new science, and self-empowerment events, and is the screenwriter and co-producer of 19 Hz, a paranormal thriller in development with Bruce Lucas Films.


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$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 2/28/14

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1 comments:

Jinky said...

Hmm, don't know about this one.

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