Jacqueline Harvey, Full Speed (Kensy and Max # 6), Puffin, September 2020, 357 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760890025
Twins, Kensy and Max are part of a rather unusual family – their parents, grandmother, a few trusted uncles and loyal household staff are all spies – so while it may look like they are on a family skiing holiday in Switzerland, there is important work to be undertaken which will require all their well-honed skills – and secrecy.
Full Speed is the sixth in the Kensy and Max series of books and the action never wanes in any of them. Harvey writes fast paced action that keeps the reader on edge throughout. No sooner have the characters worked out a strategy to address the latest threat, than another complex and puzzling situation arises. The twins are highly gifted children, intelligent and resilient who are deemed to carry a lot of responsibility for the ‘greater good’. However, amidst the seriousness of their tasks and the dangerous plots, there is always time for some rather delightful sibling banter delivered in a wry and humorous way. These are not static characters by any means, with all their quirks and personalities on display. The language is highly accessible, so nothing stands in the way of the drama and Harvey’s clever use of an expansive vocabulary enables the reader to broaden their reading experience beyond everyday word usage.
Everyone will want to join Kensy and Max – a clever couple of kids who are wise beyond their years, to solve the many puzzles that arise in these great books.
Reviewed by Jennifer Mors
