Meteorite Strike

Andrew Taylor

Andrew Taylor was born in New Zealand and grew up in East Anglia. He studied English Literature at Sheffield University and then teaching at Cambridge. He has spent the last ten years working as a teacher in England, South Korea, Poland and Australia, where he now lives with his partner and their two dogs. Andrew’s first book, Meteorite Strike, recently won the Heart of Hawick Children’s Book Award and was also shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize.

Visit www.agtaylor.net to find out more.

Awards

Winner of the Heart of Hawick Children's Book Award 2011
The Heart of Hawick Children’s Book Award aims to get children excited about books and reading – for fun, learning, confidence and better chances. The winning book for the 10-12 age group must be by a first-time author, and published in the UK in the last year. A shortlist of five or six is chosen by a panel of parents, teachers and librarians. Some 600 pupils at ten schools in and around Hawick then take part in a season of reading, reviewing, author visits and workshops, building to a glittering award ceremony in the Heart of Hawick arts hub, when they get to decide their favourite book of the year.

Shortlisted - Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2010

Press & Blog Reviews

A meteorite, an air crash and an alien contagion form the explosive thrust for Meteorite Strike. Robert and Sarah's psychic powers make them a prime target for HIDRA (the hyper-infectious disease response agency) in this heart-racing, breath stopping thriller. There's a cinematic quality to this adrenalin-fuelled adventure.
The Bookseller - Bookseller's Choice

The opening starts with a cliff-hanger of suspense - a plane (destination - Australia) hits the aftermath of a meteorite, at which point the action soon develops into gripping proportions...lots of action to keep the reader engaged and epic proportions of turbulence to keep the reader gripped. Whilst this story does have similar attributes to other books published at the moment, it is nevertheless a fantastic ride of enjoyment. The action parts of the book are particularly well written and actually leave many similar-style books standing.
Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books

It is easy to see why Meteorite Strike has made the Waterstones’ short list as it is a gripping, well told story that takes the time-honoured staple of children gaining superpowers and polishes it up for a new century. Throw in a corrupt multinational agency and an unknown disease and you have the makings of world class sci-fi! On a personal level I found Meteorite Strike to be an extremely enjoyable read, the characters were well-written and believable and overall it set the pace for what I think is going to be a fantastic series, the strands that were left dangling at the conclusion make me want to get my hands on Alien Storm as soon as possible.
Teen Librarian blog

"looks certain to stir up a 'dust storm' in the world of children's fiction. A heart-racing, hair-raising and vibrantly visual hybrid of Heroes, X-Men and Lost, this story really has got the lot..."
Lancashire Evening Post

An action-packed science fiction adventure unfolds at a cracking pace following the crashing of a plane after a meteor strike.
Lovereading4kids.co.uk

Meteorite Strike stands out by virtue of its taut writing and an understanding of how children feel and speak. Sarah, the caustic, quick-witted one, and the quieter, younger Robert are well drawn, as is their relationship to their "accidental dad", Daniel. Aliens are good for boys, and reluctant readers, and these two get a gold star.
Amanda Craig - The Times

A brilliant kids thriller. Perfect for the cinema generation, this is fast-paced and filled to the teeth with nail-biting action. I particularly loved the characterisation of Louise, the youngest, yet the most powerful of the kids. I would really love to see where the author takes this series! AWESOME!
Waterstones website

This is definitely a superior sci-fi thriller, suitable for mature KS2 readers of both genders (not to mention their parents). Author A.G.Taylor has drawn on a long tradition of superhero fiction from Marvel comics to recent TV series such as Heroes, to produce a compelling and original story with convincing, sympathetic characters – as well as some truly gruesome bad guys – and a gripping plot involving alien viruses, psychic powers, and a world in which the roles of children and adults are suddenly and shockingly confused. The pace of the action never lets up; but every scene has an authentic emotional context, and the tension is regularly broken with moments of humour and simple, familiar realism. As seems to be obligatory these days, the book ends with a cliffhanger and a teaser for the next in the series; however, there is the promise of a genuine story ready to be continued, rather than a catchy concept ripe for exploitation – bring it on!
Teach Primary

A thriller to engage the most reluctant of readers! The story is similar to the general plot of the television series, ‘Survivors.’ However it moves at a much faster pace than a television series could, in fact it doesn't seem to be a novel of more than three hundred pages because of the furious rate of incidents moving the story to its climax. The heroes/heroines and villains are clearly delineated and there is not an overabundance of characters with whom the reader has to contend.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and know several children who will not only enjoy it but clamour for the sequel which "is coming soon....."
Armadillo children's book news

Meteorite Strike is effective enough as a thriller, with strong action scenes, and there’s a rather interesting twist to the back-story involving Daniel, who clearly has been a criminal in the years between his desertion and his return (although fortunately he seems to have reformed). It’s rather cosy, however: beneath all the superhero/conspiracy-thriller action is a simple story about the brave children beating the wicked authorities. The book’s publicity flyer cleverly links it with the TV series Heroes, and younger fans of that series will respond to the way Taylor makes this a story of people suddenly developing super-powers and learning to live with them. A sequel is promised, which may move the story into a higher gear.
School Librarian journal

This is a high impact, adrenalin-rush story and a great read. With its dramatic start, high speed pace, and edge of the seat action, readers are hooked from page one and taken on a whirlwind flight to an ending that leaves you wanting more. What a ride!
Bookspies

A jam packed adventure that I completely loved… Taylor has a way of making his words explode in your mind. They have you so full of adrenalin that you are desperate to know what happens next to our super humans. The story is so fast paced that you can read it in a few action packed days. Seriously this guy would make you want to be a superhuman even with the cons. A brilliant read full of fast paced action from start to finish.
YA Book Reads

A very exciting and engaging book to read.
Teen Titles

A very good book. Everything is described very well so you always know what is going on. It is also action-packed and there is never a dull moment. It is a real page-turner, I couldn’t put it down! The ending is a frantic battle that seems to be very one-sided. I would recommend this book to anybody into sci-fi thrillers. I really enjoyed this book.
The Cork Evening Echo (review by Jack Allen from Boherbue Comprehensive School)

Reader Reviews

Do you agree or disagree with the reviews below? Why not write your own?

Meteorite strike
Meteorite strike is definitely an awesome book and I agree with Ben Mirzeoff when he says he can't wait for the next book 'Alien storm' I hope it's even better than the first book!
Hardik Chauhan, 11th December 2010

Metorite Strike
I thoroughly enjoyed the book full of action, powers and it is unmissable. I recommend it to children of age 8, more boys but still a good read for girls or anyone! Seeming true life to start with, more and more aliens and mysterious powers and events begin to unfold. I just can’t wait for Alien Storm, the next book!
Ben Mirzoeff, 5th July 2010

Extras

• A.G. Taylor blogs about being a new published writer
• Could this really happen?
  Click on the link to find out more about meteorites.
• Read a guest post from author A.G. Taylor at BookBabblers
  Author A.G.Taylor talks about the importance of location in his Superhumans series.
• Read an interview with A.G. Taylor on the Book Zone website
• Read an interview with the author on Reading Zone website
• The Heart of Hawick Children's Book Award 2011 - Meteorite Strike video trailer
  This year, Meteorite Strike won The Heart of Hawick Children's Book Award. This brilliant video trailer was created by the pupils involved in judging the award. For more information about The Heart of Hawick Children's Book Award, visit www.hawickchildrensbookaward.org
• Video clip of the author talking about his favourite superheroes
  Watch a video clip of AG Taylor talking about superheroes on the Scottish Book Trust website. (Scroll to the bottom of the page for the video clip.)
• Watch a video clip trailer for Meteorite Strike
• Writing tips from A.G. Taylor in Young Writers Magazine