#18 Pushed

[Sam Spade]

In case you're interested, this is the plot for the new Undercover Brothers book #18 Pushed from the S&S website.

ATAC BRIEFING FOR AGENTS FRANK AND JOE HARDY

MISSION:

Investigate the murder of Evan Davis, a runaway teen who was pushed off a subway platform.

LOCATION:

New York City.

POTENTIAL VICTIM:

Other teens living at the Haven, a shelter for runaways in the city.

SUSPECTS:

Everyone from another resident of the shelter who ended up with Evan's jacket to Evan's own dad, a politician who wanted to keep his son a secret.

THIS MISSION REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. THIS MESSAGE WILL BE ERASED IN FIVE SECONDS.

By the way, Pushed is comeing out on, or around September 25th

[SDLagent]

LOCATION:

New York City.

This will be only the second time in the UB series that the Hardy?s have visited New York City, NY?s first appearance was at the being of Mission #8 so this will be the first whole story to take place in NY.

[Centrion]

Looks good, a subway? Hmm, not bad. 1 month away till realese. In NYC? should be good.

[tomswift2002]

I've just started to read Pushed, and, already, I'm placing this book in the same category as UB #5 Rocky Road, since the continuity with the rest of the series --- infact, what continuity does this book have?

I'm finding that the Hardy's are doing stuff for no apparent reason, the guy on the video from ATAC is named as a contact, whereas, in the previous volumes of UB and the Graphic Novels, they've introduced the announcer (since #6) as "Q".  Plus, why are the Hardy's getting a video cassette that blows up to tell them what their mission is?  What happened to the VideoCD reformat into an Audio CD security feature?

Also, the story is not as interesting in this book.  The entire concept of the story reminds me of Blood Relations mixed with Cult Of Crime to a very disappointing degree.  Both of those books are far, far better than Pushed.

Rating on Pushed, so far: F-

[White Eagle]

Definitely.

[Centrion]

Hopefully S&S will pull the UBs out of this death spiral.

[tomswift2002]

I made that last post on October 15, and I'm still on pg. 50 of Pushed, and yet, in that time I've managed to read two of the older Digests, William Shatner's new Star Trek Academy book, Keith R.A. Decandido's Q&A and Peter David's Before Dishonor, plus A Hardy Day's Night by Scott Lobdell, and I still have not picked up Pushed to see what happens in it.

[Olivia]

I like the overall concept of the plot, but I'm not sure about the writing. I think some parts were interesting enough - I liked how some of their ordinary life was shown (as it is in a lot of books, but it was different in a way).

There was a lot of humour/teasing too, I noticed.

But for one thing, I felt like some parts were either over-developed or not developed enough.

[Olivia]

Forgot to add: I noticed on p.36 they have Lily Fowler from Bayport, New Jersey. So Frank and Joe live in NJ?

I thought that they would live in New York. I think the ATAC database makes the same assumption, right?

I'm trying to remember past UB books that mention their location. Like Kidnapped at the Casino? Did it say that they stay in-state or something?

[Centrion]

I'm almost positive this is the first time their actual state was mentioned, because I always wondered that. In the digest The Castle Conundrum, it said the lived in New York.

[Sam Spade]

I made that last post on October 15, and I'm still on pg. 50 of Pushed, and yet, in that time I've managed to read two of the older Digests, William Shatner's new Star Trek Academy book, Keith R.A. Decandido's Q&A and Peter David's Before Dishonor, plus A Hardy Day's Night by Scott Lobdell, and I still have not picked up Pushed to see what happens in it.

Wow!
You must really hate that book, Tom!

[White Eagle]

Found it at the library. It isn't terrible, but not all that.

[Sam Spade]

Forgot to add: I noticed on p.36 they have Lily Fowler from Bayport, New Jersey. So Frank and Joe live in NJ?

I'm trying to remember past UB books that mention their location. Like Kidnapped at the Casino? Did it say that they stay in-state or something?

The location of Kidnapped at the Casino, is in Atlantic City, NJ. Also, on the back of UB #9, Martial Law, it said: "LOCATION: Holtsville. Just south of Bayport.", and you find out in the book that Holtsville is in New Jersey. Also, the location in UB #3, Boardwalk Bust , is Ocean Grove, NJ.

[Centrion]

Hmm, wonder why S&S changed it. Maybe to liven the new series up?

[Olivia]

I find it hard to picture them in NJ, I'm so used to NY!