Rating: 
Summary: weak Meltzer
Review: I ordered this since I havereally loved his previous books.This one is so weak in plot andaction and needless dialog Idid something I rarely do. After200 pages, I put it in recylepile
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't give it three stars
Review: This is the first Meltzer book I have read. Although I really enjoyed reading the book, I found I had a hard time suspending my disbelief with much of the plot. Harris Sandler and Viv Parker make a fun team to follow, but many of the other characters are unbelieveable. If you are only looking for something fun and fast-paced, this could be your book. But if you have trouble with unbelievable plots or are looking for something deeper, this may not be for you.
Rating: 
Summary: ENTHRALLING AND ENTERTAINING LISTENING
Review: Audie and Earphone Award winner Scott Brick is one of the most versatile and accomplished voice performers to be found. He has recorded more than 150 books for Time Warner; this breadth of experience comes to the fore in readings that tend to become even better than the last. Brad Meltzer, with a string of bestsellers to his credit, now draws upon his time as an intern on Capitol Hill to lend authenticity and detail to "The Zero Game." Matthew Mercer has decided he may want to leave his job as a high paid staffer in our country's corridors of power. Rather than lose a buddy his best friend, Harris Sandler, invites him to join in an intriguing game - it's a game no one knows about, least of all their important bosses. Bets are made on the outcome of proposed legislation. Sound like fun? Perhaps, until someone is murdered. The pair have uncorked more than trouble. Now, someone is out to kill them. They have no one to help nor anyone they can trust save for a 16-year-old Senate page. Scott Brick's readings on the Abridged CD version and the Unabridged Audio Cassette edition will both enthrall and entertain. - Gail Cooke
Rating: 
Summary: Solid Book. Good Story
Review: This was my first Meltzer book. I thought it was well written, although some of the dialogue was stilted. The story begins with a young employee on Capitol Hill, just running through the paces, when his friend decides to introduce him to a secret game. Our young hero soon finds himself mixed up in all sorts of political and mysterious intrigue that takes him -- seemingly -- very far away from the Zero Game...but he is soon to find out that everything in life is a circle and he is right in the middle.
If you like political stories with some James Rollins' type action, then this stoy is great. The writer shifts between first person and third often, which can be somewhat jarring in the beginning, but later on, you hardly notice it and it's nice to be in someone's head for a while.
Rating:
Summary: Another fastpaced story from Meltzer
Review: Matthew Mercer has been working in politics in Washington D.C. for the last eight years for a congressman but the job is getting old not much fun any more and he is ready to call an end to this career. Now Harris Sandler is works on Senate side of congress and happens to be Matthews mentor and friend since Matthews freshman year in college.Harris changes Matthews mind when he introduces Matthew to a new game that seems perfectly harmless. The idea for the game a game that has been going on for years is that they bet on the outcome of votes and some times getting pranks to happen by the congressman while the congressman do not even know they are part of it. Matthew is also on the appropiations committee where they decide who is going to get how much money for which projects so when a chance comes up for Harris and Matthew to bet on the game and matthew promising victory and a fat return because he is on this committee Harris and him put down a fat sum of money on the game.But with all this going out somewhere around 20,000 dollars Matthew gets nervous and follows the page who picks the package up.Part of the reason he gets nervous is that the only one he knows that is in the game is the one who braught him in Harris.Well following the page gets Matthew killed and causes Harris to find out how and why and who is behind the game and is it really so harmless. Unlike some of the other reviews i thought this was a great book and very fastpaced with a surprise ending it was a diffenet page turner when i got about 2/3's of the way into i could not read the pages fast enough to find out what happens
Rating:
Summary: Most refreshing
Review: The most refreshing aspect of this good read was the fact that there was no romantic story stuck in between the actual plot. I know this might be a turn off to some women, but for me it was a plus. And while the plot is at times a little hard to believe, just suspend that idea that says it has to be totally real and enjoy this book. Also recommend: The Da vinci Code, Three Junes, Bark of the Dogwood
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but Made for Hollywood?
Review: Some interesting insights into congressional happenings as far as lobby influence and "staff/page" influence. I found the characters fairly realistic; but the chases and skirmishes were totally unrealistic. Result: The action became science fiction.
As long as one likes fast paced, unbelievable action tales, one should enjoy this.
Rating:
Summary: Great characters drive an intriguing plot
Review: With "Zero Game," Brad Meltzer does a nice job of creating characters that drive the story, rather than vice-versa. If you're tired of plot-driven novels with thin, and often cliché, characters, then you're likely to dig this one. If you're into writers like Meltzer, John Grisham, James Patterson, etc., then there's a new writer you should check out: Greg Ippolito. His new novel, "Zero Station," (the "zero" sharing is completely coincidental) is absolutely terrific, and an excerpt is available online for FREE. He's still a relative unknown (a friend turned me onto his work)...but this is a must-read. You can check him out and read the excerpt at: www.ZERO-STATION.net. Don't miss it!
Rating: 
Summary: Zero Game
Review: Either the person who wrote the description on the book jacket did not read the book, or if Brad Meltzer wrote it, he forgot that he killed off his main character early on. The description includes the dead character as one who is still alive and "in a frenetic chase from the secret tunnels under the Captiol to an abandoned gold mine halfway across the country, the TWO friends ...on the run, THEY turn to...the only person they can trust: 16-yr.-old..." AMAZING! The one character is dead BEFORE any of this happens! This was the beginning of many disappointments and confusion for me. If this had been the first Brad Meltzer book I had read, I would never choose his books again.
Rating:
Summary: Meltzer Fan Disappointed
Review: I must agree with the reviewer drgoldstein2. I too, am a long-time Meltzer follower and fan and I was seriously disappointed in this book. As others have said, I had eagerly anticipated this book due to the description. And if that had been the book which had been written, I probably would have loved it, but it wasn't. I would have like to have seen more about "The Game" and how it's played --- surely that could create suspense and tension --- and I would have liked to see the chases reduced and kept in DC. Mr. Meltzer does his best when he keeps his stories to the politics and the politicians. I also found the pairing of the 2 main characters very implausable and rather uninteresting and unbelievable. From the beginning, the book reminded me strongly of the author's previous title "The Millionaires" and perhaps that was part of the problem -- felt like I'd been there, done that. One disappointment from an author won't turn me off entirely, so I'll look forward to the Mr. Meltzer's next book, but perhaps without quite so great an anticipation.
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