Rating: 
Summary: 4 1/2 stars
Review: All I can say is with Reilly you can expect one heck of a ride.In this latest non-stop adventure, Shane Scofield is back (previous outing was in 'Ice Station'). When the President decides to visit a top-secret base in the desert, known as Area 7, he stumbles upon some secrets he didn't even know about. Basically what happens is a large group of military soldiers from an elite squad in the Air Force take over Area 7 and kill almost everyone who is in charge of protecting the president. The mastermind behind this wants the president dead and has created a little game in which the president stands little chance of winning. Once the presidents heart stops beating, a device that was implanted, unknowingly, in his heart years ago, will cause a series of explosions (blast plasma warheads) at many of the busiest airports around the country. Needless to say, Scofield is one of the few survivors after the initial onslaught. Matthew Reilly was quoted as saying that he likes to write "about action, thrills and adventure, and if developing characters slows down the action, then developing characters gets the chop". This is it in a nutshell. First suspend your beliefs, because when you get a hold of this relentlessly paced book it won't let up. It even comes with illustrations in case you don't have time to think. From chases in space to chases in lake Powell to the idea of racial viruses, it's a tremendously fun mindless read. Highly recommended strictly for fun.
Rating:
Summary: Matt Reilly: Master of Action Entertainment.
Review: Wow. He did it again, and made it faster and more furious than any of his other books to date. Incredible. Matt Reilly continues to stretch the boundaries of plausable situations while delivering heart-stopping, adrenaline-fueled scenes that will leave you breathless. Regardless of the minor quibbles readers might have with his style or scenarios, Matt Reilly will give you the quick-fix you need when it comes to action-filled entertainment, WITHOUT wasting the A.D.D. reader's time by endless stretches of description & development. Reilly's novels are like marshmallows - they might not have a lot of "literary" nutrition, but they sure satisfy your craving for some SWEET scenes. Keep it up, Matt. - Kevin
Rating: 
Summary: A worthy successor to Ice Station...
Review: Ok, so maybe I'm a bit bias. Matt Reilly is my favorite author, I have read Ice Station and Temple more times than i care to count and they're my two favorite books of all time. Now...a basic summary of the plot is fairly decently given on this page anyway..and giving anymore away would be a crime, suffice to say expect twists galore. Above all else, this is a sequel to Ice Station, so reading that first will make Area 7 make more sense and be more fulfilling. The characters of Shane Schofield, Libby Gant, and "mother" return. As with any other Reilly book, those seeking truth and absolute believability should look elsewhere, but those seeking out action have come to the right place. This book brims with action and with Reilly's unique writing style, you can't put it down. I read it in less than 24 hours(about 18 hours of which were devoted to school and sleep, the other 6 more or less to Area 7.) Basically, if you want kickass action, adventure, and white knuckle excitement, then I'd reccomend anything by Reilly in a heartbet, but those who come out of a movie or finish a book and go "Yeah, right, like that could ever happen" may not have the right mindset for this book. On a scale of 1-10, I'd say a 9.5 or so.
Rating:
Summary: Read this book in one sitting.
Review: Don't think about the plot too much and just enjoy the ride. If you are a fan of Jerry Bruckheimer movies, like to play Counterstrike, and hate "unnecessary" dialogue, then this book is a must-read. Tom Clancy sets up his books for about 800 pages, then has 100 pages of action at the end. If you take that last 100 pages of Clancy's books, and extend it throughout the whole story, you've got Matt Reilly! Overall, Matt's latest offering is right on par with the rest of his books (Ice Station, Temple, Contest). They all have the same pace, cool weapons, and outrageous action scenes. So put on a Hans Zimmer movie score and sit back for another edge-of-your-seat installment from Australia's action kid.
Rating: 
Summary: Suspend Belief
Review: In the UK we got this some months ago and it ain't bad if you understand what you are buying. This is written in the style of an Indianna Jones film, if you pause to think about it then it might spoil your enjoyment, this is a one sitting roller coaster of a book.
The scenario is interesting (i.e Area 7 itself) but the background and plot does not bear much thinking about. The action is non stop and features some of the characters from the rather good Ice Station. I personally think it is wrong to liken this to Clancy or others because it does lack a plot, but that is not to say it is a bad book!
If you like non stop action, this is for you. If you like plot driven action then perhaps you might want to pass on this one.
Rating:
Summary: Another Fantastic Reilly Ride
Review: Reilly delivers another fast paced, action packed race against time in Area 7. The story hooks you from the start and it's impossible to put the book down after that. It was great to see the book continuing the same characters from 'Ice Station' and even adding a touch of romance to their relationships.
It all begins with the President of the USA visiting Area 7, a secret Air Force base, only to find that he and his secret service agents are being hunted down by rogue Air Force units. Schofield and his crew have to protect the President and a secret virus antidote from their pursuers (also including a group of violent criminals) and prevent the ultimate destruction of Area 7. The plot moves the characters throught the base, an underground railroad, the canals of Lake Powell, even up into space, carrying the reader along for the ride.
I recommend this book to every keen reader. Don't expect realism, but you can expect an action packed, edge of your seat ride that'll leave you dying for more Matthew Reilly!
Rating:
Summary: TIRED OF REALITY? NEED AN EXCITING VACATION? READ AREA 7
Review: I'D GIVE THIS BOOK FIVE STARS FOR ACTION, AND 0NE STAR FOR BELIEVABILITY. AS WITH ALL HIS NOVELS, THEY ARE ACTION PACKED, BUT ANEMIC ON THE BELIEVABILITY SCALE. A LOT OF FUN TO READ, THOUGH, THAT'S WHY I GAVE IT FOUR STARS. THE PLOT CENTERS AROUND A GROUP OF ROGUE U.S. MILITARY MEN TRYING TO KILL U.S. PRESIDENT IN A SECRET MILITARY INSTALATION IN NEVADA. THE PRESIDENT HAS A MICROCHIP IN HIS HEART THAT WILL SET OFF ATOMIC BOMBS IN 14 U.S. AIRPORTS AROUND THE COUNTRY, IF HIS HEART STOPS. SCHOFIELD, ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF HIS TROOPS FROM HIS BOOK ICE STATION, TEAM UP WITH THE FEW REMAINING SECRET SERVICE AGENTS, TO KEEP THE PRESIDENT ALIVE.
ACTION SCENE FOLLOWS ACTION SCENE IN THIS ROLLER COASTER RIDE OF A NOVEL. THOUSANDS OF BULLETS FLY, AND NO ONE GETS HIT? OH,WELL, IF YOU WANT BORING REALITY, READ A TOM CLANCY NOVEL, IF YOU WANT ACTION, READ THIS BOOK. JUST SUSPEND YOUR CINICISM, AND YOU WILL ENJOY IT FOR WHAT IT IS, A LONG AWAITED VACATION FROM THE HUMDRUM. GREAT BOOK FOR A PLANE RIDE, OR VACATION.
Rating:
Summary: A seat burner from start to finish
Review: Area 7 is the latest book from one of Australia's best new thriller authors. Tom Clancy may have lost a few steps, but Matthew Reilly is there to take his place! Area 7 has a very clever plot centered around one of Reilly's recurring characters, Shane Scofield. The President of the USA has a transmitter on his heart. If his heart stops, then terror will be unleashed on the world. It's up to Scofield to protect the President and save the world. The book never lets up. From the first sentence, the characters are off and running. Reilly has a very good writing style and he can maintain the level and pace of action with seemingly very little effort. It's been a while since a thriller has captivated me quite like Area 7. It combines the best elements of a Tom Clancy thriller with the action level of a Michael Crichton novel. An A+ all around
Rating:
Summary: Bullets and Bombs in the desert
Review: Shane Schofeild: If he had a nickle for every time he saved the world, he'd have.... fifteen cents. But that's still a lot.
Area 7, the second of the Schofeild novels, finds our intrepid (if slightly two dimensional) hero in the middle of a US Airforce base/research facility, acting as a body guard to the President of the United States. With him are some friends from the previous Schofield novel, also guarding the commander in chief. The base, called Area 7, is the home of the United States' must cutting-edge biological weapon research. More specifically, the scientists at the base are working round the clock to find a vaccine to a Chineese biological weapon called the Sinovirus, which targets only non-Aisian people (via their specific pigmentation). Well, they've finally developed a vaccine, but guess what? The fifty well-armed, highly trained, ultra-elite soldiers guarding the base are actually traitors, intent on killing the Prez and stealing the vaccine! To make matters worse, they've attached a satelite transmitter to the President's heart, which will denotate nuclear weapons in major cities all over America if the POTUS's heart stops beating. In other words, if Mr. President dies, so does the country. It's up to Schofeild and friends to defeat the bad guys and save the day!
But in a Reilly novel, its never that simple. Matthew incorporates a series of plot twists into his relatively straightforward narrative, including a racist military conspiracy, a corrupt South-African general, a plot to take over America, a thermonuclear weapon, escaped convicts, and a trip into outer space. Admit it, you're just drooling over this novel, aren't you? Now, I'll admit, Area 7 is not going to change your life (besides getting you hooked on Reilly novels). The characters tend to be one sided and cliched. The ending is the predictable happy one, where the hero gets the girl, the little kid isn't harmed, and all the fuzzy little animals are safe..... but its an action thriller. Are you really looking for powerful moral statements and thought provoking subject matter in an action thriller? No. You're looking for a lightening-fast plot, explosions, gunfights, chases, and lots of violence. And that's exactly what you're going to get.
Rating:
Summary: More than just action, action, action
Review: "Area 7" is a thriller containing an incredible amount of high-octane action. This huge amount of action, and the lack of realism in many of the things that happen, requires a great deal of suspension of disbelief on your part if you want to enjoy the book. But there's more to "Area 7" than just page after page of action. True, most of the book consists of action scenes with bullets flying everywhere and things exploding and a fantastic line-up of various groups of really nasty bad guys who are all out kill the good guys (and each other) in the most violent and horrifying way possible. It's also true that the story is not particularly believable, nor are the characters very well developed. The bad guys in particular are nothing more than cardboard figures, and the good guys aren't much better when it comes to resembling real people. But Matthew Reilly keeps you reading despite these weaknesses because he has a couple of tricks up his sleeve. The plot is actually pretty interesting (despite being unrealistic), and there are a large number of imaginative plot elements and very creative twists and turns. Several times after you thought you'd worked out what's going on you discover that things are more complicated and the bad guys are more devious than you realized. I especially liked the start of the book, where the leading bad guy, U.S. Air Force General Charles "Caesar" Russell, is executed in Leavenworth prison for treason and murder. But the execution doesn't "take" - as soon as his dead body is delivered to his Air Force cohorts they revive him! And at the same time we're informed that the newly inaugurated President of the USA has some kind of super-miniature electronic device implanted on his heart! From there on the book goes somewhat downhill until around the middle, where the plot becomes better fleshed out and we realize that things aren't as simple-minded as we originally thought. It's because of these clever developments in the story line that I'm giving "Area 7" four stars instead of the three that I'd been planning for most of the book. I'm also giving plus points for the many drawings and maps that make it more interesting to follow the action. And I like the fact that several of the good "guys" are actually good gals, and that they're just as tough and ingenious as their male comrades. At the end of the book there's a seven-page interview with Matthew Reilly, and I must admit that I like this sort of thing because I like reading about how authors go about creating the books they write. In conclusion, if you like imaginative (albeit unrealistic) thrillers with lots of action, action, action, and are willing to almost totally suspend your disbelief, then "Area 7" should entertain you. Rennie Petersen
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