ARC Review ~ The Fourth Lion by Jeff Ayers

Finished ~ The Fourth Lion by Jeff Ayers
Completed 01/23/15
4 of 5 stars
135 page Kindle book
Expected Publication ~ February 2015

I received this book from the publisher for my honest review.


The Fourth Lion is a book about some teens in Washington D.C. They are content in their lives at an elite school when their good friend disappears. Jake, his sister Kayla and their friend Hannah try to figure out what is going on with their friend. Their only clue is a laptop left with Jake which is then taken at gunpoint. The friends stay on the trail to try to find their friend, and they learn that there's more at stake than just a missing friend.


This book was cute. It is probably considered a YA, with the kids around the ages of 17, but it read really young, so I think it would be fine for middle grade readers as well. The characters were all sweet and smart. They were able to figure stuff out by following some clues on the laptop and kept up with their hunt, even after the laptop was taken. They were definitely looking out for their friend and the strong bonds between them was really nice.

The story was simple, and short, but enjoyable. It kept up a good pace throughout and I didn't find myself bored with it. It was definitely a nice and easy read with a fun subject.

As for the negatives, the only thing I really didn't like about the book were the history lessons which, for a kid, would probably be enjoyable, especially if they don't know much about D.C., but I found it a little tedious. It's like he wanted to give us a lesson about every little thing, rather than just letting the story work on it's own. It wasn't enough to distract from the book, but it could have been if there was much more. My only other complaint was that they were smart about everything else, but didn't realize the one big thing that was staring them in the face. I understand that they believed what they believed, but they were finding out other things they were wrong about, they should have accepted that they could have been wrong about that as well, before the evidence was staring them in the face.

Overall it was a cute and enjoyable book. Definitely great for a quick YA read. I'd recommend this book for YA fans, people who are interested in D.C. and anyone who wants just a good story. Oh, and the ending is ADORABLE!! Drove me nutters though!! :D

Setting = A
Plot = B
Conflict = B
Characters = A+
Theme = B