Hover Car Racer

By: Matthew Reilly

Narrated by: Sean Mangan

From the best-selling author of Seven Deadly Wonders and Contest comes a thrilling racing adventure. In the world of the near future, the most popular sport is hover car racing. Superfast and dangerous, its heroes are the racers: part fighter pilot, part race-car driver, all superstar. But to get to the Pro Circuit, you must first pass through the International Race School, a brutal cauldron of wild races on even wilder courses, where only the best of the best will survive.

This is the story of Jason Chaser, a talented young racer selected to attend the Race School. He's younger than the other students. He's smaller. His trusty car, the Argonaut, is older. But Jason Chaser is no ordinary racer. And as he races against the best drivers in the world he will learn that at Race School winning is everything, that not everyone in this world fights fair, and that you never ever have any friends on the track.

©2004 Karanadon Entertainment Pty Ltd, Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd (P)2005 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd.

Critic reviews

"No one writes faster-moving adventure fiction." (Publishers Weekly)
"Fast-paced, action-packed." (School Library Journal)
"Adrenaline-pumping accounts of the competitions." (Booklist)

Fast paced action

This book is about a a young boys determination to be the best. No that is actually incorrect, as he learns, it is about being the best you can be. That it is set in a futuristic racing world, makes it fast and exiting. But it would have been just as good with ordinary racing. It is a story we all can relate to, because we all want to do our best. It is about that winning is only importuned if you win with honor and dignity. The honest boy in a world of intolerance, envy and jealousy. Truly a good story to be read. That the action is well described to makes this a great book. I am sorry that the books illustrations are not included, so I am thinking of buying the real book to.

Fun Story

I enjoy almost all of Matthew Reilly’s books. (I didn’t care for parts of The Tournament). Exciting races. And I LOVE the maps of each race.

Fun Ride!

Fast paced, well written and excellent narration. Maybe a little unlikely to find a 14 & 12 year old competing against adults but then again, it's fiction and darn good fiction at that! Matthew Reilly is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and I'm about to go and pick another one off the shelf.

Awesome

I have listened to this book about 15 times and it never gets old I love this book

Don’t sleep on the underdog

Outstanding story with fun characters and dialogue. I really enjoyed listening to this semi-futuristic story of racing and honestly wish there was more races to listen to. Great racing story for those that love the underdog and racing in general. Will likely listen to it again! Cheers!

A nice difference

This story is very different to the other Matthew Reilly books I've read and I really enjoyed it. Matthew is a great writer. Very entertaining. A great listen!

Not just for the kids

Would you listen to Hover Car Racer again? Why?

yes I have listened to it twice now. the storyline is great as are the characters

What other book might you compare Hover Car Racer to and why?

Hard to compare with other books except that Matthew Reily is a great arther

What about Sean Mangan’s performance did you like?

He does not get boring and keeps a good pace right through the book

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Car racing of the future

Any additional comments?

Matthew Reily has to be one of Australia,s best story tellers

great family audio book

What made the experience of listening to Hover Car Racer the most enjoyable?

I just did a 5000km road trip, one adult - 3 kids (including two boys aged 10 and 14) this book was our entertainment on parts of the trip when we were tired of talking... it was gripping, entertaining, non violent, brilliant story - got the boys imagination firing... I loved seeing my boys arms rise up in joy when there were successes in the book.. they loved it, I loved it...

now the only problem is where can I find another book with a story line as good as this with no killing and some cool boys stuff? I just don't know

What about Sean Mangan’s performance did you like?

Sean does most of Mathew Reilly's reading and I really really enjoy his reads... he's great

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes and no, because if we did we wouldn't have anything left to listen to afterwards

Rediscovery Rewarded

This is a story I have enjoyed before though possibly over 10 years ago. I was really concerned when I couldn't find it by searching for it but I knew it was out there. But I found it.

For me this is up there with Enders Game not because it is equivalent in too many aspects of plot or content but for when it came to me in my life. It's imagination really captures you in a way that this is an excellent audio book to listen to as you lie in bed before falling asleep because the world and the environment it creates is so chock full of possibility it is inspiring in many aspects.

So maybe if you're like me when young not a great thing to listen too when you ought to be sleeping but that's something sort of wonderful in it's own way. Now older it's still captivating and enjoyable but I see with age how my own imagination wanes. Still, definitely a story and audio book I recommend.

Fun

This was a fun little book that somehow kept me interested in a sport (racing) that I generally find boring. This is a good book for adults or children alike who enjoy a fast paced thrill ride with a nice lesson about never giving up. I would love to see more unabridged books by this author. The reader was no Jim Dale but brought the book alive nonetheless. If done right this could make an exciting movie.