I, Q Books In Order

Publication Order of I, Q Books

The “I, Q” series is for young adults and is considered to be of the mystery and spy genres. It is not often you get a young adult mystery series that focuses on terrorism and different federal agencies, but that is what Roland Smith has put together in this series of novels. Yet he still manages to work it so that things stay as interesting and entertaining as possible. The series stars Q (Quest), a thirteen year old kid, with rock star parents.

Quest’s stepsister Angela is the daughter of Roger, a pop star, and a former Secret Service agent. Quest’s parents are both still alive but the both split up before the start of the series. His mother, Blaze, is a famous pop star and his father Peter “Speed” Paulsen is a famous rock star. Together, Blaze and Roger, are members of a band that tours the world and makes albums.

Roland Smith wrote the first three novels in the series by himself, but would work on the ones after that with a co-writer named Michael P. Spradlin.

“Independence Hall” by Roland Smith is the first novel in the “I.Q.” series and was released in the year 2008. Quest’s mom and Angela’s dad get married in San Francisco. The four of them leave so that they can go on a tour of America for a year. It starts in Philadelphia, and find themselves being watched by someone. They wind up meeting a man who used to be an agent with the CIA named Boone; meeting this man is something that will change their lives forever.

Fans of the novel feel that once again, Roland Smith has written another winning novel just for them. Some like the two kids Q and Angela, finding that they are well drawn and feel like real people that Smith is talking about. Some liked the way the plot twists and turns throughout, leaving them guessing; there is also plenty of action and thrills to boot. This novel is one that will pull you in and keep you flipping pages until you are finished. Some cannot wait to get more books about these to step siblings.

Some did not like the novel, finding the things that happened too far fetched and they were glad when they were finished reading the novel. Some have gotten over half way through and have not quite been pulled into things. Some find that the novel has something missing from it, making things hard to understand exactly what is going on here.

“The White House” by Roland Smith is the second novel in the “I.Q.” series and was released in the year 2010. This novel picks up shortly after the first novel in the series. Quest and Angela are still on the trail to find out what happened to her birth mother and why she died. They have a hard time trying to figure out who the good guys are and who the bad guys are.

Fans of the novel liked the way the twists and turns kept them guessing, and the premise was interesting to them. They found that they enjoyed this novel even more than the first book in the series. For some, this is a series to continue reading, as the novels come out. Some found that the attempt to connect to the target audience was not forced or contrived but felt that the author actually connected. Fans loved the quick pace and suspense this novel has and they enjoyed the way that you get to see and hear more from Malak (Angela’s mom) this time, finding they liked getting to know her and what happened.

Some did not like that the novel has very little interesting parts to it, and it was a disappointing read for some- finding that it was a let down from the first book. Some found that this novel is just too convoluted, and was not as easy for some to get into as the first novel was. Some did not like the way the novel ends with a cliffhanger, making people buy the next installment to find out what happens next.

“Kitty Hawk” by Roland Smith is the third novel in the “I.Q.” series and was released in the year 2012. Some group calling themselves Ghost Cell has kidnapped the President’s daughter. Angela and Q go on the hunt to find them, even in the elements of heavy rain and strong winds they hunt them. They soon wonder though, who is chasing whom?

Fans of the novel liked the suspense, intriguing plot, and the well drawn characters that made them continue reading the novel until they were done with it. Some liked the way you find out more about Malak in the novel and how the life she is leading is one of the biggest parts of the novel. Readers enjoyed the way that the novel jumps to different perspectives, finding that it added something to the suspense. Some liked the way that the author sets the whole novel over the course of one day and crams a whole lot of suspense into that day. Readers found themselves pulled into the novel and unable to put it down, especially during some of the more intense sequences found in the book. Once again, Smith knocks one out of the park with this novel, which should prove to be yet another winner for fans of his novels.

Some did not like the way that some of the things that made this series work were thrown out in favor of something random and a little on the fantasy side of things. Some found the novel boring and to be too slow; some thought the ending to be disappointing and that once the second half gets going, it gets worse after a really promising start to things.

The first novel in the series, “Independence Hall” made it onto Massachusetts Children’s Book Award Master List in 2011-2012. It won the 2011 Young Reader’s Award from Sunshing State and 2009 Oregon’s Book Award. It also took the 2009 award from National Parenting Publications Award. Tennessee put the novel on to its Volunteer State Book Award List.