I was ecstatic last Saturday when I walked out of a bookstore with a copy of The Jungle, the latest novel in Clive Cussler's Oregon Files series. As I turned page after page, my excitement grew and I became engrossed in the plot that follows Juan Cabrillo, the main character, in rescue after rescue. Cabrillo, a former CIA agent, runs an elite mercenary organization called the Oregon. Traveling all over the world and completing missions that are considered "too black" for the U.S. government, Cabrillo and his team find themselves in number of tight situations throughout the Oregon Files series. The Jungle is no different. It takes the Oregon's elite crew to Afghanistan, Myanmar and France to uncover a plot by Islamic extremists that would have brought the Western world onto its knees.

I loved the book — except for the ending, which dampened the excitement I normally have for Cussler's Oregon Files series. I thought it was too rushed and downplayed the threat the U.S. was facing. Unless you're a devote Cussler fan, The Jungle is not worth buying; there are far better novels in the series. Still, the beginning excitement of The Jungle does not disappoint.

Alex Wirth is a senior at Santa Fe Prep. You can reach him at amaliowirth@me.com.