School Library Journal (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Gr 6-8 Carson is a perpetually bored seventh grader who satisfies his craving for action by orchestrating increasingly elaborate pranks at school. One day, he is handed a mysterious package and told he must deliver itbut not open it under any circumstances!and suddenly life becomes anything but boring. The package is connected to a top-secret government agency, which recruits Carson to protect one of his classmates and foil the plans of a terrorist organization. Excitement builds as Carson—codename Zero—and his quirky friends put together the puzzle as only a team of plucky, imaginative kids can. Carson and his friends are funny and likable, and the pacing of the story is just right. The action steadily builds to a climax that satisfies, yet also whets the appetite for a sequel. Good for reluctant readers, and for any kid who likes tales of action, mischief, and friendship.— Emma Burkhart, Springside School, Philadelphia, PA

Horn Book (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Bored by his mundane North Dakotan existence, seventh grader Carson gets his kicks pulling elaborate pranks. But then one day a mysterious man hands him a package ready to self-destruct, plunging Carson into an underground world of secret government agencies and international crime. The story is told with humor, suspense, and a bit of heart, and the last page seems to promise another installment.

ALA Booklist (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Seventh-grader Carson Fender pulls pranks to liven up the most boring school in the most boring city in the most boring state. But when a stranger gives him a mysterious package, Carson discovers that there is a supersecret government agency in town, and it wants his help. That plot produces an initially fast-paced and energetic story, and although part of the book's appeal is its humor, it can fall flat at times. The supporting cast is a bit one-dimensional but entertaining. The mysterious-package countdown gives a lot of tension to the first part of the story, which then slows toward the end. But now that the series has a setup, further adventures should be able to move forward; enough dangling threads remain to support what comes next.