[ readers' comments ]

"I'm almost as old as the hills. When my grandniece finished this book she asked if I wanted to read it. I am reading this book and don't want to finish it until your next IQ book is out. This book is so touching, exciting and captures your attention. I love reading books like this. While reading your book I kept in mind who could play the different characters, if you should ever have a chance to make a film from this book. This is great reading for any age." ~Delilah

"I HATE reading but i cant stop reading this book!!" ~Jack

"I thought the book was fantastic! What a page turner for sure! I love how everything is intertwined to make sense and I can hardly wait for the next book to come out! Thank you for writing books that inspire young readers to keep reading."         ~Andi

"When I sat down with the book, I felt like I was in the middle of the action. I just had to turn the page, and the next page, and the next page to find out what would happen next.

Reading the book reminded me of eating really good chocolate pudding - it's that good, smooth, creamy, a treat - and you always want just a little bit more."

- K. A., Cincinnati, OH

 I, Q...what a great thrill ride!

Once I sat down and began reading this young adult novel, I had to keep making excuses to come back to it. I brought it into a restaurant, read it on a "hike" with the hubby and the dog, and kept turning the light back on at night to continue it. The thrill ride starts with the first page and doesn't ever let up. From page to page the reader isn't quite sure who the bad guys are or if everyone is a bad guy!

- Amanda Snow, A Patchwork of Books

"I stayed up till midnight reading this book, it was so compelling.  It’s kind of like the Alex Ryder  and the Artemis Fowl books, which I really like, but it’s told in first person so it makes it seem like you’re really there.  I liked Q because he wasn’t a fantasy character, he was realistic.  I can’t wait until the next one comes out."

- Rebecca

"WOW! If there’s any book that forces you to keep reading, it’s I, Q. I cannot stress how FANTASTICALLY AMAZING AND SUSPENSEFUL this book is. I couldn’t put this down. It doesn’t even matter if you haven’t read or didn’t like Roland Smith’s other books. This was the first book of his I’ve ever read, and I tell you, it’s not going to be the last, either."

- Victoria

[ the city of brotherly love ]

I, Q
Learn more about
The city of brotherly love
Today, Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and a commercial, educational, and cultural center. It was once the second-largest city in the British Empire, (after London) and the social and geographical center of the original 13 American colonies.

During the 18th century, it eclipsed New York City in political and social importance, with Benjamin Franklin taking a large role in Philadelphia's early rise to prominence. It was in Philadelphia that some of the ideas, and subsequent actions, gave birth to the American Revolution and American independence, making Philadelphia a centerpiece of early American history.

The motto, The City of Brotherly Love, came from William Penn, the English Quaker, who envisioned the area as a place where anyone of any color or background could live together in peace and harmony.

q & a with roland[ Q&A WITH ROLAND ] word play[ WORD PLAY ] mapping quest[ MAPPING QUEST ] i, q test[ I, Q TEST ] the war on terror[ THE WAR ON TERROR ] the history of magic[ THE HISTORY OF MAGIC ] city of brotherly love[ CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE ]
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writing about terrorism

"I have wanted to write about international and domestic terrorism for many years, but hesitated, hoping that it would simply go away. Unfortunately, it looks like it is here to stay for a long time to come. The I,Q series seemed like a perfect vehicle to examine this complicated and real threat to our current and future existence. There is a world war going on, but most of us are blissfully unaware of it. We need to know who we are fighting and why we are fighting them. The music business plays in the background of these novels. The contrast of celebrities performing in the light and terrorist and spies skulking in dark provided me the perfect canvas on which to write these thrillers."

- Roland Smith, 2008