A Dystopian Review

“Slated” by Teri Terry

Rating: 4.5/5

Genre: YA, science fiction, dystopian literature 

Teri Terry really brings the thrills in the start of this new series. In a futuristic dystopian U.K, the government has a way of dealing with young criminals: giving them a fresh start. In other words, they slate them. Kyla has recently been slated, all memories of her past life—and past crimes—have been erased. After an entirely new family adopts her, Kyla is faced with the challenge of reintegrating into society, while Lorders (the new U.K. police), her new family, and other government agents watch her closely for any signs of relapse. And as if that wasn’t enough, Kyla is also forced to wear a Levo, a bracelet connected to a chip in her brain that will stun or even kill her if her anger or violence levels rise too high. However, Kyla is not like other slateds. She has the capacity to dream; she’s simply unsure as to whether these are her real memories or merely fantasy. She is forced to face loaded questions such as, “Why are innocent people vanishing?” and, “Who are the AGT (anti-government terrorists), exactly and what do they want?” With only she and her fellow slated Ben to rely upon, Kyla begins to peel back layers upon layers of mystery, endangering her own life, and the lives of those she has come to love.

This story has several strengths, the first being it’s world building. This is one terrible future that is frighteningly plausible. Teri Terry has created a stifling and repressed dystopia that is reminiscent of George Orwell’s 1984. Simply saying the wrong thing against the new Coalition can be cause enough for disappearance. Although the exact ways in which this dystopia came about are not fully explained, they are alluded to enough to make it convincing. 

Book Review: The Hynotists

The Hypnotists by Gordon Korman

Rating: 3.5/5

Genre: middle grade, fiction, supernatural

In the beginning of his new series, Gordon Korman introduces readers to a young man whose color changing eyes can make others do anything. Jackson “Jax” Opus is an ordinary twelve year old boy who learns he is a descendant of a long line of hypnotists after he accidentally hypnotizes those around him. As soon as he discovers this, Doctor Elias Mako, the head of the Sentia institute, contacts him with an invitation to join their groundbreaking research. At an institute where Jax is surrounded by mindbenders like himself, he soon discovers that everything is not as it seems. Sentia has a much darker purpose, and Jax is the key to its success. Soon, Jax has to use his power to protect himself and those he loves from people who will do anything to possess his power.

Thieving Teens

Money Run by Jack Health

Rating 4/5 stars

This book had everything you could possibly want: action, adventure, mystery, assassins, thieves, billionaires, gadgets, and humor. The novel tells the story of fifteen year old thief Ashley "Ash" Arthur and her friend Benjamin. Ash and Ben are professional thieves who receive mysterious tips from someone known as "the source" who tells them when and where valuable things will be the most easy to steal. But when they take on the job of robbing Hammond Buckland, one of American's richest men, they have no idea what they've gotten themselves into. Ash, you see, is not the only person with an interest in Buckland. Peachey the assassin wants to put a bullet in Buckland, and he won't let anyone stand in his way. In one night, Ash is thrust into the fight of her life and she has to decide what kind of thief she will be. Along the way she is swept up into a whirlwind of action, suspense, and conspiracies.

www.goodreads.com

First off, Ash is a great protagonist. She's smart, sarcastic, and insensibly likable. She's a thief with a conscious, and she's just 15, so she's struggling like any teenager in finding what it is she wants to do and what she's good at. In her case, it turns out being a thief is what she's very good at. Right alongside Ash is her tech support Benjamin, who, although never actually present during the story, is made very real by his snarky dialogue. Then of course, we have our villain: Peachey. Once you get passed the name, he turns out to be a likable villain, which is not always an easy thing to accomplish. These are the main characters, but several others appear and all are well written, like the millionaire Hammond Buckland and Detective Damion Wright. Admittedly, some of the characters are a little one dimensional. But in the case of many of them, the one dimensionality is exactly what is needed.