Concentr8

by William Sutcliffe

Overview

In a not-so-distant future London, riots have become the norm. But when the government suddenly stops distributing Concentr8—a behavioral modification "miracle" drug akin to Ritalin—the city's residents rise up fiercer than they ever have before.

Amidst the chaos, five teens pick a man seemingly at random and chain him up as a hostage in a warehouse. Blaze is their leader, and Troy has always been his quiet sidekick—the only person he has ever trusted. But even Troy didn't see this coming, and as their story unfolds over six tense days, one thing is clear—none of them will ever be the same again.

Told from the perspective of multiple characters in a world familiar to our own, this searing look at a group of teens who push back from the margins of society is perfect for fans of thoughtful fiction like Panic and The Program series.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781619639201
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	01/19/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

William Sutcliffe is the author of the young adult novel The Wall, which was published in 2013 to much critical acclaim, including being short-listed for the 2014 Carnegie Medal and long-listed for the 2013 Guardian Fiction Prize. He also wrote five adult novels, including the international bestseller, Are You Experienced, and a middle-grade novel, Circus of Thieves and the Raffle of Doom. William currently lives in Edinburgh.

Editorial Reviews

11/09/2015
In a story set in a fictionalized contemporary London, Sutcliffe (The Wall) blends scathing political commentary with Jonathan Swift's sarcasm and Lord of the Flies–esque anarchy. On the heels of rioting in London due to the sudden scarcity of Concentr8, a state-prescribed medication for controlling hyperactivity, six teens take a hostage from the city housing department. Over the course of five days of introspection and interplay, these young people from London's projects come to a better—and horrifying—understanding of exactly how the political machine and society operate. With a writing style that is both entertaining and stark, Sutcliffe uses broad, vivid strokes to highlight societal injustice while filling in details that focus on the interconnectedness of friendship and the dangers of unquestioningly following a single leader. The varied perspectives of several narrators offer nuanced insight and a sobering glimpse at a population oppressed politically, socially, and in spirit. Ages 14–up. Agent: Felicity Rubinstein, Lutyens & Rubinstein. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"The conclusions to be drawn about the state of the mental health of children, and adults who are medicating “problem” children, will be food for thought among savvy teens. Recommended." - School Library Connection

"Narration moves from teen to teen, and each distinctive voice creates nuance with a mixture of hard-luck histories, dead-end futures, and resignation about the present . . . the story itself never preaches, and the real-life connection will likely strike a chord with fans of Young’s The Program." - BCCB

"Thought-provoking and rife with book-discussion fodder, this should be paired with other near-future books that ask “what if?” like those by Cory Doctorow." - Booklist

"Sutcliffe (The Wall) blends scathing political commentary with Jonathan Swift's sarcasm and Lord of the Flies–esque anarchy . . . With a writing style that is both entertaining and stark, Sutcliffe uses broad, vivid strokes to highlight societal injustice while filling in details that focus on the interconnectedness of friendship and the dangers of unquestioningly following a single leader." - Publishers Weekly

"[A] deeply moving tale. . . . Through brilliant pacing and a relatable protagonist, Sutcliffe sensitively portrays the brutal realities of military occupation." - School Library Journal on THE WALL

"This is wholly realistic fiction detailing a boy's coming-of-age in a real-life political situation." - Kirkus Reviews on THE WALL

"A riveting story." - Publishers Weekly on THE WALL

"Will draw in young readers preoccupied with society, challenging parents, and their own fears . . . . An often suspenseful tale." - New York Times Book Review of THE WALL

From the Publisher

11/01/2015
Gr 7 Up—In a near future, London is coping with some difficult issues. Life was calm while the government provided a drug called Concentr8 that was prescribed for people coping with ADHD. However, riots quickly spread throughout the city when Concentr8 is no longer distributed. In the midst of the chaos, five friends make a pivotal, spur-of-the-moment choice that will change everything: kidnap a government official. During the hostage situation, the depth of London's problems is revealed as more complicated than originally believed. Sutcliffe blends many character perspectives to shape the full story. This includes not only the teenagers but also politicians, journalists, and police officers. A few of these voices are tougher to follow than others with one punctuated almost exclusively with question marks and another essentially lacking punctuation entirely. This writing style allows readers to understand each of the characters and be able to relate with at least one. Though the book is set in the future, each chapter begins with quotes from historic texts and current research in ADHD trends as well as seemingly real Internet posts. The fictional book is alarmingly close to reality, making the story that much more powerful. Still, the teen characters do not benefit from any personal growth, and the story fizzles out with an anticlimactic conclusion. VERDICT A quick and easy read for avid dystopia fans, but a harder sell for more discerning readers.—Paige Rowse, Needham High School Library, Massachusetts

School Library Journal

2015-10-06
A near-future thriller about overprescription. It's a London much like the real one but for one change: the city has been funding the distribution of Concentr8, an ADHD medication, for all misbehaving students. When budget cuts lead to the discontinuation of the Concentr8 program, London erupts in riots. Amid the chaos, Blaze leads his followers Troy, Femi, Karen, and Lee away from the looting—then promptly kidnaps a municipal worker. Over the next six days, this impulsive act becomes a full-blown hostage crisis. The point of view shifts in heavily stylized voices among the kidnappers, the hostage, an investigative journalist, the mayor, even the police negotiator. Several of the teens begin to be fleshed out among all the stock characters: Troy's dedication to Blaze; Femi's desire to escape the situation; Karen's knowledge that she's got a potential future to destroy. The exception is Lee, with his degradingly portrayed developmental disability, who acts as mere set dressing. Meanwhile, the journalist seeks answers about Concentr8, and the teens begin to argue. Unfortunately, the flow is continually shattered by moralizing, primarily in the chapter epigraphs: most are lengthy quotations from real works implying ADHD is an imaginary diagnosis and Ritalin is snake oil, while several other chapters are, horrifyingly, preceded by genuine (though unattributed) tweets about ADHD medication. This thriller is bogged down by polemic and poor character development. (Dystopian thriller. 13-16)

Kirkus Reviews