"With charismatic protagonists, sharply self-aware dialogue, and gut-wrenching detail—particularly in the visceral portrayal of X-Core’s adverse effects and Ani’s haunting recollections of her mother—this tale of ingenuity in the face of insatiable evil is a deeply infectious one." —Booklist
“Combining a love of science fiction with modern technology and some very original thinking, this novel takes a look at some of society’s preconceived notions from a slightly off-kilter view. . . . Though it takes its time, it never drags, parceling out plot details and worldbuilding in classic thriller fashion. This one’s a page-turner.” —Kirkus Reviews
"Believably written characters and a quick-moving plot distinguish this compelling thriller with an SF twist." —Publishers Weekly
“A fast-paced sci-fi thriller for the geek set.” —School Library Journal
Praise for Mike A. Lancaster's previous work:
A Booklist Top 10 YA SciFi/Fantasy 2013 Pick, The Future We Left Behind
A Booklist Top 10 YA SciFi/Fantasy 2012 Pick, Human.4
A YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, Human.4
* “Wringing his Stephen King-like premise for all it is worth . . . few plots race along with this kind of speed and purpose.” —Booklist, starred review of Human.4
* “Lancaster effortlessly incorporates into his whiz-bang plot big ideas . . . along the way borrowing from the sf masters.” —Booklist, starred review of The Future We Left Behind
09/12/2016
Two teenagers—one an amateur hacker, the other a member of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service—become embroiled in a world of underground music and encrypted files. Ani Lee, 15, has more friends online in the hacking community than in real life, where her family is disintegrating. When one of her best friends tells her about a strange digital audio file and then disappears, Ani doesn't grasp the file's importance until armed men come after her. She escapes and runs into 17-year-old Joe Dyson, an American transplant in London, who is reeling from the death of a friend during a mission. A member of an elite and secret teen intelligence force, Joe has been implanted with a chip that allows him, among other things, to control the pheromones of those around him, a perfect way for him to influence people and for Lancaster (The Future We Left Behind) to subtly steer this coming-of-age adventure. Believably written characters and a quick-moving plot distinguish this compelling thriller with an SF twist. Ages 14–up. Agent: Becky Bagnell at Lindsay Literary. (Sept.)
08/01/2016
Gr 7–10—Ani is a world-class superhacker. After doing a bit of snooping on some government servers, Ani's hacker colleague shares with her a mystery file that immediately causes men with guns to pursue both of them throughout London. But it is just a sound file—or is it? This same signature file seems to be at the root of a new musical subculture known as X-Core (pronounced "Cross-Core"). Its followers will continue to listen and tap to the beat even when the music is no longer playing. Investigating at an underground X-Core concert, Ani meets Joe, an American working for the British YETI (Youth Enforcement Task Initiative). Joe has been implanted with a superchip that links him to his supervisor, suppresses his otherwise uncontrollable temper, and releases pheromones to increase his believability. Ani decides to join the good guys, and the two are soon partnered in an attempt to track down and nullify the sound file. This work starts off strong but pushes too fast for a tidy conclusion. The result is the discovery of a caricature of a villain who lacks genuine motive. Forgiving this and suspending disbelief in the idea of kids as top-level spies, this is a solid choice for fans of Lamar Giles's Fake ID and Allen Zadoff's I Am the Weapon. VERDICT A fast-paced sci-fi thriller for the geek set.—Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL
2016-06-01
Combining a love of science fiction with modern technology and some very original thinking, this novel takes a look at some of society's preconceived notions from a slightly off-kilter view.Biracial English 15-year-old Ani Lee is used to taking care of herself: her Vietnamese mother is hospitalized in a mental institution after a horrible suicide attempt, and her white father is off pursuing some shady business ventures. For Ani, hacking into restricted websites is both easy and good fun, though her best friend and hacking partner is someone she's never met. But when he sends her a secret .wav file, Ani finds out how alone in the world she really is, because now men with guns are trying to kidnap her for that file. It's only by chance that she runs into 17-year-old Joe Dyson, a white American living in London, at an underground concert. Joe is an operative for the Youth Enforcement Task Initiative, a secret section of British Intelligence, who goes where only teens can blend in. Together, they have to solve exactly what the .wav file is, who wants it, and what makes it so important. Too many lives are at stake and someone's pulling the strings, using music to gather the world's youth into one massive, mindless army. But whose? The third-person narration alternates between Ani and Joe, weaving both psychological back story and futuristic sci-fi elements through the story. Though it takes its time, it never drags, parceling out plot details and worldbuilding in classic thriller fashion. This one's a page-turner. (Thriller. 12 & up)
