The Roar

by Emma Clayton

Overview

"Exciting, thought-provoking, and very hard to put down."—The New York Times Book Review

Mika lives in future London, behind The Wall: Solid concrete topped with high-voltage razor wire and guarded by a battalion of Ghengis Borgs, it was built to keep out the animals, because animals carry the plague. Or so Mika's been told. But ever since Ellie vanished a year ago, Mika's suspected his world may be built on secrets—and lies. When a mysterious organization starts recruiting mutant kids to compete in violent virtual reality games, Mika takes the chance to search for his twin sister—and the truth."A hugely inventive and entertaining read which grabs the reader by the scruff of the neck from the first sentence. It flies along like a laser beam from a blaster and sustains the breakneck pace until the stunning climax. A fresh and exciting take on sci-fi..."—Eoin Colfer*Includes a bonus chapter previewing the breathtaking sequel THE WHISPER!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780439927857
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	01/01/2012
Pages:	512
Sales rank:	135,884
Product dimensions:	5.34(w) x 7.42(h) x 1.25(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Emma Clayton lives with her two children in Leamington Spa, England. THE WHISPER is the sequel to her debut novel THE ROAR.

Editorial Reviews

"A hugely inventive and entertaining read which grabs the reader by the scruff of the neck from the first sentence. It flies along like a laser beam from a blaster and sustains the breakneck pace until the stunning climax. A fresh and exciting take on sci-fi..." — Eoin Colfer“Telepathically connected twins battle a totalitarian regime…Exciting, thought-provoking, and very hard to put down.” – The New York Times Book Review“An exciting, suspenseful plot; this compulsive read should not be started at bedtime!”– Kirkus Reviews“An unusually gripping adventure…roars to a satisfying conclusion.”– BCCB

From the Publisher

The Roar is exciting, thought-provoking and very hard to put down.
—The New York Times

Julie Just

Gr 5-8

In a bleak future, humans use terrible chemicals to fight The Animal Plague that causes all of the world's animals to go rabid and renders most of the planet uninhabitable. The population now cowers in overcrowded walled cities. Mika, 12, and his parents live in London in terrible conditions. His twin, Ellie, supposedly drowned a year earlier, but Mika is convinced that she still lives. He's right. The story begins with Ellie and a tiny monkey named Puck fleeing a spaceship in a stolen Pod Fighter. Sadly, their attempt to escape is foiled by the evil Mal Gorman, who has a plan to co-opt the entire first generation of children born after the Plague and make them into an army for his own nefarious purposes. And Gorman has special plans for kids like Mika and Ellie, whose mutations give them unique abilities. To save his sister, Mika will have to win a contest involving simulator battle games and many deadly challenges, using abilities he never knew he had. The story starts fast and never slows down. While the bad guys are a bit stereotypical, the good guys are interesting and realistic. There's a touch of the supernatural, some interesting philosophical questions, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave readers hungry for more. Give this one to readers not quite ready for Orson Scott Card.-Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

On a future Earth, 12-year-old Ellie pilots a fighter pod from an orbiting space station to England. Although she's determined to reunite with her parents and twin brother Mika, she is recaptured by government agents. How Mika discovers the secrets of their dystopian society and begins to seek a peaceful solution to them propels the exciting, suspenseful plot. In fact, this compulsive read should not be started at bedtime if readers intend to get any sleep. Echoes of Ender's Game and the Tripod Trilogy lend interest to Clayton's skillful blending of science-fiction tropes into an original novel. Transportation pods, monstrous cyborg animals, advanced healing techniques and the scientific study of ESP provide the details that make this world work. The book's climax, although satisfying in itself, does not resolve all readers' questions or tie up the loose ends that provide an enticing glimpse of possibilities for future volumes. Since it ends with a walloping cliffhanger, here's hoping a sequel appears in our not-too-distant future. (Science fiction. 10-12)

Kirkus Reviews

This dystopian story immerses the listener in an oppressive future world. Jane Collingwood's narration ratchets up the mood of foreboding and despair, and her British accent, with its occasionally unfamiliar pronunciations, adds to the feeling that one has entered a troubled alien world. Twelve-year-old Mika and his family live behind The Wall in an overcrowded, unearthly London. Mika is convinced that his twin, Emma, is still alive, and he embarks on a quest to find her. Evil Mel Gorman controls all aspects of life, using manipulation and punishment in a bizarre chess game to ensure that no one learns the secret of his kingdom of lies. Enter this bleak world cautiously—and with a companion. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

MAY 2010 - AudioFile