SERIES: Slated, book 1
PUBLISHER: Orchard Books
PUBLICATION DATE: May 3, 2012
ISBN: 9781408319468
PAGES: 448
SOURCE: NetGalley
GENRE: sci-fi; dystopia
GIVE IT TO: MS, HS
SUMMARY: Sixteen-year old Kyla has been given a second chance. She has been slated, her memory wiped clean of her previous life and family. For the past nine months, Kyla has been recovering in a hospital, learning to eat, walk, and talk again. But as fragments of her previous life start coming back to her, Kyla starts questioning the ethics of slating and digs for information about her previous life.
REVIEW: I love the premise of this book. The idea that criminals could be given this kind of second chance is interesting and sounds far more humane than a long prison sentence for serious criminals. For about the first 100 pages, I was riveted.
Then something changed–or rather, it didn’t. I kept waiting for something to happen, but really nothing ever did. There are plenty of descriptions of runner’s highs and forbidden artwork, but really, very little actually happens.
There is some romance, but it is pretty light. Kyla’s love interest isn’t very interesting or fleshed-out, and I felt no chemistry between the two.
Despite my boredom with the story, I was really interested to see where it went. It has tons of potential, and I enjoyed Ms. Terry’s writing style. Sadly, the ending was a bit anti-climactic; the action was building and just about to go somewhere, then it stopped in the middle.
So will I read the sequel? Probably. Terry is a debut author, and I have high hopes that Fractured may be able to take off where Slated never did. I’ve read tons of positive reviews of Slated, and I saw that it is an upcoming Junior Library Guild pick. It is a worthwhile read if you can get past the zzz moments.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Read it for the world-building and the potential for a great sequel.
STATUS IN MY LIBRARY: We don’t have it, but I plan to get it. Dystopia is hot right now, and I booktalk this one easily.
READALIKES: The Adoration of Jenna Fox (Pearson); Legend (Lu)
RATING BREAKDOWN:
- Overall: 3/5
- Creativity: 4/5
- Characters: 3/5
- Engrossing: 2/5
- Writing: 4/5
- Appeal to teens: 4/5
- Appropriate length to tell the story: 2/5
CONTENT:
- Language: mild
- Sexuality: mild
- Violence: mild; government very controlling; characters frightened of constant presence of soldiers
- Drugs/Alcohol: none