I so thoroughly
enjoyed this book that it is going on to my reading list at the University of
Salford, on my module Writing Novels for Young People. One of the hardest
things to get right, I tell my students often, is maintaining both pace and
emotional closeness. Teri Terry does this superbly in Slated.
In this dystopian
near-future young adult novel Terry presents us with a world that is believable
and disturbing. Kyla is one of the “slated”. Because of her less than
satisfactory past – according to someone’s terms if not her own - she has had
her memory wiped in this world where young people are no longer allowed mobile
phones. Slating is used on youngsters who have rebelled or look as if they
might. All is controlled by the sinister Lorders – dressed in grey and sometimes
black.
I so thoroughly
enjoyed this book that it is going on to my reading list at the University of
Salford, on my module Writing Novels for Young People. One of the hardest
things to get right, I tell my students often, is maintaining both pace and
emotional closeness. Teri Terry does this superbly in Slated.
The characters in
this novel are richly drawn and we feel empathy for Amy, Jazz and Ben as well
as Kyla.
We are left with a
little of a cliff-hanger. One story is complete but another is wide open and about
to begin. I was disappointed when I finished the book, in a good way, because the
sequel, Fractured is not out until
April. Can’t wait.
Finally my
confession. Teri is another SCBWI friend, though I don’t know her as well as Sara
Grant I mention below. I heard of the book because of SCBWI but bought it because
I was below my quota of YA books at the time and it sounded like my kind of
book. So this review is without prejudice.
But it does say something about SCBWI. 