Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon

2013, Soho Teen

Three teens living three very different lives have one thing in common, and it will be this commonality that will drive them together.

17 year-old Anat is an Israeli being trained as a soldier.  She knows there will be consequences for her actions, but she doesn't care.  With planning and stealth, she's ready to leave her homeland to be with the love of her life, an Egyptian who's waiting for her on the other side. She's paid her way through a tunnel leading her to freedom, but little does she know the dangers that await her, until it's too late...

17 year-old Declan is a typical Irish teenager trying to make some extra cash.  All he has to do is take a package from one place to another, which doesn't seem that hard.  Until he notices two men trailing him.  The more he speeds up, the more they gain on him. Declan hits a brick wall, literally, and when he turns around, the men are holding guns and the bullets begin flying...

17 year old Sophie lies in bed weak and exhausted. Her family hovers nearby and all she wants is for it all to end.  Terminal cancer keeps her being the normal teen she wants to be, but it also left her with no option.  Now, in a hospital, Sophie knows it's only a matter of time.  And then the darkness begins...

All three wake up in a hospital they don't recall ever seeing.  When they venture out into the hall, they realize there are no doctors or nurses, only a hall with rows of doors.  They don't know each other, and there isn't a lot of trust in this situation, only confusion.  Its becomes even more confusing with the three venture upon three more people who have been there much longer than they have.

The world has changed.  It's not safe outside, but every one of them realizes they must get out there if they are to escape this prison of a hospital.  No one knows what truly lurks out in the dense overgrowth, but the risk is worth the escape.  Six people who have to rely on each other for survival....one person could end their lives.  Who can you trust?

Michelle Gagnon writes a science fiction book based on time continuum and parallels, which creates this strange new world readers will find themselves in without feeling lost.  The sense the book evokes is more mystery blended with science fiction, and that is the pairing that makes this book a fast read.  Gagnon's ability to write about six distinct teens creates a diverse canvas where each reader can pick and choose the character they feel are the strongest, and which ones will fall, and ultimately, which one the reader can trust. With such a vibrant background along with the characterization, there is no wonder why this book is a big draw for teen readers.  Recommended 7-12

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