Author: Teri Terry
Series: Slated #1
Genres: YA, Dystopia, Science Fiction
Publisher: Orchard Books
Release: 2012
Source: Audiobook
Pages: 439
// Goodreads // BookDepository // Amazon //
BLURB:
Kyla’s memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.
She’s been Slated.
The government claims she was a terrorist and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?
EXPECTATIONS: I think I saw this book in the library first time. Since then I have taken it and given it back without reading at least twice so eventually when I got an audiobook I decided that it is time I finally get to it.
THE WORLD: I would say it is similar to our world and at the same time not exactly. We do have a human society but there is also a much advanced technology present than in our world. Basically if you do something horrible and are underage you are not put in prison but instead your memory is wiped out aka slated. You are giving new identity and a new chance. Basically if you are slated a family will take you in, you will go to school and such as normal but you have this device attached to you that monitors your violence levels. So if you decide to do something violent again it will knock you out. And then eventually when you reach certain age you are asked if you want to go on living without your memories or if you want to know why you were slated. Pretty simple concept I think.
CHARACTERS: Our main character is called Kyla and she has been freshly slated at the beginning of the book. She is placed in a family which already is raising a slated girl and life really goes on without a big changes. However, Kyla has these panic attacks that elevate her levels which dangerous so she is forbidden to do much outside school. Also in school we meet other slated people who eventually start forming a group of course. However, it is not so open as you might thing. The government is kinda wiping out supposed enemies too so what Kyla and her friends do has to be in secret. Okay so let's talk about Kyla's personality. Well not really much to it, she is pretty calm maybe even too calm for this book tbh. As a reader I didn't really have any feelings towards her. I do know who she is but it's a bit so so when I think of her. And then her friends...I am not sure if they are really characters or just props for Kyla. Let's just say that this book was more about the secrets and politics of government than about character development.
ROMANCE: Not really a center of this book. There is attachment and some shocking twists but this book is not about romance. Which of course is very refreshing when it comes to dystopian books, so point there Teri Terry!
GOOD: Even it is so not new I still liked the idea of memory swiping. I think it makes more sense than just to shut people in prison for years.
BAD: It was predictable and not very unique. I mean okay when it comes to dystopian book I guess nothing is really unique anymore but still, it felt like the author wasn't even really trying to do something new. Shame.
OVERALL: It was on a good side of okay I guess. If I read this book back in days when I was reading a lot of dystopian I probably would have loved it. As of today, it was an interesting few hours I spent listening to it but I will not continue with the series.
What do you think about SLATED?
