Review - Slated

Slated by Teri Terry

 “Can you know the truth if your mind has been wiped?”

Slated by Teri Terry

The whole concept of Slated piqued my curiosity immediately. It’s a thrilling dystopia, set in mid-21^st century London. The UK has withdrawn from the EU and has been ruled by a Central Coalition for a while. After youths were blamed for mob riots in London, anyone under 21 is banned from using a mobile phone and Lorders from the Central Coalition hunt down gangs and terrorists (set so far into the future, I admit I was surprised that netbooks and mobile phones were still around!). So, anyone who is caught and under-16 gets......slated (they undergo brain surgery that wipes their memory completely).

Sixteen year old Kyla tells us her story. She has been slated and has just been released back into society from a secure hospital – but only after she signs a contract. But her narration is interspersed with her dreams. Are these flashbacks of memory? Or just dreams? 

Either way, because of a Levo that is strapped around her wrist to keep her emotion levels on ‘happy’, these dreams could kill her.  If her happy levels get too low or too high, she’ll be zapped! Now just imagine being a teenager in a new school where everyone thinks you’re an ex-con and security police are watching your every move. Imagine keeping your emotions level when you don't know who or what anyone is! Then you'll have put yourself in Kyla's shoes.

I really felt for Kyla.  She often didn’t know which way to turn and being slated and having a Levo presented all sorts of possibilities for plot and character development.  And her character certainly develops very quickly. Kyla is strong but it takes her a while to realise this. I go on and on about strong female characters, and yes, I have found one in Kyla! Ben, Kyla’s mum and Dr Lysander are also interesting secondary characters.  Ben is lovely....so is Sebastian.

The story is good and strong. You’ll want to read it in a single sitting. 

But...

...this book has been written as part of a trilogy. So there's a cliffhanger with many dangling threads. That is perhaps my only complaint – but it is quite a big one. And it really grieves me! Some endings are unsatisfying but this one is annoying as too many threads are left untied. Aarggh. It didn’t need to do that. 

Despite my big grumble, I would highly recommend this novel. It's action-packed and thought provoking too. Slower-paced and with less graphic violence than Veronica Roth's Divergent trilogy, it’s nevertheless a real page-turner – and I preferred it! I was hoping Slated would be good, but I thought it was very, very good. We'll be keeping our copy for our bookshelves!

I think it will appeal to - and is suitable for - all teen readers (and older!). There is only minimal violence and only an itsy bit of the obligatory teen romance.

Slated will be published tomorrow, 3 May 2012.

Publication details:

Orchard, 3 May 2012, London, paperback

Copy: Review copy sent by Orchard.