Adam Stone lives in Blackwater, a community that is harsh and demanding. You either endured hours upon hours of hard labor, or rode a ‘Byke’ to make a living. All across the land, there are occasionally Byke races, races that will help you win a one-way ticket to Skybase, a seemingly wonderful land that watches over Blackwater and the rest of the land. Adam enters an annual Blackwater race wanting nothing more than to escape, and win the attention of Sadie Blood. The problem is that he has more to worry about than just making it out alive.
I enjoyed this novel- I really did. As I read, I was consistently paying attention to the characters, who are extremely well thought out. The rigorous and exciting mood in this book was stimulating, along with the author’s use of descriptive words and phrases. This gave me a clear, exciting video of the chapters playing in my head. It’s captivating how authors can write in such a way that you feel for the characters and feel present in scenes along the way.
I really enjoyed how the author practically invented this new world, and made it come alive on the pages of the novel. Not only did he describe the place, he gave it laws, customs, and even some new terms. I loved this book because as you anticipate the next time you will have a chance to read some, you are constantly thinking about what it would be like to live in that particular world, or in a place like it.
Reviewed by Lexi, Grade 6, Tuckahoe Library
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 