March 15, 2014
It's a grave new world when the revolution a reluctant hero inspired could mean the death of everyone he tried to save, including himself. In this sequel to Proxy (2013), radical groups form in the wake of the Jubilee. The Reconciliation staunchly endorses tech-free purity, while Machinists demand a renaissance of the networks. Reluctant 16-year-old hero Syd is paraded as a political puppet, labeled a savior by supporters and marked a target by the opposition. His importance as a mascot for the Reconciliation necessitates a bodyguard, 17-year-old Liam. Liam is strong (he has a killer metal hand), silent (too shy for vocal eloquence) and will do anything to remain near Syd for reasons other than professional integrity. Amid political upheaval, an illness begins to spread, rendering victims' blue blood black and diminishing their mental faculties. Syd has been a hesitant political figure but knows he is the only hope for ending the illness. Proxy should be read first to fully comprehend this sequel's complex conflict and characters. Though Book 1 established Syd's homosexuality, he experienced only unrequited crushes. Here, Liam's affection for Syd and Syd's reluctance to perpetuate emotional attachment ("everyone I ever cared about has died") is more foreground than back story. Don't assume for a second that romance takes away from the volatile action and high-stakes tension. Corrupt powers, budding romance, an epidemic and grisly action synthesize to sate sci-fi fans. (Science fiction. 12 & up)
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April 1, 2014
Gr 8 Up-London creates an intricately high tech world in which the heroes find themselves on an action-packed quest to save humanity from a zombielike illness and thoroughly corrupt government. After the Jubilee and change in governments, Syd reluctantly finds himself the icon of the Reconciliation with a lovelorn bodyguard, Liam. Syd and Liam race against time and villains, all the while falling in love. This dystopian Detroit has the usual trappings of science fiction-hovercrafts, new ecosystems, gadgets-and the ideals of growing one's own food, communal property, equality, and the evil of debt. Much like Mao's Great Leap Forward (complete with a bedridden gangster leader and illegal "covetous" thoughts), people suffer while the government knowingly feeds off their misery. The message lacks subtlety: absolute power corrupts absolutely. This maxim is illustrated by the Council wittingly allowing people to die of the zombielike illness because the cure requires the rebuilding of the machine that once held them captive to corporations. The Council will destroy themselves if need be; they refuse to return to the old ways. Yet Syd and Liam are willing to fight to the death. Regrettably, Syd seems to have lost some of his moxy, and both characters are fairly two-dimensional, but Proxy (Philomel, 2012) fans will be satisfied with the constant action and the conclusion to Syd's story.-Laura Falli, McNeil High School, Austin, TX
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2014
Former Proxy Syd is now the figurehead of the Rebooter revolution, protected from Machinists by fellow Rebooter Liam. When a strange, violent virus starts killing people, Syd decides it's up to him to find a cure. In making Syd and Liam foils for each other, London once again demonstrates the similarities among people in this action-packed thriller.
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)