Book Review: Slated

SLATED by Teri Terry

4 Stars
Verdict: Like Delirium, but erasing memory instead of love.

Just like every young offender, Kyla has been stripped of her memories for a second chance at life. With her old life forgotten, she must relearn the world around her and of course stay happy, happy, happy, or the device on her arm will render her unconscious. This is her last chance to prove to everyone that she can be a trusted member of society, after all.

This story is mostly made up of school, family, teachers, and long distance running. In that way, it reminded me of Delirium. I know it’s YA, but I’ve always preferred a little less normality than the daily routine can provide. I find this meant there were a lot of characters and mundane repetitive scenes (hospital, class, bedroom, running, group - repeat), and generally not a lot to get excited about.

Despite that, I found myself enjoying it. I think that’s thanks to the mystery of who was Kyla before she was wiped, and who can she trust? The setting mirrors the present but with a few things askew, enough to keep me wondering what’s not right.

What I enjoyed the most is that nobody acted the way I thought they would. Who’s on Kyla's side, who’s against her? That’s what kept my eyes pinned to the book through what could have been repetitive. The scene might be repetitive but they change with a shift in trust. I honestly think my opinion on every single chapter flipped at least once.

It also asks interesting and complicated questions. If someone said you committed a terrible crime, would you want know what you did? And if you have no memory of it, is it still you who did it? I almost think the integrity of these questions is loosened as soon as characters were taken away for what I'll dub 'dystopian reasons', although I still really like the concept.

I also appreciate the fact it’s set in England, with sixth form and tutor groups. I’ve read so many American books that I sometimes end up calling sixth form high school. So I'm raising my tea cup for an English spin on a light dystopian.

Source: Bought it!

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