GUEST REVIEW: Slated by Teri Terry

PAGES: 448
PUBLISHER: Orchard
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

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?

REVIEW

Clever, original, and gripping, Slated had me hooked from page one. Set in a future where criminals and terrorists, instead of being out to death, are ‘slated’. With all their memories gone and personality wiped blank, they can start again, with a clean slate. Kyla is sixteen and she’s been slated. All her memories have been wiped away and she’s been given a second chance. But something’s not right, Kyla is different and when she’s surrounded by lies, how will she find out the truth?

"Don't you ever want to know?"
"What?"
"Why you were Slated."
"No. If the past is unbearable, why choose to bear it?"
I shrug. Because it is mine.

I loved this book. It was engaging, compelling and completely unputdownable. Seriously it was one of those books I’d close to go and have dinner and it’d be constantly on my mind so I’d have to rush my dinner to get back to it, or try to sneakily hide it under the table! The characters and the world were so intense an memorable I just HAD to know what was going to happen next!

The characters were complex and surprising, which is so brilliant because I’m sick to death of predictable characters. Also the main character Kyla is fantastically written, realistic and refreshing she really stayed with me long after I finished the book. Also she’s a nice character, of course she isn’t perfect (I wouldn’t want her to be) but she’s not horribly annoying or selfish.

The story is face paced, not an awful lot of action but written in a way that keeps you gripped. And best of all; a good balance of speech, description and action! Finally!

I would say it was set in a dystopian society, not as extreme as something from The Hunger Games or Matched, but a more subtle cleverly created dystopia. I thought the idea was original and exciting.

I did, however, feel as though not a lot happened in the book, it was like an extremely long, brilliantly written opening few chapters. Overall, I really enjoyed this book! So much potential for the series, I just hope the next book is as good as the first and answers all the questions the first book left me itching to find out!

Definitely recommended as a slightly quieter, more complex and thought provoking dystopian novel than you’re used to!

- Emily.

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