Teen, Inc.

Starred review from December 1, 2007
Gr 7-10-When he was a baby, Jaiden Beale's parents died in an explosion caused by faulty equipment, and as a result of a wrongful-death suit, he is being raised by the corporation responsible for the accident. The corporate world's answer to child rearing makes for some hilarious antics. The classic scene is the PowerPoint presentation addressing the now-14-year-old's social development and presenting the dossiers of several young women from school with whom he should consider "interfacing." To add to the drama, it is revealed that the company is knowingly contaminating the local water supply with mercury, and the father of the girl he likes is leading the protest against it. After coming into contact with the contaminated water and becoming infected, Jaiden and his two friends are determined to expose NECorp, which almost costs them their lives. Teen, Inc. has a dynamic main character with an authentic voice. It's a page-turning adventure that sheds light on ethical dilemmas and matters of character and trust. This fresh take is to the corporate world what Gordon Korman's "Son of the Mob" (Hyperion, 2002) is to organized crime: humorous and poignant, drawing in readers, reluctant or otherwise."Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2007
Jaiden Beale was adopted as a baby?not by a couple or a single parent, but by a megacorporation. Now he's 14, fantasizing about living a normal life instead of sleeping in a high-rise office building, taking all his meals in the company canteen, and being ?managed? instead of parented. To complicate matters, he has a crush on a student at the public school that he finally talked his handlers into allowing him to attend, and his best friend is a geek who hasn?t a clue about Jaiden's home life. Then he stumbles on the corporation's secret?rampant mercury pollution. Petrucha kicks the action into high gear that matches the heady economics and social engineering premises, as Jaiden and his young friend take on the corporate giant. Witty and provocative without being preachy, thisnovel has both daring characters and a heady plot.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)