SYLO

June 10, 2013
MacHale (the Pendragon books) shifts into thriller mode as he launches a trilogy with an entertaining and creepy tale of teens forced into a dire situation. Tucker is a high school freshman on Pemberwick Island, Maine, content to be a benchwarmer on the varsity football team. After the star tailback drops dead during a game, Tucker and his best friend Quinn go for a therapeutic bike ride at night and spy a mysterious aircraft. Soon after, more people start dying, and the island is quarantined and placed under protection of the SYLO agency. The introduction of a drug called the Ruby increases the threat, as humans and animals alike become strong and fast under its influence, but risk overdosing. As deaths continue to mount, Quinn, Tucker, and a girl named Tori become suspicious of their own families, as well as the government. MacHale throws a lot of action and a touch of romance into his conspiracy-laden plot, but fans of similar series (Michael Grant’s Gone books, for example) should have no problem keeping up. Ages 10–up. Agent: Richard Curtis, Richard Curtis Associates.

Living on peaceful Pemberwick Island, Maine, Tucker Pierce used to worry about football and girls. Now there's a lot more to worry about as government SYLO soldiers quarantine the island and establish martial law, ostensibly to prevent a virus from spreading. Narrator Andrew Bates uses a conversational style to convincingly portray Tucker's high school angst. Once the soldiers arrive, Bates's narration reflects the book's nonstop action without seeming rushed. As Tucker and his friends struggle to discover the government's real motives, Bates reveals their confusion and fear with character voices that are unique and believable. Brisk pacing and a confident narration ensure that listeners will race through MacHale's series opener. C.A. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine