Zap!

November 1, 2017

Gr 5-7-Sixth-grader Luis has an inquisitive mind. He knows that doing well in school might present a way out of his poor neighborhood. Though his parents aren't around much, his older brother Reynaldo looks after him. When the power goes out in his part of the city, Luis strives to be a hero like those found in Greek mythology. As Luis learns just how electricity is generated to power an entire metropolis, he questions the possible causes of the blackout. He and his friend Maura begin to believe that the lights did not go out by a mere accident. When his neighborhood falls into chaos, Luis recognizes that the loss of electricity has far greater repercussions than just not being able to charge his cell phone. Stores close and black markets pop in their place; hospitals run on emergency generators and gas is hard to come by. The police even seem to abandon the city's residents while businesses are looted. The story has all of the heroic elements, including some bad dudes who hunt for Luis at the behest of crooked politicians. The rich STEM themes make this novel noteworthy. The author has done a solid job weaving in science topics as well as current political and social themes, to create a significant story about infrastructure, science, and class relations. VERDICT Mystery lovers will be satisfied by the plot and adults will love the curriculum and social awareness tie-ins.-Patricia Feriano, Montgomery County Public Schools, MD

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2017
It's lights out in Hampton, New Jersey.For 11-year-old Luis Cardenal, the city's power outage means no school and an unwelcome break from his smartphone. But as the people of Hampton grow restless with the ongoing blackout, fantastical rumors of terrorist attacks and false whispers of foreign intervention spread among the adults. Spurred on by a cryptic clue he overhears, as well as the increasing societal collapse of Hampton, Luis starts investigating the mystery behind the blackout, enlisting the expertise of a local, homeless computer whiz. Along for the ride is Luis' "ex-best but still friend," Maura Brown, a white girl who now lives in a much nicer area just outside the city limits. Explicit in her references to racial, gender, and socio-economic divisions prevalent in current U.S. culture, Freeman explores the strained friendship between Luis, a Latino boy who every day gets up "planning to beat the day before it could beat him," and Maura in a heavy-handed, provocative style. At times, Luis' Hampton--a city full of dilapidated houses, crime, fear of deportation and the police--depends on stereotypical, politically charged images that may be altogether too real to some readers. The central mystery, meanwhile, falls flat, with a predictable villain and ending.Light on sleuth action, heavy on the social commentary. (Mystery. 8-12)

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