Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Scan by Sarah Fine and Walter Jury -- OPTIONAL

Jury, Walter and Sarah Fine Scan (Scan #1), 336 pgs. Putnam Juvenile, 2014. $17.99. Language: R (90+ swears; 22 'f'); Violence: PG-13; Sexual Content: PG-13.

Tate's father is demanding, cold, and tough. He's also an inventor with a dangerous secret. When a shootout at Tate's school results in his father's death, Tate and his girlfriend Christina are forced to go on the run in order to protect the older man's invention: a scanner that can distinguish humans from their nearly-identical alien invaders.

Scan is a fast-paced sci-fi thriller with enough action, suspense, and explosions to keep readers turning the pages. Tate's relationship with his girlfriend is well-developed, and I appreciated their coolness under pressure. While the strong language makes this one optional instead of advisable per Kiss the Book guidelines, in this case the swearing rarely seems gratuitous, considering the extreme situations the characters find themselves in and the many villains they are up against. The multiple unresolved plot threads make it clear that this will be the first of at least two books, if not more.

HS -- OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Caryn

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