A review of Slated by Teri Terry

by Teri Terry

I have been sitting on this review for a while and today seems an opportune moment to post it. Why? Well, tomorrow, 3rd May, Slated by Teri Terry is launched. Slated  is Teri's debut novel and is the first of her trilogy. It is published by Orchard Books and available at all good book stores near you.

Teri Terry is a friend who I initially met at the LBF through SCBWIs and because of this I have seen Slated in various guises and am delighted that it is finally being published. I boldly told Teri I would love to do a review of Slated but then the panic struck. Firstly, I am not particularly keen on dystopian fiction and secondly, as I said Teri is a friend, what if I hate it? I needn't of worried at all, it was a good read!

Slated is the story of sixteen-year-old Kyla who has been 'slated'. A brilliant idea which means that all of her past memories have been erased. Everything about her is now blank and she has to rebuild herself. She has been given a new name, a new date of birth and even new parents. This was done to her because the government claimed that she had been a terrorist. They told her she was being given a second chance. But have they truly wiped her memories...

It is a thrilling story right from the beginning, which is a good combination of romance and mystery. It is an intelligent narrative that asks some challenging questions of the reader and society. The story is credible. This for me, as I dislike dystopian fiction, was an important factor. I needed to be able to believe in the narrative. It is set in the future but not so far that it is impossible to imagine. Several reviewers are comparing it to Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games, I can see why.The characters were all strong and well rounded, making it easy to engage with them. I suppose the only part I found slightly dissatisfying was the number of story lines that were left hanging in anticipation of the next story, but it helps maintain a sense of tension throughout and shouldn't really be seen as a negative. I hope they publish the next one soon!

This is only a brief review as the full review will appear in the November edition of Write4Children.


Teri Terry also writes for various blogs. Check them out at: http://notesfromtheslushpile.blogspot.co.uk/
and http://dementionblog.blogspot.co.uk/?spref=fb

Congratulations and good luck Teri!

Here we have Barbara Streisand singing 'Windmills of your mind' in honour of having your mind Slated...