Slated by Teri Terry (ARC Review + Giveaway)

Genre:	Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Publication.Date	May 3rd 2012
Pages:	384
Published By:	Orchard Books  |
Website	Teri Terry |
	Slated - Goodreads
My review copy:	ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Where to get:

Kyla’s memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.

She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?(Goodreads)

I am a blank page. An uninteresting one at that.

I slip quiet to the window, pull the curtain. Dawn. Red streaks cross the sky, pockets of pink in wisps of cloud, like corrugated twists of metal, light shining through on grass an wet leaves, a riot of colour. Orange, gold, red, and all in between. Beautiful.

     I loved this book. So. Much. Slated by Teri Terry was nothing short of brilliant, and I am so surprised to see the lack of hype for it. I absolutely loved every page of this novel, and immediately after finishing it, felt the overwhelming need to start all over again, and perhaps go slower this time, savour the strange and terrifying world that Terry has created. It's dark. It chills your blood. Sends a cold shiver down your spine. It gets deep under your skin and makes you think about the issues it spotlights. Everything, from the utmost brilliant and eloquent writing style, to the painfully real characters and the unthinkable situations they're thrown into, is astonishingly good. So good, that you seriously won't be able to put it down, and if you do - you will still be thinking about it. Every. Waking. Hour. 

     I thought the premise of this novel was insane! Imagine living in a world where government controls your every action, every thought. You can't voice your opinion too loud, or you're risking your memory, or possibly even your life. You're constantly monitored, you don't know who to trust, or if you could even trust anyone. Criticising the government is practically a suicide - they're way too powerful, they will smash you like a bug, and no one will know - or care - that you ever existed. You can either follow obediently, look away when seeing someone getting hurt and pretend you don't know/care what's happening, or you can risk getting taken away from your family and friends, slated, erased, or - if you're over a certain age - terminated. Your teachers, classmates, people you pass by on the street, friends, or even your own parents - anyone could report you and have you sent away. How absolutely horrifying! 

     The main character has already been slated. She did something - or so the government claims - that was unacceptable and therefore punishable by having her memory and personality wiped clean. The government wants her to believe that it was all for her own good. They tell her that she should be thankful, after all not everyone gets a second chance. Adopted by a new family, Kayla is about to start a new life, and she only gets one shot at it. But the past has a way of catching up with us, whether we remember it or not. And Kayla is no regular girl. Somehow she senses that there is way more to the story than what people are telling her, that she's being deceived and lied to. The ghosts of her past keep crawling out of the cracks in her memory, and she realizes that she can't go on pretending to live a happy life. She needs to find the truth. 

     Extremely compelling writing, unique plot line and world creation, characters that you'll feel and root for, and gut wrenching tension that never lets up - all that (and more) makes this book a furiously excellent read, and one that you really (and I mean REALLY) can't afford to miss. I devoured this book in one afternoon and didn't pause once to take a break. It's the kind of read that makes you bite your nails, shift uncomfortably and look around suspiciously. Yes, it's THAT good! I did have a few moments when I found myself wishing for more background details, but then I realized, that is all yet to come. We didn't have an evil villain to conveniently explain all the inner workings of the wicked master plan. The government didn't bother explaining anything, and they didn't have to - they were the ones in charge, and people in charge don't need to brag about their power and influence (and that makes them really scary). What we were left with was a bunch of slated kids who had no idea whatsover who they were or what they've done to deserve what happened to them, let alone trying to figure out all the political and social structures, with the justice system on top. The vagueness and elusiveness of it all was what really elevated this book, making it even more intriguing. I loved how mysterious and secretive it all was, how everyone seemed to know more than they let on, but no one dared to speak up and do something about it. I was really captivated by how the story unfolded, and found myself connecting to the characters. And let me just tell you, the characters were awesome. Complex, three-dimensional, and so easy to relate to! Teri Terry did a wonderful job fleshing them out. 

     I could go on and on raving about this book, but every second you spend reading my review is a second you could be spending reading the book itself, and that, my dear friend, is exactly what you should be doing right now. It's a crowd-pleaser. Do not miss it.

(in all honesty, I would give it 10 stars without even blinking!)

❤ ❤ ❤GIVEAWAY❤ ❤ ❤ 

I'm giving away my lightly read ARC of Slated (a great book like that deserves to be shared)!

Enter through Rafflecopter below!

Open to: INTERNATIONAL

Ends: May 22nd
(ENTER AFTER THE PAGE BRAKE -> click: read more!) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.

She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and  chatting with fellow book-worms.

You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing