Blogger's Note: This is a guest review from my BFF Leslie Rush, who is an avid YA reader, high school teacher, author wannabe (like me) and the world's best cheerleader--she keeps me writing.
The Bar Code Prophecy (book 3)
Suzanne Weyn
Scholastic Press
November 2012
208 pages
Available November 1, 2012
If you've ever wondered about those bar codes, those rewards cards, internet cookies that track what you buy, where you travel, what you search--if you've ever felt uneasy about the possible misuses of DNA technology, if you distrust large corporations, and the upcoming Dec 21, 2012 makes you nervous--then this is the book for you.
In the year 2026, everyone gets a bar code tattoo when they turn 17. No need for an ID at work, a driver's licence, bank cards and credit cards or having to remember your own phone number; all of your most-used info is conveniently stored, scanned and retrieved whenever you need it.
It's not just convenient--- it's the law. Grace Morrow is turning 17 in a few days and is looking forward to this rite of passage. All of the rumors, all of the whispers about the bar code tattoos don't bother her--she works for Global 1, the company that engineered and maintains the database, as does her loving father. The scandal involving the unauthorized use of DNA information? Grace knows that was just one rogue division of the huge, multinational I.T. corporation, and besides, all of that has been halted, and there's nothing to worry about any more.
Grace can't wait to start the new school year as captain of the gymnastics team, and she's started learning the rigors of rock climbing. The fact that her crush, Eric, is the instructor, well, that just makes for greater motivation, right? Eric, a Native American, is really cute and a world-class rock climber. He tells her she shouldn't get the tattoo, and he seems to know an awful lot about the anti-Global 1/anti-bar code radicals that make the news now and then. But more important, he seems as interested in her as she is in him.
Grace's almost-perfect world comes crashing down around her when she ignores Eric's warning, and gets her tattoo. Her family disappears without a trace and Grace finds herself on the run from both the police and Global 1's elite security force. Her only refuge is Eric and his revolutionary friends who live off the grid.
She finds herself caught in a web of techno-conspiracy and an ancient Hopi Indian prophecy--a prophecy that seems to center around Grace and Eric! That prophecy takes them deep into the sacred lands of the American Southwest, in a race against time, facing danger from every agency on earth, and a looming menace from space, as well.
Fast-paced, this is a quick read full of action and adventure. This third entry in the Bar Code series stands on its own. It will please Weyn's fans and gain her some new ones. Teens may read this book without having read the first two, but why not start off with book one? The series is a delight for dystopian fans.
Recommended for grade 7 and up. Light romance, no sex or offensive language. PG-movie violence.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.
Whoa. Did not expect the Native American Twist. There is another book like this I think... It has a picture of a girl with a bar code on her. This is actually a concept that is perfect for this time since dystopians are so popular.
ReplyDeleteReally? PG? I guess it's very clean but you usually suspect SOMETHING with a YA book not that I'm complaining. Nice review (:
She’s Got Books on Her Mind
Thanks! Leslie did a great job on this one. I want to read the entire series!
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