A Review of Slated by Teri Terry

Today I am here with a review of Slated by Teri Terry - spoiler free.

Title: Slated
Author: Teri Terry
Publisher: Orchard Books
Published: 2012
Pages: 439


Book blurb:

"Kyla's memory has been erased, her personality wiped blank, her memories lost forever.

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?"



Review:

This is a dystopian novel set in 2054. The novel takes place mainly in the countryside outside of London. Kyla, the protagonist of the story has been slated; her memories and personality have all been wiped clean. Those who have been slated are believed to be criminals and terrorists, and all are under the age of sixteen. Lorders rule with an iron fist while the terrorists aim to gain control with violence. As the story progresses, Kyla begins to slowly understand that things are not what they seem and that she happens to be different to other slaters.

I found the characters in the story extremely interesting. At the beginning of the novel the characters appeared to be simple and two dimensional - those that were kind to Kyla and those who were not. However, as the novel progress the characters became far more complex and I realised, along with Kyla, that everyone was not who they first appeared to be. 

My one problem with this book, and it is a small problem, was the insta-love between Ben and Kyla. In 439 pages only an extremely small amount of time passes, around a month. From the moment he sees her Ben appears to be drawn towards Kyla and of course Kyla too begins to fall for Ben. Although this instant chemistry is highly unlikely (call me cynical) it did not over power the story as many young adult romances do. The focus of the story was not totally on the romance between the main characters but more so Kyla's discoveries. Kyla does not become a "Bella" (think New Moon and Bella pinning over Edward - pathetic). Her relationship with Ben does not cloud her judgement and have her running wholly into danger (well, not all the time anyway). 

Kyla is likable because she is realistic; she does not jump into danger head first to become the hero which I find to be far more realistic. She is also not completely pathetic; she is able to protect herself in the face of danger, and others, including men. Finally, a female character who is not, either, a damsel-in-distress or the perfect warrior woman who runs head first into danger because of a man (and yes I am talking about Caelena from The Throne of Glass). 

The ending of the novel was fantastic and came as a complete shock to me. I will most definitely be picking up Fractured, the second book in the series. 

Rating: 5 stars