I listened to the unabridged audiobook editions of Sylo (10 hr, 42 min) and Storm (12 hr, 12 min), both published by Penguin Audio and read by Andrew Bates. I can't wait to see how Tucker's story is going to end. Like Tucker Pierce and his friends, you'll find it difficult to decide whom to trust, and you'll second-guess yourself with each new bit of knowledge. MacHale has created an exciting, sometimes-scary, heart-pumping story with complex, believable characters surprising twists and plenty of puzzles. The audience is clearly middle grade readers, but the themes and situations are sophisticated and muli-layered. Although Tucker is at the center of the books (and tells the story), there are tough, smart girls in the group, and the adventure should appeal to both boys and girls. Sylo and Storm both earned starred reviews from Kirkus and were recommended by EW, Publisher's Weekly, and the School Library Journal. It's hard to tell, and that is one of the major problems Tucker and his friends must solve. I love that there are several factions and groups, and it's not at all clear which one is made up of the good guys. It's a dangerous world out there, and people (teens and adults) can get hurt and can die. They don't always like each other, don't always make the right decisions, and are not invincible. The teens have distinct personalities with unique upbringings and family situations. Besides the general adventure and the inventive technology in the books, it was MacHale's characters that drew me in. Instead, Sylo and Storm offer an action-packed look at a different kind of America. government has high-tech weapons and vehicles and some scary drugs, but the books are not sci-fi. The trilogy is not dystopian it's alternate history. Tucker is not Ellie, but he and his friends keep a cool head and manage to find a way to stay alive, even as others die and they find themselves separated (for various reasons) from their parents. Did you like the Tomorrow series by John Marsden? You can think of the Sylo Chronicles as being in the same vein but geared to a slightly younger audience.
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