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Troy, Femi, Lee, Karen and Blaze have been taking Concentr8 as long as they can remember. They're not exactly a gang, but Blaze is their leader, and Troy has always been his quiet, watchful sidekick – the only one Blaze really trusts. They're not looking for trouble, but one hot summer day, when riots break out across the city, they find it.
What makes five kids pick a man seemingly at random – a nobody, he works in the housing department, doesn't even have a good phone – hold a knife to his side, take him to a warehouse and chain him to a radiator? They've got a hostage, but don't really know what they want, or why they've done it. And across the course of five tense days, with a journalist, a floppy-haired mayor, a police negotiator, and the sinister face of the pharmaceutical industry, they – and we – begin to understand why ...
This is a book about what how we label children. It's about how kids get lost and failed by the system. It's about how politicians manipulate them. Gripping and controversial reading for fans of Malorie Blackman and Patrick Ness.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
August 27, 2015 -
Formats
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781408866252
- File size: 801 KB
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781408866252
- File size: 811 KB
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- ATOS Level: 6.1
- Interest Level: 6-12(MG+)
- Text Difficulty: 4-5
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Reviews
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November 9, 2015
In a story set in a fictionalized contemporary London, Sutcliffe (The Wall) blends scathing political commentary with Jonathan Swift's sarcasm and Lord of the Fliesâesque anarchy. On the heels of rioting in London due to the sudden scarcity of Concentr8, a state-prescribed medication for controlling hyperactivity, six teens take a hostage from the city housing department. Over the course of five days of introspection and interplay, these young people from London's projects come to a betterâand horrifyingâunderstanding of exactly how the political machine and society operate. With a writing style that is both entertaining and stark, Sutcliffe uses broad, vivid strokes to highlight societal injustice while filling in details that focus on the interconnectedness of friendship and the dangers of unquestioningly following a single leader. The varied perspectives of several narrators offer nuanced insight and a sobering glimpse at a population oppressed politically, socially, and in spirit. Ages 14âup. Agent: Felicity Rubinstein, Lutyens & Rubinstein.
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