March 15, 2014
A girl with many names adds even more in this final book in the Slated trilogy, set in a dystopian future England controlled by the Law and Order Party. Kyla, known as Lucy in her previous, pre-Slating life and Rain in her brief career with the Antigovernment Terrorists, is on the run from the "Lorders" with help from the rebel group Missing In Action and a new look courtesy of Image Enhancement Technology. Kyla returns to the place where she started out as Lucy, now using the name Riley. She is assigned to the Waterfall House for Girls, which is coincidentally run by her previous mother, Stella. Anyone unfamiliar with the first two books will be utterly at sea, and even those who have read them may want to dip into them as a refresher before tackling this conclusion. The AGT are now the bad guys along with the Lorders. Riley/Kyla/Rain/Lucy must develop strong friends and allies to survive, as well as to make sense of her slowly returning knowledge of the past. Somewhat convoluted and improbable events bring the series to a conclusion with a suitably optimistic tone. A sense of impending doom often fails to deliver, and the obligatory romantic triangle falls as flat as the premise. Though this series started strong, it ends with a whimper. (Dystopian romance. 12-18)
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April 1, 2014
Gr 7 Up-While this exciting final book in the "Slated" trilogy starts off with more questions than answers, the ending provides some satisfying resolutions to both character development and the mysteries that infuse the previous installments. Kyla (aka Lucy, aka Rain), is on the run after a terrorist (or freedom-fighter) attack on her life. She's changed her look and her name again (now she wants to be known as Riley) as she makes her way back to her mother, the same woman who ended up in the hands of antigovernment activists. Riley thinks she'll finally get some answers. A trip to her childhood home helps recover more of the memories that had been Slated away. Riley starts asking more questions about her birth, how she ended up in dangerous company, and why she was placed in the home of a high-ranking government official after Slating. The story is gripping and suspenseful, and the final revelations are a bit deus ex machina but rewarding nonetheless. Readers who have enjoyed the first two installments will not be disappointed by the dramatic conclusion.-Kyle Lukoff, Corlears School, New York City
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 15, 2014
Grades 8-11 Terry's dystopian trilogy comes to a close, after Fractured (2013), with lots of adrenalin-inducing action, thought-provoking situations, and questions finally answered. Kylanow hiding behind the assumed name Rileytries to move past being slated and into adulthood in the very same village where she was kidnapped at age 10. Kyla uncovers family secrets, faces danger with old friends and new, and deals with recovering her memories and her maturing sense of purpose. Terry's writing is as tight, compelling, and descriptive as ever, and with pivotal plot points from earlier installments neatly folded into this conclusion, new readers won't have to start at the beginning.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2014
In the final volume of the trilogy, Kyla is on the run from both the violent anti-government group she belonged to and from the government. To uncover her identity, she has to take down both groups. Kyla's emotional struggle and clear voice ground the action and adventure as all the different threads come together in a tense climax.
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)