Crystal Force by Joe Ducie (Hot Key Books 2015)
PB RRP $16.95
ISBN: 9781471404559
PB RRP $16.95
ISBN: 9781471404559
Reviewed by Jade Harmer
Buckle
up science fiction fans. British-born Perth author Joe Ducie, joint-winner of
the Guardian and Hot Key Books Young Writer’s Prize for his debut novel, The
Rig, is back with Crystal Force, an action-packed sequel. And
you’re in for a roller coaster ride.
Crystal Force is predominately
set on the East Coast of North America in the not too distant future, just two
weeks after the events in The Rig.
With
all the makings of a dark, apocalyptic tale, Crystal Force is
balanced by Ducie’s charming teen protagonist, William Drake, and the
development of his relationships with his sidekicks from The Rig through which
Ducie introduces themes of self-esteem, identity, belonging and love. Will,
Irene and Tristan may have escaped the world’s most secure juvenile detention
facility, but Will’s exposure to the potentially deadly Crystal X and his
resultant super powers see him on the run, struggling to distinguish friend
from foe and battling to maintain his sanity.
Despite
the Crystal X running through Will’s veins, his radical physical
transformation, and the sheer unpredictability of his raw power, the fifteen
and a half year old still remains the type of guy you want by your side.
Fiercely
loyal, protective and instinctive, and with a healthy sense of humour and a voracious
mutant teenage appetite, Will is driven by the desire to cure his mother of the
cancer she suffers at the hands of the Alliance – global controller of all
things from communication to medication.
Ducie’s
background in security and intelligence adds credibility to his depiction of
the global net of control cast by the powerful and ruthless Alliance.
Will
and his friends share a volatile journey during which they meet potential
allies, encounter an all too familiar nemesis and stand alongside enemies for
the sake of human civilisation as we know it.
In
an ever-changing battle field, Ducie draws contrasts between young and old,
light and dark, sanity and madness, good and evil, love and hate, and,
ultimately, life and death.
And
when Will follows his instincts into uncharted territory, Ducie leaves friends,
allies, enemies and readers alike to deliberate the consequences, and
contemplate the future.
Recommended
reading for thrill seekers and sci-fi fans aged 12 years and upwards.
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