Worthy teenage action-drama

3.5 stars

Meatspace was brilliant, an on-the-money look at a social-media-obsessed world. Shukla here turns to the YA audience and a selection of other hot topics: gangs, violence, corruption.

Twins Taran and Hari live in a rundown estate, after their Dad's chemo and unfairly rising rents out-price them from a nicer area. They've settled there, made friends. In a THUG-like (Angie Thomas) scenario though, things come crashing down very quickly.

The tragic setup that they film sets up a community-spanning set of events that endangers their group of friends as they try to work out why things are happening and if they can work things out for themselves.

While I liked the overall scenario and aim of the book, I didn't really get a feel for the protagonists, and the key scene that sets off the plot didn't make sense to me - it seemed unrealistic that it would take place as it did (I don't want to specify to avoid spoilers). Characters also seem to recover from the shock/grief of it quite quickly as well, and the character involved, I felt, never got a chance to explain why he let it happen.

It may have detracted from the novel, listening to this on audiobook. I might have felt more flow reading this on paper/e-reader, rather than disjointedly over several days in the car via Audible. I also didn't feel the narrator conveyed the voices I expected in my mind for these young people in this particular setting.

The hidden story (again, no spoilers) was one I wasn't sure teenage readers would care too much about, they are more likely to be interested in the relationship between youth and the police, gangs and related crimes, family and loyalty. I lost interest in listening a few times and had to backtrack.

I'd say this will have an audience. I just don't think I'm 'it'.

With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.

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