Slated by Teri Terry, UK edition cover.

Title: Slated (Slated #1)
Author: Teri Terry
Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult
Publisher:  Orchard (3rd May 2012)
Blurb:

Kyla’s memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.

She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist,
and that they are giving her a second chance –
as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of
the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is
lying to her, and nothing is as it seems.
Who can she trust in her search for the  truth?

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Review:

Slated is the first book in Teri Terry’s Slated series. It tells the story of a girl called Kyla as she struggles to adapt in a world that’s unfamiliar to her.

It was the cover that really drew me to this book. It is very simple and, in my opinion, quite beautiful. I love the way the model’s eyes stare out at you – she has such green eyes!

On the whole I really enjoyed reading this book. Once started I couldn’t put it down – it took me less than a day from start to finish to read it, including breaks to eat and sleep. Kyla is a really interesting character. She wasn’t at all what I was expecting from the blurb and the set-up of the book. Despite what has happened to her, Kyla has a very strong and very definite sense of self which kind of sets her apart from the other Slated in the book. And despite being the narrator, she remains something of an enigma throughout the book. Despite her mysteriousness, I really liked her as a character and enjoyed reading about her. Terry also did a great job with the secondary characters – she created just the right amount of intrigue with Dr Lysander, Mum, and Dad. I also liked the way Terry created suspense in the book by asking questions and leaving so many unanswered.

However, I did find the book somewhat predictable. The predictability wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, I just would have preferred not being able to guess certain outcomes so early on. I also found the ending a little, well, flat. Slated is the first book in a series and well it kinda showed. The book ends with a bit of a cliff-hanger, yet I don’t find myself desperate to get my hands on Fractured. If you like dystopian fiction that’s a little predictable then this may be a book you wish to give a try. When it works, it works well. The world Terry has created is an interesting one, and it is populated by great characters. I just kinda wish more had happened.