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Electric Life
Alara’s incredible gaming skills bring her to the attention of Estrella’s leaders. She is chosen to go on a dangerous mission to London Under, the original older, long-deserted and distrusted city on top of which Estrella (the Star city) was built, to gather ‘vital’ intelligence.
Estrella is the perfect society, an immaculate, sanitised, connected environment where everything is channelled through the digital medium. There is no dirt, no pain, no disease, no natural world, even feelings like boredom are frowned upon and discouraged.
Alara is dropped down to London Under and into a “new” world which bewilders her and disorientates her. How will she survive in a society where noise dirt and sometimes pain are everyday experiences and where food is not synthetic and tastes real?
Will she accomplish her mission? Who can she trust? How will she get back to Estrella and her family and her life without worry?
Estrella is the perfect society, an immaculate, sanitised, connected environment where everything is channelled through the digital medium. There is no dirt, no pain, no disease, no natural world, even feelings like boredom are frowned upon and discouraged.
Alara is dropped down to London Under and into a “new” world which bewilders her and disorientates her. How will she survive in a society where noise dirt and sometimes pain are everyday experiences and where food is not synthetic and tastes real?
Will she accomplish her mission? Who can she trust? How will she get back to Estrella and her family and her life without worry?
337 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2024
16 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Delahaye
35 books16 followersRachel Delahaye writes children's fiction. Her teen sci-fi, Electric Life was longlisted for the 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing, and her upper middle-grade eco thriller Day of the Whale was nominated for the 2023 Yoto Carnegie.
Her catalogue includes a middle-grade series called Mort the Meek - a dark and gruesome comedy, described as 'Pratchetesque' by The Guardian, an animal adventure series published by Little Tiger, and a three-book comedy series, Jim Reaper, published with Piccadilly Press.
There are more middle grade and teen projects on the horizon. Rachel also writes fiction and poetry for accelerated reading schemes and Level Readers to help children gain reading confidence.
Her catalogue includes a middle-grade series called Mort the Meek - a dark and gruesome comedy, described as 'Pratchetesque' by The Guardian, an animal adventure series published by Little Tiger, and a three-book comedy series, Jim Reaper, published with Piccadilly Press.
There are more middle grade and teen projects on the horizon. Rachel also writes fiction and poetry for accelerated reading schemes and Level Readers to help children gain reading confidence.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 1, 2024
I have just finished Electric Life in no time at all. I ‘one-more-chaptered’ myself from the halfway point to the end last night: I was so caught up in the world and so keen to see how things would pan out for Alara. A fantastic read for Year 7 and up (11+).
Estrella, or London Star, as it is commonly called by its population is a hyper-technological society built on the ruins of London as we know it. A compact city of high rises built in a star-shaped pattern, Estrella’s most influential residents live highest up in lofty penthouses with the trappings of luxury all around them. In London Star, your address reflects your position on society’s ladder.
Pacy, tense and full of twists and turns, this is a gripping read which takes place in a world that is shaped in such minute, carefully-crafted detail that the reader is transported there and then, with barely a moment to reflect on how lucky we are to be there, we are dropped into the Below.
Our protagonist, Alara, is one of the only inhabitants of Estrella who could tell a story like this; everyone else is too occupied, too satisfied with their lives and too happy being micro-managed by the nanniest of all states. Alara is different: she finds the ease of life in Estrella jarring. She is cynical about the social order and feels hemmed in by the self-surveillance of her fellow citizens. Funnily enough, it is precisely these qualities that make Alara useful to the authorities- they need someone with an edge; someone who can take on a dangerous mission to secure the future of the city. In the murky and mysterious London Under, Alara learns about her past, present and future but can she reach her objectives in time and make it back to the safety and ease of her life in Estrella?
Estrella, or London Star, as it is commonly called by its population is a hyper-technological society built on the ruins of London as we know it. A compact city of high rises built in a star-shaped pattern, Estrella’s most influential residents live highest up in lofty penthouses with the trappings of luxury all around them. In London Star, your address reflects your position on society’s ladder.
Pacy, tense and full of twists and turns, this is a gripping read which takes place in a world that is shaped in such minute, carefully-crafted detail that the reader is transported there and then, with barely a moment to reflect on how lucky we are to be there, we are dropped into the Below.
Our protagonist, Alara, is one of the only inhabitants of Estrella who could tell a story like this; everyone else is too occupied, too satisfied with their lives and too happy being micro-managed by the nanniest of all states. Alara is different: she finds the ease of life in Estrella jarring. She is cynical about the social order and feels hemmed in by the self-surveillance of her fellow citizens. Funnily enough, it is precisely these qualities that make Alara useful to the authorities- they need someone with an edge; someone who can take on a dangerous mission to secure the future of the city. In the murky and mysterious London Under, Alara learns about her past, present and future but can she reach her objectives in time and make it back to the safety and ease of her life in Estrella?
July 3, 2024
Alara's life is rigidly controlled, her emotions dulled and she experiences no pain. After a gaming tournament sees her disqualified, she finds herself given a mission - infiltrate the world hidden below her glowing city and report back. But what happens when she finds herself falling in love with the community and people she finds there?
This started off with a bit of a Ready Player One, Ender's Game vibe but really found it's feet when Alara travelled to the world of London Below. I really started enjoying the story and the characters from this point, and shared Alara's excitement for all the new experiences and food she tried. The sense of community was really strong.
While the worlds of Estrella and London Below were well described, I did feel that I needed a little more world building, and combined with the ending that left me wanting more, I really feel this story needs a sequel to flesh out the world further and continue Alara's story. But this is a positive note - I really enjoyed this story and the characters and I want to spend more time there.
This started off with a bit of a Ready Player One, Ender's Game vibe but really found it's feet when Alara travelled to the world of London Below. I really started enjoying the story and the characters from this point, and shared Alara's excitement for all the new experiences and food she tried. The sense of community was really strong.
While the worlds of Estrella and London Below were well described, I did feel that I needed a little more world building, and combined with the ending that left me wanting more, I really feel this story needs a sequel to flesh out the world further and continue Alara's story. But this is a positive note - I really enjoyed this story and the characters and I want to spend more time there.
May 18, 2024
this was so foul ew ew ew
I literally skimmed it all it was so yuck
I literally skimmed it all it was so yuck
December 30, 2025
Not for me. Couldn't finish it.
February 1, 2024
This was a thrilling ride from start to finish. Alara’s quest to move her family's status up in the city of Estrella ultimately leads her down to the hidden world below where she only has a few days to complete her mission and help end the threat to her safe, technologically sophisticated way of life. But the answers she finds there turn her view of her world upside down and ultimately, she has to choose – up, or down? Her new life or her old? This is a must-read for fans of dystopian YA and a great addition to every secondary school library.
February 9, 2025
I quite enjoyed this book, despite it being a genre i'm not really interested in (My mum requested me to read it for the Carnegie awards, if you're wondering why this isn't heart stopper...). It was quite eye opening to be honest, teaches you how to have more respect for nature and how a world free from flaws isn't really what we want. Pain, which is mentioned a LOT, is shown as an indication that you are alive and free, its not a setback as such... Loved the twist even though I kind of predicted it. It also ends nicely because it could be the end of the book but there is also indications of a stage being set for a continuation... I would read if so, I think everyone should!
May 16, 2024
This is so clever and drew me in completely. I'm hoping there is a sequel.
September 11, 2023
Utopic dystopia experience with something to say to a YA audience.
With shades of Ready Player One (the plugged-in future), a gleaming and controlled environment, genetically-created food, Estrella is a Utopic vision of a near-future London where most are happy, fulfilled and busy. Alara though is frustrated and bored (not that she can express this or it would be picked up instantly), and puts her energy into gaming in high-stakes tournaments to feel alive.
Alara's life is safe. Never cold, never hungry, never allowed to feel pain, monitored for good health constantly: protected. But she isn't happy. Offered a mission based on her physical abilities and gaming skills, Alara must decide if she is willing to risk everything by journeying into the unknown - old London isn't meant to exist. But it does, and Alara needs to find out if the residents, unwilling to live as Alara does, are taking action to destabilise her society. Is she ready to face a world with cold, hunger, pain and even emotion?
There were some very interesting points raised here. I found Alara's friend, hooked on a digital world, very sad to see. The society monitoring you constantly through other people very unsettling, a brighter, whiter 1984. The differences between the two societies are stark, one appears to be Utopic - but is it really the other? A nostalgia for the past and a chaotic but freer world seems to be present throughout.
It's a good 'running out of time' quest, with romance, danger, friendship and subterfuge all present. There are some great visual scenes that I'm sure will end up convincing well on a screen some time soon, and Estrella is aching for a filmed version to be made. I loved the details the author includes - Alara's mum involved in concocting foods with convincing smells, the unique class system denoting your high-rise living space, the games Alara's little brother plays. It was a convincing if terrifying vision of a future world.
Exciting and fast-moving, very enjoyable read.
With shades of Ready Player One (the plugged-in future), a gleaming and controlled environment, genetically-created food, Estrella is a Utopic vision of a near-future London where most are happy, fulfilled and busy. Alara though is frustrated and bored (not that she can express this or it would be picked up instantly), and puts her energy into gaming in high-stakes tournaments to feel alive.
Alara's life is safe. Never cold, never hungry, never allowed to feel pain, monitored for good health constantly: protected. But she isn't happy. Offered a mission based on her physical abilities and gaming skills, Alara must decide if she is willing to risk everything by journeying into the unknown - old London isn't meant to exist. But it does, and Alara needs to find out if the residents, unwilling to live as Alara does, are taking action to destabilise her society. Is she ready to face a world with cold, hunger, pain and even emotion?
There were some very interesting points raised here. I found Alara's friend, hooked on a digital world, very sad to see. The society monitoring you constantly through other people very unsettling, a brighter, whiter 1984. The differences between the two societies are stark, one appears to be Utopic - but is it really the other? A nostalgia for the past and a chaotic but freer world seems to be present throughout.
It's a good 'running out of time' quest, with romance, danger, friendship and subterfuge all present. There are some great visual scenes that I'm sure will end up convincing well on a screen some time soon, and Estrella is aching for a filmed version to be made. I loved the details the author includes - Alara's mum involved in concocting foods with convincing smells, the unique class system denoting your high-rise living space, the games Alara's little brother plays. It was a convincing if terrifying vision of a future world.
Exciting and fast-moving, very enjoyable read.
February 22, 2024
Electric Life is an absolutely phenomenal read for teens! I was hooked from the very first pages, completely devouring the book. The premise of living in a perfect word where everything is just--perfect--is very relevant to today's world and how we strive for perfection. As technology advances, the life created in the book could very plausibly be mankind's future. It's easy to see how the people who live in Estrella, the perfect city created in the book, would be fearful of the world outside their towers as they had been taught what the government wanted them to believe. They simply don't know anything else. So when Alara is sent on a secret mission to London Under, a world nobody even knows exists but the government, she is overwhelmed. The world-building is exceptional. I was quickly transported into the action, easily experiencing everything with Alara. The characters are brilliant. The main characters of Alara, Jay, Moles and Martha, each have an integral part to play in the story, creating the perfect blend of personalities as well. Alara is faced with so many new experiences and emotional conflict when she discovers the world outside of Estrella, that her emotions are almost palpable. This book is action-packed, fast-paced and exciting from the outset. It will have you questioning what's going on in the world today and what the future could hold. I sincerely hope that we may be treated to more from Alara and her friends in the future. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
June 21, 2024
I was absolutely blown away by Day Of The Whale which I stumbled across last summer - it was one of my favourite reads of the last five years. And so I was overjoyed to receive a copy of Delahaye’s most recent work Electric Life.
And I’m overjoyed to say it didn’t disappoint.
I was gripped from the get go. This pacy, intricate and well crafted dystopian novel is exceptional and offers a well balanced view of our possible future whilst revelling in what it means to truly be human.
Alara lives in Estrella, a futuristic city built above a desolate London. Estrella is a hyper-connected society devoid of poverty, pain, or natural elements. Alara, bored with her sanitised existence, is chosen for a secret mission to the hazardous remnants of London Below, where she must navigate a world filled with real sensations and dangers to complete the special task for which she has been chosen - but who can Alara trust?
As with Day Of The Whale Delahaye’s novel explores environmental concerns, stepping outside of your confines, friendship and bravery. I loved every page and Delahaye writes beautifully for Young Adults and grown ups alike.
Thanks for gifting me this treasure of a novel Rachel. and I can’t wait to read your next book.
October 21, 2023
Alara lives in Estrella or 'London Star' - a radiating web of skyscrapers where the inhabitants are kept safe high above the polluted ruins of old London. It is meant to be a utopian paradise where all citizens have food, shelter and entertainment and yet Alara still feel dissatisfied with her life. And when Alara is recruited for a secret mission in London Under but she finds something down there that she never expected.
'Electric Life' is an updated version of 'Brave New World' with citizens drugged into complacency and sacrificing passion for peace of mind, and it also has some undertones of 'Divergent' when Alara explores the ruins of London. I love a dystopian novel and 'Electric Life' has so many clever and thought-provoking elements that I wasn't quite ready to leave when the story ended - a pacy, thrilling read.
'Electric Life' is an updated version of 'Brave New World' with citizens drugged into complacency and sacrificing passion for peace of mind, and it also has some undertones of 'Divergent' when Alara explores the ruins of London. I love a dystopian novel and 'Electric Life' has so many clever and thought-provoking elements that I wasn't quite ready to leave when the story ended - a pacy, thrilling read.
May 14, 2024
Rachel Delahaye's previous book, Day of the Whale was one of my favourite books of 2022, so Electric Life had a lot to live up to ... and it didn't disappoint. With shades of The Time Machine and the Matrix I found myself wondering which would I choose - reality, in all its shades of struggle and emotion, or a life free from pain, sickness, and tough decisions. We're used to seeing bleak dystopian futures but in Estrella we're presented with something much more nuanced and complex.
The main character, Alara, is a perfect guide - she doesn't fall too easily for what the plot brings to her and her journey is hard-won and believable, all the way to the ending where the threads all come together in a satisfying climax, albeit one that potentially opens the door for more
March 26, 2025
I HATE THIS BOOK I HATE THIS BOOK I HATE THIS BOOK.
she is so genuinely stupid and her actions make literally no sense. she doesn't have a grasp on anything and she is totally self centered while not even BEING PROGRESSED as a character AT ALL. every plot twist was so obvious and the writing still was giving YA fan fiction. it should have been a) a longer book, or b) a series, and c) written to be more enaging for not just the range of people shes complaining please please please. the beginning was such a great opener but I felt like I was reading her complain about the same thing over and over again and I didn't feel like she was any different from the beginning of the story. PLS free me.
no offense, xoxo :)
she is so genuinely stupid and her actions make literally no sense. she doesn't have a grasp on anything and she is totally self centered while not even BEING PROGRESSED as a character AT ALL. every plot twist was so obvious and the writing still was giving YA fan fiction. it should have been a) a longer book, or b) a series, and c) written to be more enaging for not just the range of people shes complaining please please please. the beginning was such a great opener but I felt like I was reading her complain about the same thing over and over again and I didn't feel like she was any different from the beginning of the story. PLS free me.
no offense, xoxo :)
December 9, 2024
I like the 'utopia with hidden flaws' premise, and the main character is well drawn.
Otherwise it is pretty much brain candy, which doesn't make sense at times. (In Estrella, do-gooder humans can scan passers-by and pass on any concerning results to the medical department, but I don't see why this can't happen automatically without need for human involvement.)
Also I was not at all convinced by the change from vegan to meat eater. In my opinion she would have to develop a belief that the animals live a good life, with one bad day when they are slaughtered. Or be more conflicted.
Nonetheless, I would read more by this author.
Otherwise it is pretty much brain candy, which doesn't make sense at times. (In Estrella, do-gooder humans can scan passers-by and pass on any concerning results to the medical department, but I don't see why this can't happen automatically without need for human involvement.)
Also I was not at all convinced by the change from vegan to meat eater. In my opinion she would have to develop a belief that the animals live a good life, with one bad day when they are slaughtered. Or be more conflicted.
Nonetheless, I would read more by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2024
A dystopian ya book set partially in Estrella, a skyscraper city where people live a 'perfect' life with everything provided for them and every emotion monitored; and partially set in 'London Under' -- the wreckage of the old world with dirt, pain, real (not synthetic) food and the whole range of human experiences and emotions. Definitely well-plotted and a page turner with some descriptions to savour -- but perhaps not memorable over the longer term.
November 7, 2025
This book is really cool! I'd recommend this book to fans of dystopian and teen fans. As i read through this book, it was like a fever dream. I couldn't stop reading and it just drew me in as i turn each page. Honestly, the beginning was a bit flat, but in the middle and the end, it felt less flat and 100% more climactic. Electric Life is great for ages 11 -13-year-olds. This book was a great choice for my English assessment. I'd definitely read this again if i had the chance to.
May 3, 2024
Absolutely LOVED this! Inventive & original worldbuilding from the food they eat (trash crabs anyone?) to the chip implants which regulate emotions.
Alara is sent on a secret mission from the perfect city of skyscrapers to the hidden, gritty but 'real' old London underground. But whichever she chooses to live in will come at great cost to herself & her family...
Alara is sent on a secret mission from the perfect city of skyscrapers to the hidden, gritty but 'real' old London underground. But whichever she chooses to live in will come at great cost to herself & her family...
January 8, 2025
An absolute page turner! I love the writing style of this books and the chemistry o the characters feels so real. For any readers who are struggling to g brought th first part set in London Star: rust me on this and KEEP GOING. Once Alara gets to London Under this book just keeps being better and better. 100% will read again!
November 12, 2024
Pretty solid book. Nice story, interesting characters, and a satisfying yet intriguing ending. The plot is slightly predictable and I was pretty sure what was generally going to happen from the first ten-ish chapters? However it's written well and was enjoyable to read either way.
October 13, 2025
Really enjoyed, a creative and compelling story. I was bit confused towards the end however (spoiler alert) when Jay accepts her so fast back after she betrays him. Something about the ending felt like it was trying to be too perfect too fast. Overall I breezed through the book and it was great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2025
I just found this book to be horrible i wonder why had to read it for my english the world building was rushed and it was so difficult to understand poor explaining yeah wont get over hating this one for a while
October 2, 2023
I don’t usually read junior fiction but this was amazing, such a good perspective on life and its trials and how vital it is to feel all the bad things to allow you to really appreciate the good!
March 14, 2024
I couldn't put this book down. Alara is such a well developed character.
April 28, 2024
I’m not the targeted age range and this was not for me. Thought I might read it and recommend it to my kids, but I won’t.
May 26, 2024
Dystopian, suitable for age 11-13+, interesting plot
June 20, 2024
Fun premis, technology and too connectedness. A bit flat in the middle but it ended well. Characters OK, setting/world great.
July 14, 2024
A very engaging and original read
October 27, 2024
A good example of dystopian fiction for students in the lower secondary space.
Blending authoritarian governments with climate issues. All very relevant and thought-provoking.
Blending authoritarian governments with climate issues. All very relevant and thought-provoking.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews