Mutant City

Mutant City #1

by Steve Feasey

Fifty years ago, the world was almost destroyed by a chemical war. Now the world is the mutants and the pure, the broken and the privileged, the damaged and the perfect. Thirteen years ago, a covert government experimental facility was shut down and its residents killed. The secrets it held died with them. But five extraordinary kids survived. Today four teenagers are about to discover that their mutant blood brings with it special powers. Rush and three brothers and sisters he can't remember. Two rival factions are chasing them. One by one, they face the enemy. Together, they might just stay alive . . .

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Teen, Post Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Paranormal

368 pages, Paperback

First published May 8, 2014

About the author

Steve Feasey was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, UK in 1968. From a modest background, he found escape in books, and spent much of his time in his local library. Always an avid reader, he only began writing in his late thirties, but was fortunate to land a publishing deal for his very first book, Changeling.

Reviews

[Josh Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book Is really good quality it takes kid who believes he is just another kid and tells him the truth and through all this despair Rush becomes a telekinetic hero of his friend brick. They compete hard to take down the government and rally for mutant rights on scorched earth. But he is not alone there is 4 others jax, Anya, brick and flea. All of which have amazing powers jax's is mind control , Anya is a shape shifter, brick can heal people and for flea time is decelerated so she see's the world in slow motion and everyone else is moving in slow motion. I choose the book because other books that involve mutants i have enjoyed reading it. I think it relates to survival because the have to live without the ARM finding them. I did not learn anything new. My favourite character was brick because he can heal people

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first glance, the inhabitants of City Four all appear perfect. Science has helped to make them that way. All disease, sickness and the genetic differences that exist in humans have been removed. Parents can choose exactly what their children will look like, everything down to the colour of their eyes and their hair. Nothing is left to chance. The only fly in the ointment of this, otherwise perfect, existence is the groups of individuals who live outside the city walls.

The other survivors of the last war, the mutants (mutes) exist in the slums and the remains of the old world. Life in the Scorched Earth is harsh. Disease, violence and starvation are an everyday fact of life. Everyone has to be willing to fight for their survival. It’s a tough existence and many are suffering and dying because of it. They watch their neighbours and are jealous of all the things that they are missing out on.

One of my favourite things about Mutant City are all the characters. Jax, Anya, Flea, Rush and Brick are a great group. Each of these unique young men and women have powers that allow them to do truly remarkable things. If I really had to choose I think Brick and Flea would probably be my favourites. Brick is the heart and soul of the group. His special ability is also a key element of the plot. I’ll say no more than that, I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise. Flea, meanwhile, is a equally wonderful. Quiet and extremely shy she has a really cool power that look like magic to anyone who didn’t know she had it. Yes, I’ll admit a certain amount of jealousy on my part.

If you have a group of great heroes then it’s just as important to have some evil villains. President Melk, the ruler of City Four, has plenty of secrets and is trying to exploit the mutants for his own twisted goals. He wants to control everything and if that means destroying all mutants then so be it. The other villain I really enjoyed was Steeleye Mange, a huge one-eyed beast of a man. He’s covered in multiple tattoos and has a violent streak with a foul temper to match, I warmed to him immediately. I like nothing better than when an evil character revels in their actions. Mange is a real nasty piece of work. He’s brutal, greedy and keen to grab as much power as he can for himself. I’m genuinely curious to see what happens to this vicious individual next.

The real highlight of the novel for me though is the relationship between the characters Rush and Brick. They are the first two mutants to meet and their long journey to City Four gives the reader a chance to see how they begin to develop a bond with one another. This group are more than just scientific experiments, they are a family.

I enjoyed Mutant City, its loads of fun. If you are looking for a cracking action-packed story and some wonderful characters then you don’t need to look any further. This is a great introduction to the science fiction genre. If you’re a fan of the X-Men or superheroes in general, then I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of this. I’ve got a couple of nephews who I know are going to love it as well. I really hope there will be a book two!

[Adele Broadbent · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a terrible war and nearly total destruction, the world is now made up of Mutes (Mutants) and Norms (Normal humans). The Norms descendants hid below ground during the war and were surprised that anyone survived above. They are shocked to find mutated humans when they finally emerge. But now many years later, the humans have built 6 cities with high walls around them, with no mutants allowed to enter, left to live in slums of squalor. Five children have been illegally ‘engineered’ (part human, part mutant) by the tyrant President Melk but are rescued from a life in labs. Raised in hiding, they are summoned 13 years later by the people that saved them. They all have special ‘gifts and President Melk wants them back to continue the evil he made them for.

But can they use their powers for good instead? Will they be the hope of a new and better future for Mutants?

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Received in exchange for an honest review*
*Thank you, Bloomsbury*

This was such an awesome little book! When I first heard about Mutant City I wasn't 100% certain that it was going to be a book for me. I've never watched the entire of the X-Men films all of the way through and I wasn't sure if it was going to take a more alien-focused route. It didn't do any of the things that I worried about and I absolutely loved it. I loved the corrupt government and their motivations, reading about the segregation of the Pure and the Mutants, the fight for what's right. Mutant City is such a captivating little book; I'm really hoping there's another in the series!

The book reminded me of a variety of different YA books that I've read recently; Revolution 19, Take Back The Skies, Goddess, which deeply involve themselves in the problems within society. This segregation and inbuilt class system is shown to be corrupt and completely one-sided. The prejudices that are held against the Mutants are completely unjustified and unbelievable untrue. The society of Mutants are equally as varied in personality and morals as that of the Pure's. YA is becoming such a wonderful genre to read. There are so many powerful male and female characters conveying so many important messages. Reading books like Mutant City really makes me appreciate how far the genre has come since I was a teen.

Steve Feasey's book shows the reunited team of Mutants which were originally created by the government. Mutant City focuses more on each individuals journey to this. There are so many exciting and anxiety inducing scenes that I found myself hoping that they'd all reach there in one piece! The novel shows so many different dangerous creatures and attitudes; it's not so simple to live in a world of prejudice. The characters that were created were wonderful. I loved each and every one of them; whether they were the heroes or villains. With many twists and turns this is guaranteed to keep you turning the pages. I really cannot recommend it enough.

There's only really one thing left to ask you, whose side are you on? Are you Pure or are you Mutant?

[Vincent Ripley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book review to go on blog first http://www.mrripleysenchantedbooks.com/

[Avalanti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think for the intended audience, this book is a lot of fun, with pretty cool characters and a steady plot. I do wish it was more in-depth - I feel like there are titles for similar age ranges that manage to still be stimulating and cover topics that make them interesting for adults too, but I don't feel that this book was overly successful in that. I'm fascinated by the concept of the world the author has created, and I like that he's chosen to explore the concept of eugenics, but there isn't enough worldbuilding to feel immersed. I think it's fleshed out fairly well to get an idea of what life outside of the cities is like, but we're missing the contrast of seeing the reality of life within the city walls.

I don't find myself that invested in the characters, and although I'm intrigued by some of the main cast, the character who this book is mostly based around came off as a bit bland to me. I'm hoping he receives some interesting development in book two, and/or that there is more involvement of the other characters. The perspective choices in this book were a little bit jarring; a chapter will be titled after a character and then be from someone else's perspective, but this is a minor thing and something I find easy to look past.

Overall, it's a decent book but not mind-blowing. I do enjoy the plot, though, and I'm intrigued to see how book two will develop. I'm pretty sure this is a debut so hoping the next one will go a bit more in-depth.
I will note that when I first read this, I was more in the age range that I believe to be the target - At the time, I did really enjoy it and purchased book two, but didn't end up getting to it. I thought this could be a useful input for those looking on behalf of the target audience.

[Patricia Kaniasty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was good but nothing to write home about. Good characters. A storyline that moved along smoothly. A little of everything from action, excitement and adventure. Just nothing unique.

[Steff S (The Bookish Owl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Underwhelming. A whole book of build up. Needed more world building as well.

[Amber (Books of Amber) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of Amber

MUTANT CITY BY STEVE FEASEY
May 6, 2014Amber 5 Comments
Mutant City by Steve FeaseyMutant City by Steve Feasey
Genre: Science Fiction
Release Date: May 8th 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens
Source: Publisher
Add it: Goodreads
Rating: one-star
Fifty years ago, the world was almost destroyed by a chemical war. Now the world is divided into the mutants and the pure. Mutants must fight for survival in a scarred landscape, while the privileged pure live out a life of disease-free perfection.

Thirteen years ago, a covert government experimental facility was shut down and its residents killed. The secrets it held died with them. But five extraordinary kids survived.

Today four teenagers are about to discover that their mutant blood brings with it special powers. They are heading straight for Mutant City with rival factions close behind. One by one, they face the enemy. Together, they must stay alive . . .
Mutant City promised excitement, an apocalyptic setting, and superpowers, but it only barely delivered on two of those three things. I love stories about superpowers and mutants, and when I saw that Mutant City was coming out I just had to get my hands on it. It sounded vaguely X-Men-like, and that stuff is my jam. Unfortunately, this book lacks the excitement and thrill that I have come to expect from science fiction novels, and I was completely bored.


The book is told in third person, and it alternates between several different characters. I never really got the chance to get invested in any of their stories before being thrown into the next one’s, and due to that I didn’t feel a real connection to any of them. The most developed character, in my opinion, was Rush, but at the same time he went through very little growth and I didn’t like his personality as it was very bland.

The other characters felt like nothing more than cardboard cutouts, and the author didn’t make use of his ensemble cast. I feel there was a lot of wasted opportunity here, which is a shame because we could have had the chance to really connect with these different personalities.

The superpowers part was a bit crap as well. The characters didn’t use their powers enough for my liking – and, yes, I know they have to hide their powers – and it made for a boring read. I was expecting explosions but I was barely getting sparks.

The setting was a good one – the world has been devastated by war and has left the world an apocalyptic wasteland. Through Rush and some other characters, we spent a good amount of time exploring the lands and seeing a lot of the different creatures and “citizens” of the world.

Towards the end of the book I started to skim-read because I really wasn’t invested in the characters or the plot. I didn’t care about what was happening, and I just wanted to get it over with. It’s a shame because superpowers intrigue me, but when the characters are as dull as these ones it really puts a damper on the whole thing.

I won’t be continuing with the series (if it is a series? I can’t even remember how it ended) because I’m just not invested at all. The only memorable character is Rush, and while I think this series has the potential to improve, I don’t want to waste my time on it when there are so many other books out there.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

What sold me to this book was the synopsis and the X-Men type feel of it. I had to now what Mutant City was all about, and as soon as I got my copy my interest was immediatley piqued. The inside of both the front and back cover has a synopsis for both the Pures and the Mutes and I had to know the whole story about what really happened.
The world as we know it was destroyed by atomic, biological, and chemical fallout, forcing everyone to live underground for over forty years. When they finally came back to the surface they found that not everyone had made it underground, and that those left behind were left mutated. A new city is built behind a wall, to protect the Norms from the Mutes, and is now know as Six Cities, with City Four being the most affluent, and the home of Zander Melk and his Father, the President of the city.

Mutant City begins with a raid on The Farm, a research lab that has been set up to study genetically modified Mutants who have special abilities. They are rescued and sent to live with carers, and the facility is destroyed. We pick the story back up thirteen years later as we follow multiple points of view as they try their best to achieve there desire. For the Mutants, they are being sent to City Four, to meet up with someone called Silas, and have a vice in their head telling them what to do. For President Melk, he wants to find the Mutants and use the powers of one to save himself from dying, and enlists his son to find them. We also join Silas and Jax as they work together to make a safe place for children living outside the wall, but also reunite the Mutes together.

I went into Mutant City with very high expectations, and while I don't think the book met them, it definitly sets up the backbone for this world, and was an enjoyable read. I love how these genetically modified mutants has their own unique ability hidden inside them, yet they look like an average norm on the outside. Rush, Brick, Anya, Flea, and Jax are certainly a force to be reckoned with but I would definitly want them on my side.
Tia, a reporter who wants the truth to be out there, that the mutants are not really all that bad, is one of the few Norms on their side, and I like how she is determined to let everyone know that the badness comes from within the wall itself, and not from outside. We don't really get to see what happens with the videos she makes, but I do hope we get to see her in the next book.

Mutant City is full of deception, adventure, and slowly revealed secrets that only come back to haunt the person responsible. But the one thing that didn't make this book blow me away was that I felt there was more history and world building than real action. Mutant City does give us the history of how mutants came about, and also the consequences. It gives us the rules of this new world and how things work, and while it does build up this world and give you all the information you need to know, I personally was looking for a bit more action and a few more displays of power. Having said that, when the next book is published I will definitly be picking a copy up, now that all the world building is out of the way I am hoping we get to see more of what the mutants can do, and also see how far Melk is prepared to go to get what he wants.

[Kirsty-Marie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mutant City is the only book (out of all the "mutant" books I've read) that I can say I and X-Men would approve of. You know I take X-Men seriously and I do hate when anything is compared to it because sometimes it's just offensive. Especially when the mutants are more genetically enhanced with added powers but mostly look totally human and you would never guess who they were (I'm talking to you Transparent.) And while in the Mutant City, some of the mutants are exactly that, they can blend in, but there's something about them that tells them away. But, there are also the full on mutants with appearances' compared to Mystique and Beast. X-Men approves.

While written in third person, we have multiple perspectives ranging from the head conspirators- on both good v's evil sides, and as the story goes along, the lines get a little blurred between the intent of certain characters, by the end the lines are pretty clear with the direction it goes. And I applaud it. We also have the perspective of some of the mutants, the main being Rush, who really does takes a long journey of discovery. We collect the others along the way and while we don't get much of them until halfway through, where the story picks up a notch, my favourite has to be Brick.

He's big, he's a little simple but very loyal and trusting, and he doesn't know his own strength. Remind you of anyone? Come on guys, you've probably read it in school, it's like a rite of passage. Brick is a mutant version of Lennie from Of Mice and Men We know how that ended. But don't be worried for Brick- his fate is nowhere near the same and besides, he can heal himself. So feel sorry for Lennie.

The plot is my biggest complaint- though it's not a complaint as such, but it was slow during the first half, I found my thoughts drifting and read a few paragraphs a few times, but once it stops the set-up and the plot starts up properly it was so much better. As I said, the first half is more of a set-up and we get to see how the Mutants became, and how they've lived. And how once that mirror is shattered, it's shattered beyond repair and they only have two choices. Run or fight. Once that moments chosen, the action kicks in, with little shocks and secrets revealed along the way.

I think a lot of people will find it confusing in the beginning too, there's no chronological order to the perspective shifts, and it took me a while to pick up the differences of the mix of voices we have to carry the story. But, once you get into it, it's pretty easy to separate the voices.

Mutant City is one of the nearest to X-Men I've read and don't feel disappointed on. We have a fresh vary of characters that are fighting for the rights they don't have. We have fear and pressure but we also have a rise of fighters who are adamant to make the future better for themselves- and everyone else.




~An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.~

-----
Review originally posted on Studio Reads

[Book Gannet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in an interesting dystopic world, the start of this new series introduced just enough information to get me hooked, without ever going overboard. Starting with the adults to the rescue, the only experimental child we meet at first is Jax, who’s intriguing right from the off – an albino telepath who is older than his years and determined on his course of action.

And that’s just the prologue. Once the story begins, we’re introduced to Rush, now fifteen, as his world implodes around him and he must venture out alone for the first time. But this is Scorched Earth where a ferocious war raged on the surface while a protected few were protected underground – these are the “unadulterated” who live in high-tech cities. When they first emerged, however, they found the world still had life – the mutants. Different and “tainted” they’re not allowed inside the cities and have no rights, as is proved when the brutal ARM (Agency for the Regulation of Mutants) come to collect Rush.

Told from multiple viewpoints, we get introduced to a lot of characters quite quickly, but a certain few get more attention than others. Along with Rush we meet the other children – Anya, Brick and Flea – but it’s Rush and Brick we get to know best. Then there’s Jax, but even fifteen years on the albino remains as mysterious as ever, co-ordinating the others’ movements from afar with the help of his friend and protector Silas.

Because Rush and his “siblings” aren’t like other mutants. Some people have strange eyes or extra fingers, but these five teenagers have powers. The sort of powers that are dangerous and attractive to both sides of the political divide. Because while some people in the cities think the mutants deserve more rights, others want them exterminated. At the head of all this is President Melk, leader of C4, one of the richest, most powerful scientists in the world. And he’s after the teens.

With an interesting cast of characters, ranging from capable Rush to kindly Brick, mysterious Jax and journalist Tia, there’s someone for everyone to like here, with President Melk making a convincing bad guy. Some characters are more well-rounded at this stage than others, but I’m hoping the girls in particular get a bit more attention and development in the next book.

Combining political machinations with moral objections, action, friendship and adventure, this is a great start to a new series. If you like mutants and dystopia, with good characters and an interesting world, and plenty of room for more, then you should enjoy this one. I know I did.

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

[Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mutant City is one of those books that I just didn’t expect to love as much as I did. Mutant City did take me a few weeks to read, as I’ve been in a huge reading slump lately, but I enjoyed every moment I was reading it! Although a few of the ideas in Mutant City aren’t exactly original; it’s a fun, fast-paced, and action-packed book that will ensnare the reader and keep them wanting to turn the pages to find out what’ll happen next.

Mutant City switches perspectives throughout the book, so each new chapter is in the view of a different character – I believe it switches between 5 or 6 characters throughout the book. At the beginning, this was rather confusing, and I found myself flipping back to the first few pages to find out which character was which. But by the time I’d read about quarter of Mutant City I was really engrossed and invested in pretty much all the characters.

Rush is one of the characters that we read the most about, and I really loved him. He’s a bit of a head-strong guy, but eventually learns to trust the new people he’s meeting. I just loved the amount of compassion he showed throughout the book towards the people he cares about. Brick is also another one of the main characters in Mutant City, and although there really isn’t that many chapters based solely on him, I adored his character too. He’s a big guy, as mentioned on many different occasions throughout the book, but he has a soft heart, and is just a really strong, caring and overall loveable character.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Mutant City and I think it truly is a brilliant and wonderful novel. The fact that you get thrown completely into the middle of Steve Feasey’s world does leave you a little confused, however it doesn’t take long to acclimatise and things become much clearer the more you read. Steve Feasey’s writing is fun and quirky, and although it’s definitely not perfect – I still absolutely adored it. I’d recommend anyone who loves a bit of Sci-Fi to read Mutant City, especially if you’re a fan of X-Men, as I’ve heard that they’re supposed to be quite similar! I believe Mutant City well and truly deserves the 4 star rating I gave it, and I can’t wait to see what happens next – as I hope there’s a sequel - because the cliff hanger ending was frustrating, but really awesome at the same time.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received my copy of this book for free through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

Mutant City clearly draws influences from X-Men but it doesn’t fall short by being a simple ‘kids with superpowers’ story. Instead we are introduced to a world divided, where the mutes are kept separate from ‘normal’ people. The mutes live in slums outside the city walls, whilst the humans inside the walls live frivolously, using their scientific knowledge not to better the world, but to alter their genes at will out of vanity. It brings to the forefront a power structure which in many ways parallels real life; a small elite holds power and profits from their exploitation of the less fortunate, whilst the masses are aware of what is going on but unwilling to confront the ways in which they are complicit in that suffering, hesitant to call for change lest they lose their own position of power. These themes are expertly weaved into the narrative, in a way that younger readers will be encouraged to think about the way the world is run and to come to their own conclusions about whether it benefits everyone or a select few.

Our primary characters are a group children bonded through shared experiences in their youth, but separated and hidden away for their whole lives to keep them safe until this point. Called to by a voice in their dreams, they begin travelling toward City Four in search of an unknown purpose. The majority of the book covers this travelling, allowing enough time to introduce each child individually before they come together. Whilst we do not get to see a whole lot of all the children interacting as a group, a common theme running through the narrative is that the children are stronger together than they would be by themselves; when we do finally get to see them working together it feels like a pivotal point suggesting great things to come.

This book was a fantastic set up for a longer series, and takes the time required to establish the characters and their setting before things really kick off. There are enough revelations and surprises along the way to make it a solid story in its own right, and a handful of questions left to take us into book two.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by Megan - Year 8

At first glance, the inhabitants of City Four all appear perfect. Science has helped to make them that way. All disease, sickness and the genetic differences that exist in humans have been removed. Parents can choose exactly what their children will look like, everything down to the colour of their eyes and their hair. Nothing is left to chance. The only problen of this, otherwise perfect, existence is the groups of individuals who live outside the city walls.

The other survivors of the last war, the mutants exist in the remains of the old world. Life is harsh. Disease, violence and starvation are an everyday fact of life. Everyone has to be willing to fight for their survival. It’s a tough existence and many are dying because of it. They watch their neighbours and are jealous of all the things that they are missing out on.

One of my favorite things about Mutant City are all the characters. Jax, Anya, Flea, Rush and Brick are a great group. Each of these unique young men and women have powers that allow them to do truly remarkable things. If I really had to choose I think Brick and Flea would probably be my favorites. Brick is the heart and soul of the group. His special ability is also a key element of the plot. I’ll say no more than that, I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise. Flea, meanwhile, is a equally wonderful. Quiet and extremely shy she has a really cool power that look like magic to anyone who didn’t know she had it.

The real highlight of the novel for me though is the relationship between the characters Rush and Brick. They are the first two mutants to meet. This group are more than just scientific experiments, they are a family.

I enjoyed Mutant City, its loads of fun. If you are looking for a cracking action-packed story and some wonderful characters then you don’t need to look any further. This is a great introduction to the science fiction genre. If you’re a fan of the X-Men or superheroes in general, then I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of this.

[Kulsuma · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant book! Mutant City by Steve Feasey is set in the future after a devastating war. Humans are divided into two groups; Mutants and Pures. It follows a group of teens who are being hunted for their amazing abilities. Their abilities were engineered to be used for nefarious purposes. Though they are rescued and hidden away for years, this soon changes. Their maker needs them and he will stop at nothing to get them back.

Not only was Mutant City fantastically plotted but I felt for the characters and couldn’t wait to see what would happen to them. The story follows various points of view which seamlessly tie together. It is the perfect balance of action and emotion. I loved to witness the development in the friendship between Rush and Brick; two of the mutants. Mutant City is realistic in that not all Pures were bad guys and not all the Mutants were good.

Feasey’s descriptions of action scenes were great. I could imagine everything very clearly. My favourite thing about the book is the way he explained the mutants’ powers. While they were not the most original powers; he described the way they manifested in a very unique way. The story was fast-paced and therefore a quick read; I wish it had been longer!

I would have liked to have seen more of the city that the Pures live in. Also, I would have liked to have read more about the other mutants in the group apart from Rush and Brick, so I could really understand them, their feelings and motives. But, as I know there will be a sequel, I have an inkling that this is where the other characters will develop more fully. As well as this, I realised some of the twists that happen at the end of the story before they happened, which slightly took away some of the surprise in the story. Nevertheless, there was one twist that left me gobsmacked. Overall, the book was fantastic and I cannot wait to read more from this series.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

**read this for uni** I might have enjoyed this if I was 13 and I did like some of the characters but they were all pretty underdeveloped as was this dystopian world. There are APPARENTLY six cities but the only one that is ever mentioned is city 4 (also the other cities all had specialised industries like mining and food & livestock - sounds like the hunger games to me!!) And the majority of this book the characters were just travelling to their destination and only met up at the end so it felt like half a book to me (yes there is a sequel no I will not read it hahaha)

The premise is basically like 5 'mutants' who were illegal experiments and were rescued from a lab when they were babies/children and have super powers. I do think young teenagers will totally love this but I think I've grown out of YA dystopians how sad.

ALSO one of the characters kept being described as a 'youngster' in the 3rd person narrative and by other characters NO ONE USES THAT WORD

ALSO ALSO one of the characters is called Flea like why?????

[Elegale · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first picked this book, I was like 'Am I seriously going to read this book?' It looked like the typical heroes novel, but then I misread the blurb and decided to read it. Yeah, I misread it. I thought it'd say Rush had all those five powers, that he was both a mute and a Pure, and that did made me curious.
When I got home and looked at it again, I was like 'REALLY?' but I read it anyway. I had nothing else to read.
In the end, I found that I really enjoyed this book. So much so that I want the second book to come out now!!!
The plot was certainly smooth going. Within two pages, a lot can happen. There's lots of details and you don't seem to suddenly get lost or wonder 'what the heck just happened'.

[Spencer Broadley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to receive a copy from goodreads.com of this book. I don't tend to go into the plot on reviews, as that is easily seen elsewhere.

I found the book enjoyable in most places - there was definitely a sense of adventure through the book. I found that the book made me think that something similar could happen in the (distant?) future and the characters were very believable.
Each person portrayed in the book is self-minded, although some sides of them are a bit fancified.
The book was well written, and kept you wanting to know what would happen to the characters.
If you like science-fiction with adventure and good writing then the book is for you

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I did not finish this book
I picked this up because I find that this book have a very interesting story, set in a dystopian future fantasy. I do not like this book because the author attempted to hook the reader (us) with mystery. Personally, I believe the start of the book is too vague. Without giving you an idea of the setting/place/ and what happened to the kids/mutants. I would recommend this book to people who really like fantasy/dystopian stories, but at the same time, have enough patience to read through the book. Or, like me, who made the mistake of buying the book, is forced to read it.

[Ryan O'Dempsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a scorched earth destroyed by chemical warfare, a boy named Rush grows up on a farm outside the walls of C4. He was one of the five illegal experiments created by President Melk. The world is divided into those who are mutants and those who are pure. Jax, a mutant sends a telepathic message to all the mutants that they are in grave danger. All the mutants must travel to Jax to unite against President Melk and demand rights for the mutants.

Will they get Melk or will he get them first.

I recommend this book for those who like adventure, fantasy or superhero fiction.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not the kind of book I would choose to read, I had to read it for the Concorde Book Awards. I guess it was okay, better than I thought it would be. But everything could have been soo much better! I didn't really enjoy reading it. I didn't like the way the author constantly used the word Hell, because it was annoyingly repetitive and there was no need for it. All on all, I didn't enjoy it much

[Margaret Pemberton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting and well written dystopian for the pre-teens. Fast paced, with a good range of characters this really is a great addition to the genre as it challenges the audience but without some of the graphic detail found in the young adult titles.

[Angela]

I loved this book!!! Reminds me of X-men! Love all the characters! I thank there's gonna be romance between Rush and Tia. I love the friendship between Rush and Brick and Jax and Silas. I can't wait to read the next book:)

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT was amazing and so thrilling which made u never want to put it down - once i was reading till 4am i was so engrossed!!!!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for kids eleven plus - some may need a dictionary close by as in spots there was some vocab in there that will stretch kids at the younger end of the target readership group.

[Tomgatesfan99 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it It has good characers and a good plot but I think I like funny books best

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great first book, although I hoped for more! It is very fast-paced and I couldn't put it down.