The Traitors

by Tom Becker

Adam Wilson is kidnapped and taken to the Dial after betraying his best friend. The Dial is a twilight world where teenage traitors are forced to atone for their treachery. It's a terrible place, ruled over by a cruel despot, where every day is a struggle for survival - and escape. Legend has it that only one person has fled the Colditz-like prison. Nobody knows if he made it back to the real world, but he left behind a ray of hope that has reached through the years. Soon Adam is caught up in a deadly plan to escape. But who can he trust in a world full of traitors...?

Genres: Fantasy, Dystopia, Fiction, Young Adult, Thriller

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 5, 2012

About the author

Tom Becker grew up in a market town in the northwest of England, dreaming of becoming a writer. He won the 2007 Waterstones' Children's Book Prize with his first novel, Darkside, and has continued to blur the lines between history and fantasy in brooding adventure and horror stories such as The Traitors and While The Others Sleep. He has also published an adult novel, The Cold Tap, on Kindle under his real name, Tom Beckerlegge. Tom lives in London with his wife, baby son, and a horde of shadowy creatures that he keeps confined within the pages of his notebook. He can be found on Twitter at @Tbeckerlegge.

Reviews

[Woff · Rating 1 out of 5]

A myriad of problems, the least of which was not a final line to rival John Boyne.

[Adelene Chiam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is one of the most awesome Scholastic books that I have ever set my eyes upon. And I would have given it five stars max were it not for some ludicrous concepts and a far-fetched, illogical ending.

Why I like the book:
1) The Dial. The whole setting is breath-taking. Well, the plan image for the prison helps a lot in stimulating the mind's eye, of course. But the ideas for the prison is well-invented, creative and it shows the dexterous capability of the author to illicit inspirational from everyday items, such as the clock. The Dial is one of the most spectacular scenes that has ever existed in a piece of fiction.

2) The straight-forward approach. In this book, there isn't any slow-paced story-telling - the approach is straight to the point and the author appeared to not have a liking in making long-winded, excruciatingly intricately detailed paragraphs that go on and on about a certain scenario that the reader gets all a. bored or b. muddled-up. So basically, the fast-paced action gets the story going in a more animated way. So you don't have to worry about falling asleep if slow, nostalgic atmospheres of story-telling (take for instance The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern) isn't your thing.

3) The plot build-up. The loopholes are there. The witty chemistry between characters is there. The suspense is there. Everything that makes a good plot is there. It's almost as if the author made a checklist and made sure that all the proper criteria were made part and parcel of "The Traitors". The intriguing and thought-provoking ideas were fresh-faced compared to the thousands of ordinary chick-lit and thriller genres swamping bookshelves around the globe. The concepts of the book were also simple to understand, despite being unique and the reader might go, "Hey, I never thought of that before!" Or maybe you did. I guess I'm the only boring, idea-barren blockhead then.

But the ending is hilarious, in a sort of way. The beginnning of the book (spoiler) mentions that the food rations are being reduced due to the fact that the transportation mode is apparently, unavailable. And at the ending, the two characters expect that they can live forever in eternity in the Dial without any means of transportation that can get food for them? Puhlease. A bit too much of naivete for me.

All in all, this book is worth a try, especially if you're a teen like me.

[Matthew B · Rating 4 out of 5]

TRAITORS When I first started reading this book I was a little confused. I did not know who was who and it wasn't until later in the book I realized certain details, that were crucial to the point of the book. After i sorted out who was who I began to like the book. It had an interesting topic and it kept my attention pretty well. The basic plot is a book about people who had double crossed a friend or family member. And shortly after doing so they are kidnapped and brought to a prison in a “No-Time zone” where they never age! After they serve a long sentence their memory is wiped away and they return to their lives, where not a second has passed since they were taken away, with a deep hatred for traitors. The book followed a character named Adam who learns to make friends make enemies and deal with life in the prison. This book was very entertaining and i would recommend it to anyone who enjoys prison stores or mysteries books. Apart from the beginning I thought this was a very good book. This book is like "Fates and Traitors" by Jennifer Chiaverini.

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Act is Committed
When I first started reading Traitors by Tom Becker, I had no idea what to expect and I had no idea if this was going to be a book that I would enjoy or one that would fall short. Fortunately, I found myself truly enjoying it. This book holds a unique plot that kept me interested and captivated. If you knew that your betrayal could land you punished for a hundred years, you would probably think twice before you ever betrayed again. This book is full of powerful messages, such as forgiveness, friendship and loyalty and it is the kind of book that can help to warm the cockles of your heart, if you let it.

Punishment Is Given
Being sent to prison is a punishment that every criminal faces whenever they commit a crime. Some may never go there, some may be sent there for the rest of their lives, but no matter the outcome, the prison is always there as the ultimate punishment. But why are we not punished for other humanitarian crimes, such as betrayal of our friends? Those who trample on our hearts and then walk away scott free surely deserve some form of punishment? Here is the premise of Becker’s Traitors. Anyone who has ever betrayed a friend in some way or other is taken away to an unknown prison where they must serve their sentence, which is often for a couple of hundred years. This premise is definitely an intriguing one and one that I really enjoyed reading about and really worked for this story.

Adam has been imprisoned for betraying his friend, and at first he is shocked and bewildered by it all, not really sure what is going on. Then, as the story progresses, and more plot twists and turns are brought to the surface, this book takes on a whole new level. Adam must learn the power of loyalty and forgiveness while serving his sentence but he also finds himself understanding friendship, and ultimately, his own betrayal. The plot of this story is compelling and captivating and one that just keeps you turning the page. I found myself needing to know what was going to happen next, wondering if Adam’s bravery will shine through or if he’ll cower under the magnitude of it all. It is a plot that does not disappoint.

Personalities Are Changed
This novel held many different, unique and interesting characters. They were all well-captured and really held my interest throughout the book. There were a few stereotypical types but it worked within the story because it wasn’t a stereotypical story. It needed those characters we know to look for to help make it appear more realistic. After all, what’s a prison without a few characters who are continuously trying to escape? Or the one that manages to get everything for everyone? What wasn’t stereotypical, were the personalities attached to the stereotypes. Everyone had their own thoughts, their own way of moving and even when they were a mass of characters; it was good to have a feel for each individual in the room. It was the characters who bled the story, without them, it wouldn’t have been as exciting or interesting, and I have a feeling that these characters will be wholly identifiable to younger audiences as well.

Adam was our protagonist and he was such an interesting character. He had betrayed his friend, so already the reader is not sure if they should like him but then you can feel his suffering, you can see he’s trying to reach out to his friend but it doesn’t go the way he planned. Sure, he made a mistake, but doesn’t everyone do that from time to time? Then, as the story progresses and we truly see the full side of Adam, it is hard not to admire him. He has his fears, his flaws and his worries but he is also a strong character, with motivation and a willingness to go that extra step. He cares for his new friends and even if he dies in the process, he will do anything he can to save them. It is clear that Adam is, essentially, a good guy who has just made mistakes that he feels guilty and shameful for but that doesn’t mean he should have been punished, does it?

Until Their Time Is Up
If there is one thing that Tom Becker does exceedingly well, it is keeping the action and tension at an all time high throughout the book. There is always something happening, always something that keeps the reader turning page after page. It is therefore simple to state that this book is action-packed. This helps to make the book more exciting and interesting. The reader is always wondering what will happen next, while secretly thanking the gods that there aren’t many dull, boring moments where nothing happens. Becker has managed to get the right balance of things, which occurs through plot-twists and loopholes. Some of the occurrences are predictable, but since I am not the target-audience for this book, I can understand why I would feel that way but I truly believe that the younger children and adults that read this book will love every second of it.

And Peace Is Restored
Overall, this was a book that I really enjoyed. It kept me rooted to my seat, unwilling to put the book down to do ordinary tasks, such as eating, and it was a book that I read fairly quickly which doesn’t happen very often. Yet, despite this enjoyment, it wasn’t one of my favourite stories in the world, but I can see that it would be thoroughly enjoyed by its target audience. This book has many messages and themes to spill, words of advice and guidance to share, and an action-packed story to keep it all from being boring and mundane. I have a feeling that it will be a book that will be widely adored with the younger generation who have always wanted to have a life full of that much action. It is well-written, interesting and entertaining, there really isn’t much more that anyone could ask for in a book. I would recommend this book to children aged thirteen and up, but I still think there is something for adults to enjoy as well. I know I enjoyed it.

[Pearlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story-wise, this book sucks. I hate the main characters, I hate the protagonist, and I hate the plot. But good God, Tom Becker's writing style is captivating. I love how he writes. His imageries are vivid, but not redundant. Reading this book is like a breath of fresh air in a market where many are written with a tone almost indistinguishable from that of a science paper.

Every now and then I miss reading this book. Not for the plot. But for the way Tom Becker writes. 6/5 writing style with 1/5 plot

[Bunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odd, but great book. At first, the plot didn’t make much sense to me, but after continuing to read, it started to slowly make more and more sense. There’s a fair few plot twists all throughout the book and I would definitely recommend if you’re into your plot twists. The ending was a bit anticlimactic, hence only giving it 4 stars. If the ending was more interesting, I would have given it 5 stars! 😊

[Hayden P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I loved the ending as there was loads of action, like how the whole commandment tower blew up. I love the plot twists and the enrapturing story with turns around every corner. You think one thing is going to happen, but you never expect what happens. Thats what makes this book so good!

[Emma Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

reread of a childhood fav
so nostalgic
good for what it is

[chucklesthescot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adam kissed his best friend's girl and was responsible for Danny being kicked out of school. He has Betrayed and now he has been snatched from his home to a high security prison to serve hundreds of years for his crime. But even amongst other criminals, there is one ready to betray them all to the guards for a ticket home. Who can you trust?

This was a decent YA dystopian read where a prison in a different time dimension punishes kids for betraying friends and family by locking them in prison. There is a Colditz air to it with the Tally Ho escape committee which Adam keeps getting on the wrong side of, and the evil Gestapo like guard of Mr Pitt, making everyone's lives a misery. Adults who have read The Colditz Story will recognise the scenes in this book especially the big escape plan. The prison is grim and time passes very slowly when you have a long sentence here. The side characters were interesting and I liked the whole set up of the Dial prison and the way it worked. It was nicely thought out and developed. It was good enough to keep you interested in what was happening and see if anyone could find a way to escape.

I did feel it was a bit obvious about the identity of the bandage boy and who the traitor actually was but it didn't really detract from the story. Other things like echo did surprise me. It was a fast paced book that always had something happening and it kept you guessing what was coming next.

But I really am so mad at how the book ended. All throught the book, Adam was devoted to his friends and was determined not to escape until his friends had the same chance. He risks everything to find a way for everyone to escape and he would NEVER in a million years have made the choice that he did at the end. It was such a massive let down that I almost deducted a star from my rating. I really really hate it when a good book is spoiled by the ending and sadly this one left a sour taste in my mouth.

[Brogan_mace · Rating 3 out of 5]

(CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING)
The Traitors by Tom Becker is a refreshing and unique YA novel set in a prison aptly named The Dial (as it resembles a clock). The prison is designed to punish those who have betrayed someone and offenders usually serve sentences spanning well over hundreds of years – of course this is all in a place called 'no-time'.

The writing style employed by Becker is very unique and flows beautifully. He described things in just the right amount of detail, making it easy to follow and the plot moving steadily. The (male) characters are all well fleshed out, and the plot has plenty of twists and surprises. I would have liked for there to be more female characters involved in this book, and unfortunately the ones that were, were a little stereotypical.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it kept me guessing until the very end. Several times when I thought I was onto something, Becker surprised me and I ended up completely wrong.

The main issue I have with this book would have to be its ending. Earlier in the book, a large section of it pointed out that without their airship they cannot get provisions for the Dial, yet at the end, main character Adam and one of the few fleshed-out female characters stay behind rather than taking their chance to return home to Earth. This, to me, doesn't make sense. How would they eat once they've used up all the food? How would things work? It even reminded us that Adam was to 'leave no one behind', yet he goes back and leaves himself and Jessica on the Dial for, presumably, eternity. The open-endedness of this story ruins a bit of the impact for me personally, but aside from that, its an interesting, well written, unique story that's perfect for a light stand-alone read.

[Gary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have you ever betrayed someone before? Stabbed a person who's close to you in the back? Did you get away with it? Did your guilty conscience prick you the least bit?

Adam here has betrayed his best friend Danny. And because of that, he was captured to the Dial, a no-time place through a warphole. Sentenced to imprisonment in the Dial for 274 years, Adam has all the time in the world to repent.

Seemed like he wasn't the only traitor on planet Earth. The Dial was full of traitors, both young and old. With the evil warden Mr. Pitt who kept a close eye on the prisoners, it was virtually impossible to escape. Or was it really?

Thing was, there's a mole working for Mr. Pitt. Any plans to escape were always thwarted by the mole. Together with his fellow inmates, Adam had to find out who's the mole, and try to escape the Dial once and for all.

Let's do this a little different today, shall we?

Creative idea? Check.

Mediocre storyline? Check.

Average characters? Check.

Awesome twists? Check.

Loopholes? Check.

The highlight for me has got to be the numerous twists and surprises unveiled in the second half of the book. They were real good ones, I tell you. Other than that, I found "The Traitors" slightly below average, because the whole story didn't seem 'practical' in its own sense. It was like all the bits and pieces didn't add up to be convincing enough for me. I also felt detached from the main character, Adam, and that was a shame. Thank goodness it's a stand-alone though, because I can't imagine having this premise to have a decent sequel.

Rating: 2.5/5

[Majd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before I reached the last chapter, I was planning to give The Traitors three stars for the story as a whole and a fourth one for originality and unpredictability (my God, all the times Becker made me gasp!).
The last chapter, though, takes unpredictability to a whole new level. And not in a good way. Two words: terrible ending.

And while we're at it, the characters could have used a lot more depth. Oh, and SO MANY things didn't make sense, add up, and/or weren't explained. AND THERE ISN'T EVEN A SEQUEL!

However, I must confess I couldn't help liking Adam, the main character, despite his unrealistic naiveté and his tendency to carry out dangerous favours for people he barely knows with nothing to gain out of them (except perhaps moral satisfaction? [But what good is that if he's dead?!]).

I also loved the idea of the Dial: that traitors, of any kind and degree, are shipped off to a prison (the Dial) located in "no-time", where they serve a sentence of a few hundred years to teach them a lesson in loyalty. "No-time" is a place in which several hundred years are only about a week or so by Earth measures, so the traitors aren't severely missed, but are still harshly punished.

Frankly, I loved the idea so much, I was willing to overlook the 2D characters and the unexplained stuff, but I just can't get over the ending. It was the last straw.















I STILL LOVE YOU, ADAM!

[Ranjan Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: The TRAITORS
Authors: TOM BECKER
Story elements: DIAL, a prison situated nowhere in space.
The main character in this book is Adam and he is not a nice character because he betrayed his best friend and kissed his girlfriend.
Another character is Doughnut he is Adam’s new friend in the DIAL.
Another character is bookworm who is stays in the library for the whole time and reads books and he is Adam’s new friend too.
Adam betrayed his friend and the agents from dial took him to dial for betraying his friends and made him a prisoner for 200 years.
1. Someone announces on the radio that the agents from dial are coming to take Adam with them.
2. Next day Adam receives a letter from the DIAL but he ignores it not knowing that the letter is from the DIAL and does not read it.
3. Adam goes out to the beach for a walk and a group of people, he tries to run but someone hit on his head and he becomes unconscious.
4. After sometimes when he wakes up he finds himself in an old 90s plane and found that he was being taken to the DIAL.
5. It took him some time to get used to the DIAL and make some friends.
6. He also met with some gang people and had a small fight with them.
It was a nice book and interesting for me. I liked this book because the story was fiction and I like reading fiction books and it was like future. I would recommend this book to Sharath because he likes reading fiction books. I would give this book 4 ratings.

[Marcey Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I loved the story, but I didn't like the ending.

(CONTAINS SPOILERS SORRY)

When Adam stays with Jessica in the end, it seemed rather pointless. I know the Commandant told him that no-one should be left behind and all, but she should've just went with him. You have betrayed people but being left in no-time for presumably billions of years where getting food away from earth is quite hard, you would die sooner or later.

Also, Adam's 'relationship' with Jessica seemed rather pointless for me. Maybe there was some deeper meaning behind it which I would've seen once I had re-read it or something but, to be honest, the majority of us don't re-read most books. Him staying with her really ruined the book for me. It felt that the author was trying to put in romance within the book.

I liked that he stayed with her if:
A) They could get food easier, maybe start a farm?
B) They had more of a romantic relationship or no romantic relationship and they where friends.
C) It was Paintpot because I wanted Paintpot and Adam to be together all of the book. Maybe because I am quite like Paintpot, but he seemed closer to Paintpot half the book than he did to Jessica until Paintpot suddenly disappeared from the storyline, which was probably because she was getting out of the Dial, but it would've been nice and would add drama which we all have a love/hate relationship with. Or at least I do.

[Nicolle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so upset yet proud of the main character, Adam, at the end of this book! I just skipped straight to the end! I just finished this book and it has messed with my brain! So is The Dial in another universe or on another planet? I'm led to believe this with the time continuum! The character development in this book was good and the plot line was brilliant! Quick read for me but definitely not boring or easy to understand in some places. When we found out about the Luca and Nino and the things Doughnut had done for people! And I never thought it would be Jessica who would be the traitor! And I'm so upset that although Adam had done all that work to escape from the Dial that he stayed and was giggling with Jessica over the warp whole possibly getting fixed! Also question. Is the commandant different to everyone?


Jessica's character gives me chest pains! As the soppy person I am reading this book o thought there was going to be a love interest for Adam to gallantly save but there was just a traitor and a person who wasted his own time! It pains me to think that Adam may never get out after him being INNOCENT- or so we think! What if he did something massive!! Did we ever find out what Luca did to get into the Dial and Caiman got to get out after being a collaborator but ADAM didn't!!




RANT OVER
LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE TOM BECKER

[Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10, looking back at this book it was an enjoyable novel but it was very underwhelming and didn't age well compared to the other science fiction books that I read. The characters were all very flat and the story was mildly interesting so I read on to see where it was going. The plot begins when the main character Adam betrays his friend Dylan and then a massive airship comes out of nowhere and on it there is a man who would sentence Adam to 300 years in a special prison called the Dial which runs on a different time system than Earth's so that amount of time is only like 3 days on Earth. He stays in prison for a while and discovers that people are trying to escape the prison and the only escape is the portal outside the prison, but somehow in the end a massive battle happens where the airship and the portal are destroyed and there is no way the characters can escape. Unless they build a new portal to escape they are stuck there forever until they die, how dumb of a move is that since they just sealed their fates. Some parts of the world-building were still unexplained and there's no sequel to this book so it's just a standalone which was disappointing to see. If you like an original yet obscure science fiction novel this is for you but there are other ones better than this that you can read.

[Larissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The radio message could have been a fluke, even the letter could be taken for a joke, but a giant zeppelin on an abandoned beach can not be ignored. When a stupid mistake, a thoughtless act breaks apart a friendship, the traitor must be punished, and the only way for a traitor to learn their lesson is imprisonment on the Dial.

No one on the Dial is innocent, all have betrayed someone, been a traitor to someone, and all are paying for their actions. Life on the Dial is slow, existing outside of time, and a sentence on the Dial will last years, hundreds of years in fact. But as long as there are those who are traitors there will be the Dial to punish them, with no chance of escape.

The Traitors on the Dial are all children who have committed acts of betrayal against family and friends. With the majority of betrays being petty acts and thoughtless mistakes, here there is no allowance for the young to learn by their mistakes, only a harsh punishment for actions regretted. The idea behind this story is quite intriguing however the execution is a little standard. Still, this is a prison story young boys will enjoy.

[Tim Roast · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a prison where traitors go called the Dial (so called because it resembles a clock with two walkways in the middle, like hands of a clock, and 12 wings which these hands connect to). Thus if a child betrays someone, e.g. Adam, the main character in the book, kisses his best friend's girlfriend which gets his best friend expelled from school because he trashed a lab in anger, then they get taken to the Dial to spend an eternity in the prison - although because it is in no-time 100s of years pass there without any time passing here.

Life there is harsh and it is no wonder that Adam doesn't like it. He wants out, but the only way out is through a warp-hole. But Mr Pitt, the evil guard will stop at nothing to prevent anyone ever leaving. And he has a mole to help him, but who is it?

The characters are good and the story is full of suspense. A great book with a thrilling outcome.

[Nur Fathiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not happy with the ending though. Adam should've just entered the warphole and reunite with his family, back on earth. And Jessica, well she shouldn't make such decision to be trapped in the Dial for eternity. We all make mistakes, so what. That'll make us to be a better person next time. Experience taught us valuable lesson. I can't imagine being stucked in no-time for eternity. How would they get food supply if they're going to be trapped forever? I hope the Commandant was still alive to get them out of there anytime soon. Better be. Nevertheless, this book is an awesome read!

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I found some of the ideas in this book very silly to start off with, I soon found myself accepting these ideas and actually started to enjoy the story. The book was nothing like I expected and it was constantly suprising me with shocking new twists and turns in the plot which made me happy to keep reading. I also found the writing style very good and it flowed very well which made for easy reading.

[Shyra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the idea behind this book and I was willing to give it four stars, but the ending was really a disappointment considering how this book doesn't have a sequel. It still raises questions on whether the two inmates were saved in the end or if they survived on the remaining food rations and basically, what happens next?

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books like The Traitors are very hard to come by. Usually when an author tries to write a book about relations between the real world and the fantasy world, it is very hard to not go overboard. What Tom Becker did was incredible, a heart moving ending with plot twists popping up everywhere in the book. Would definitely recommend book to peers.

[Madeline Hilditch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I personally enjoyed this book because it is filled with adventure and mystery. I liked trying to solve the mystery as I went along and sometimes had to go back in the book to help solve it. I recommend it to people who like mystery and action. My favorite part is when he found out that a book was written on and also missing important pages.

[Magda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the beam of light abruptly winked off, the vortex collapsed, shrinking to a tiny orange dot before disappearing completely, leaving the sky a flat pond of midnight.

"What's a promise worth in a prison full of traitors?"

[Alkasu Misuto · Rating 5 out of 5]

The starting was confusing but then as i read on it gets more and more interesting the ending was great but it could also be better if he gets to return back and meet his family and friends again with jessica.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book to date. I loved the plot, and writing style and i was completely immersed from the first page. I found some of the things a bit confusing at first, but I found that by re-reading it they made sense.

[mira. · Rating 4 out of 5]

its a lil bit frustrating when Adam's chose to stay behind until the warphole closed just for one girl! even the Commandant's said don't leave anyone behind.... ahhh. other than that, its okay. kind of nice story afterall.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure that this book would be very good if you are aged 9 - 12, but PLEASE IGNORE THE RATING TEEN ON THE BACK OF THE BOOK, most teenagers will find this book very immature and simplistic. The plot is not bad, but as I said anyone over the age of 13 will just be bored.

[Dyane Basinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a bleak existence, but such a cleverly constructed story. Worth its place on the BASH longlist.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant and very clever!!!! definatly one of my favourites!!