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Concentr8
In a future London, Concentr8 is a prescription drug intended to help kids with ADD. Soon every troubled teen is on it. It makes sense, doesn't it? Keep the undesirable elements in line. Keep people like us safe from people like them. What's good for society is good for everyone. Troy, Femi, Lee, Karen and Blaze have been taking Concentr8 as long as they can remember. They're not exactly a gang, but Blaze is their leader, and Troy has always been his quiet, watchful sidekick - the only one Blaze really trusts. They're not looking for trouble, but one hot summer day, when riots break out across the city, they find it. What makes five kids pick a man seemingly at random - a nobody, he works in the housing department, doesn't even have a good phone - hold a knife to his side, take him to a warehouse and chain him to a radiator? They've got a hostage, but don't really know what they want, or why they've done it. And across the course of five tense days, with a journalist, a floppy-haired mayor, a police negotiator, and the sinister face of the pharmaceutical industry, they - and we - begin to understand why ...This is a book about what how we label children. It's about how kids get lost and failed by the system. It's about how politicians manipulate them. Gripping and controversial reading for fans of Malorie Blackman and Patrick Ness.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published August 27, 2015
14 people are currently reading
1033 people want to read
About the author
William Sutcliffe
48 books108 followersWilliam Sutcliffe was born in 1971 in London. He is the author of eight novels, New Boy, Are You Experienced?, The Love Hexagon, Bad Influence, Whatever Makes You Happy, The Wall, Concentr8 and We See Everything, which have been translated into twenty-six languages.
The Wall was shortlisted for the 2014 CILIP Carnegie Medal. Are You Experienced? has been reissued on the prestigious Penguin Essentials list.
He has also written a series of books for children: Circus of Thieves and the Raffle of Doom, Circus of Thieves on the Rampage and Circus of Thieves and the Comeback Caper.
He lives in Edinburgh with his wife, three children, two cats and a tortoise.
The Wall was shortlisted for the 2014 CILIP Carnegie Medal. Are You Experienced? has been reissued on the prestigious Penguin Essentials list.
He has also written a series of books for children: Circus of Thieves and the Raffle of Doom, Circus of Thieves on the Rampage and Circus of Thieves and the Comeback Caper.
He lives in Edinburgh with his wife, three children, two cats and a tortoise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
February 9, 2017
* I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.
This book was really boring. I didn't enjoy it at all. It sounded promising and exciting but unfortunately this book did not deliver. I think I know where William Sutcliffe was trying to go with this book but unfortunately he crash-landed before it had the chance to really take off.
The characters were poorly-written. The members of the 'gang' were basically all the same except for Karen who finished every sentence like this? All the time? It drove me crazy? The characters also rambled on and on about pointless things and I didn't care about any of it. It was probably just waffle to make this book longer. Anyways, there was nothing really notable about any of the characters.
There was a lack of excitement in the story. Things didn't flow very well and even though a lot was happening, it felt like nothing was actually happening. It was so boring. The ending was meh. I didn't really care what happened but I found it predictable and boring nonetheless.
There's not much I can really say about the writing except that I didn't like it. I don't feel like this book expressed William Sutcliffe's writing style at all (then again I have never read a book by him before so I don't know what his writing is actually like). The little snippets at the start of the chapters were kind of interesting but I don't think they belonged in this book. I felt like they were used only to add words to the book.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. I don't know if I would read another book by William Sutcliffe or not... It depends on the book's plot.
This book was really boring. I didn't enjoy it at all. It sounded promising and exciting but unfortunately this book did not deliver. I think I know where William Sutcliffe was trying to go with this book but unfortunately he crash-landed before it had the chance to really take off.
The characters were poorly-written. The members of the 'gang' were basically all the same except for Karen who finished every sentence like this? All the time? It drove me crazy? The characters also rambled on and on about pointless things and I didn't care about any of it. It was probably just waffle to make this book longer. Anyways, there was nothing really notable about any of the characters.
There was a lack of excitement in the story. Things didn't flow very well and even though a lot was happening, it felt like nothing was actually happening. It was so boring. The ending was meh. I didn't really care what happened but I found it predictable and boring nonetheless.
There's not much I can really say about the writing except that I didn't like it. I don't feel like this book expressed William Sutcliffe's writing style at all (then again I have never read a book by him before so I don't know what his writing is actually like). The little snippets at the start of the chapters were kind of interesting but I don't think they belonged in this book. I felt like they were used only to add words to the book.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. I don't know if I would read another book by William Sutcliffe or not... It depends on the book's plot.
December 31, 2015
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
This is a Did Not Finish (DNF) review, and about 20% into the book. Unfortunately this just didn't work for me, for a few reasons.
Firstly, it was a bit of an impulse request, via NetGalley, and I hadn't really looked at the synopsis much. I have absolutely no experience with ADHD, and honesty don't really understand what it is. I know it means Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and means people with it can't keep focused on one thing at a time. That's about it. I know there are drugs that are used to help the condition, but how, I have absolutely no clue.
Secondly, the characters were completely unrelatable. I hated each and everyone of them, and couldn't bare to read any more about them. The only chapter that was palatable was that of the journalist, and that wasn't exactly enjoyable. At least it had proper punctuation. The lack of commas, speech marks, etc. in the other chapters/ points of views were too distracting, as was the language. I understand that some people won't mind these things, but for me, they ruined the whole reading experience.
Thirdly, I couldn't care less about the plot. All that had happened so far were some rioting in London, because the government banned Concentr8 for ADHD patients. The protagonists, lead by a guy named Blaze, abducted a civil servant who worked for the Mayor. They robbed him, and held him at 'shank'-point, and then sat in an abandoned building, drinking, etc. The Mayor and Journalist had a meeting, and the kidnapping was mentioned, but they didn't seem bothered about it. Nothing really gripped me, and I didn't want to waste time reading for any longer.
I'm sorry, I really am. I wanted to enjoy this, but just couldn't. Perhaps other people might enjoy this much better, just not me.
This is a Did Not Finish (DNF) review, and about 20% into the book. Unfortunately this just didn't work for me, for a few reasons.
Firstly, it was a bit of an impulse request, via NetGalley, and I hadn't really looked at the synopsis much. I have absolutely no experience with ADHD, and honesty don't really understand what it is. I know it means Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and means people with it can't keep focused on one thing at a time. That's about it. I know there are drugs that are used to help the condition, but how, I have absolutely no clue.
Secondly, the characters were completely unrelatable. I hated each and everyone of them, and couldn't bare to read any more about them. The only chapter that was palatable was that of the journalist, and that wasn't exactly enjoyable. At least it had proper punctuation. The lack of commas, speech marks, etc. in the other chapters/ points of views were too distracting, as was the language. I understand that some people won't mind these things, but for me, they ruined the whole reading experience.
Thirdly, I couldn't care less about the plot. All that had happened so far were some rioting in London, because the government banned Concentr8 for ADHD patients. The protagonists, lead by a guy named Blaze, abducted a civil servant who worked for the Mayor. They robbed him, and held him at 'shank'-point, and then sat in an abandoned building, drinking, etc. The Mayor and Journalist had a meeting, and the kidnapping was mentioned, but they didn't seem bothered about it. Nothing really gripped me, and I didn't want to waste time reading for any longer.
I'm sorry, I really am. I wanted to enjoy this, but just couldn't. Perhaps other people might enjoy this much better, just not me.
August 24, 2015
I warn you now, my review, it’s probably going to be a little different to the norm.
This book brought about such a storm of conflict within myself that I’ve has to sit re-read the book twice over and wait 4 days before attempting to review.
I absolutely loved the book, I was drawn in from the first page. I loved the unique yet real use of thick London accents, the switch between the youths and the posher officials, the action and the cinematic quality of the whole thing. The quotes from scientific journals, British Medical Journals and Books by experts in the field gave it a quality I have not yet come across. It made it real.
The depth of the thought processes, the silent bond between Troy and Blaze, the descriptions of the warehouse setting all added a unique visual quality to the story. It was like the film was being uploaded directly to my brain. If it were a film it would have a sound track featuring Dizzy Rascal and Lilly Allen!
This is a must read…. Yet…..
I’m so angry and frustrated with the author. He clearly did his research. There is a stack of reference links in the last few pages of the book along with the direct quotes at the end of each chapter yet the info has been tailored, carefully cut, to put across ADHD as negatively as possible.
There is enough stigma that this is the ‘Naughty kid’ disorder and I worry if this book goes mainstream, and believe me it is good enough to be. I worry that people could use this to sway that image further.
I wonder if the author knows children with ADHD, has direct contact with family friends with children with the disorder. Because I’m sure if he’d watched these young individuals develop through their childhood, knowing there are parents that do go out of their way to support their ADHD child all they possibly can. Then he would know, this is a real neurological disorder that shouldn’t be stigmatized.
Has he seen a well-cared for child hit themselves repetitively around the head simply because they struggled to construct the sentence that’s in their head yet is unable to process the thoughts enough to make it articulately come out of their own mouths? Has he seen them grievously sob for two hours straight because they don’t understand their own behavior? Has he seen or talked to the parents that had to fight for 4 or more years just to be listened to about their worries for their children, worrying what on earth it is that they have done wrong to cause the issues, did they eat the wrong food, not take enough pre pregnancy vitamins, should they have accepted that immunization, are they saying the wrong things. They beat themselves up enough without feeling like they are being blamed by others in society.
The book gives readers (that don’t know the process) the impression that a diagnosis of ADHD gives an automatic entitlement to a DLA award. I can assure you, this is not the case. Nor is it a carrot or reward for the parents for accepting that diagnosis.
The process of even applying for DLA is sole destroying, putting down all the faults and flaws of how different your child is to the norm, how they need more care in this area, more care in that area, then being judged by decision makers during a process that can take years, who are simple office workers and not medically trained brings the strongest parent to depths of despair they have never felt prior. The decision can be a refusal leading to having to request reassessment, or take the case to tribunal or to higher courts. It is not a simple or an easy thing to go through.
The families I know that did end up with a successful claim. They don’t hog the money for their own selfish needs,.. to do so would in fact be illegal. They have to use it to replace numerous amounts of furniture that the poor child has destroyed in a state of hyperactivity or a fit of rage. They use it to hire support, to enable them to have a little respite, provide sensory toys to give feedback to a child seeking tactile input or fund activities to occupy the mind and body of that child.
The stigma of ADHD needs to go, we need to evolve our thought process. The main reason these children do have a statistical higher possibility of ending up in care or in jail later in life, is simply because people have given up on them before they ever gave them a chance. If you were shunned and given up on at each stage through your life by teachers and professionals, wouldn’t you be angry too? Given the right support, the right input, these children can achieve, they CAN be values members of society, of their own communities. Don’t read into the stigma, think outside of the box
some of those you may know with ADHD
Richard Branson
Ty Pennington
Jamie Oliver
Will Smith
Michael Phelps
Ryan Gosling
Paris Hilton
Michele Rodriguez….
The list goes on
http://www.addadult.com/add-education...
http://www.parenting.com/gallery/famo...
This book brought about such a storm of conflict within myself that I’ve has to sit re-read the book twice over and wait 4 days before attempting to review.
I absolutely loved the book, I was drawn in from the first page. I loved the unique yet real use of thick London accents, the switch between the youths and the posher officials, the action and the cinematic quality of the whole thing. The quotes from scientific journals, British Medical Journals and Books by experts in the field gave it a quality I have not yet come across. It made it real.
The depth of the thought processes, the silent bond between Troy and Blaze, the descriptions of the warehouse setting all added a unique visual quality to the story. It was like the film was being uploaded directly to my brain. If it were a film it would have a sound track featuring Dizzy Rascal and Lilly Allen!
This is a must read…. Yet…..
I’m so angry and frustrated with the author. He clearly did his research. There is a stack of reference links in the last few pages of the book along with the direct quotes at the end of each chapter yet the info has been tailored, carefully cut, to put across ADHD as negatively as possible.
There is enough stigma that this is the ‘Naughty kid’ disorder and I worry if this book goes mainstream, and believe me it is good enough to be. I worry that people could use this to sway that image further.
I wonder if the author knows children with ADHD, has direct contact with family friends with children with the disorder. Because I’m sure if he’d watched these young individuals develop through their childhood, knowing there are parents that do go out of their way to support their ADHD child all they possibly can. Then he would know, this is a real neurological disorder that shouldn’t be stigmatized.
Has he seen a well-cared for child hit themselves repetitively around the head simply because they struggled to construct the sentence that’s in their head yet is unable to process the thoughts enough to make it articulately come out of their own mouths? Has he seen them grievously sob for two hours straight because they don’t understand their own behavior? Has he seen or talked to the parents that had to fight for 4 or more years just to be listened to about their worries for their children, worrying what on earth it is that they have done wrong to cause the issues, did they eat the wrong food, not take enough pre pregnancy vitamins, should they have accepted that immunization, are they saying the wrong things. They beat themselves up enough without feeling like they are being blamed by others in society.
The book gives readers (that don’t know the process) the impression that a diagnosis of ADHD gives an automatic entitlement to a DLA award. I can assure you, this is not the case. Nor is it a carrot or reward for the parents for accepting that diagnosis.
The process of even applying for DLA is sole destroying, putting down all the faults and flaws of how different your child is to the norm, how they need more care in this area, more care in that area, then being judged by decision makers during a process that can take years, who are simple office workers and not medically trained brings the strongest parent to depths of despair they have never felt prior. The decision can be a refusal leading to having to request reassessment, or take the case to tribunal or to higher courts. It is not a simple or an easy thing to go through.
The families I know that did end up with a successful claim. They don’t hog the money for their own selfish needs,.. to do so would in fact be illegal. They have to use it to replace numerous amounts of furniture that the poor child has destroyed in a state of hyperactivity or a fit of rage. They use it to hire support, to enable them to have a little respite, provide sensory toys to give feedback to a child seeking tactile input or fund activities to occupy the mind and body of that child.
The stigma of ADHD needs to go, we need to evolve our thought process. The main reason these children do have a statistical higher possibility of ending up in care or in jail later in life, is simply because people have given up on them before they ever gave them a chance. If you were shunned and given up on at each stage through your life by teachers and professionals, wouldn’t you be angry too? Given the right support, the right input, these children can achieve, they CAN be values members of society, of their own communities. Don’t read into the stigma, think outside of the box
some of those you may know with ADHD
Richard Branson
Ty Pennington
Jamie Oliver
Will Smith
Michael Phelps
Ryan Gosling
Paris Hilton
Michele Rodriguez….
The list goes on
http://www.addadult.com/add-education...
http://www.parenting.com/gallery/famo...
August 25, 2015
It could be our society. A scary proposition that it's so familiar. The opening scenes I thought were taking place in a London torn apart by the riots a few summers ago.
The fact that young people are rioting after having their ADHD medication taken away was a shock. It's a topic I've pondered - the necessity of over-medicating young people that may not need chemicals to alter their behaviour.
A group of teenagers, on the fringes of these riots, get caught up in the moment and end up kidnapping a worker leaving his government job. Each of them has been taking Concentr8 since childhood, and now it's been taken away. They take their victim to a warehouse and hole up. The police are soon outside trying to negotiate. Then a journalist tries to score a scoop, and the London major (who sounds very familiar...) all try to wade in and make their mark.
But what of the teenagers? We hear different narrators sharing their thoughts, some of them are the teens - Troy is loyal to the gang's leader Blaze. These two are the best characterised, the others blended into one for me. I found the plot a tense one, I wasn't sure what the group would do to their hostage, it felt that escalation was just a few lines away.
As the story went on, the chapter headings were followed by snippets from science magazines, which I eventually realised were not created for the story but are all actual examples of reports on Ritalin and other ADHD drugs, which scarily coincided with the story I was reading.
The story has a point to make about medicating young people, about the causes of their behaviour issues and how we should be dealing with them. I wasn't quite convinced this is a 5-star read, I didn't really take to any of the secondary characters in the warehouse, I didn't really see why Blaze kidnaps the government worker. I think the parts that worked best were those with the journalist and mayor, and Troy/Blaze realising what has been done to them in the childhoods by the adults around them in their Concetr8 prescriptions.
It's a short read, it has a point to make and is something a little different - it's a topic teenagers won't find any other fiction on and is a subject younger generations really should consider.
This is not one for pre-teens, the violence and sexual content together make this inadvisable.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy.
The fact that young people are rioting after having their ADHD medication taken away was a shock. It's a topic I've pondered - the necessity of over-medicating young people that may not need chemicals to alter their behaviour.
A group of teenagers, on the fringes of these riots, get caught up in the moment and end up kidnapping a worker leaving his government job. Each of them has been taking Concentr8 since childhood, and now it's been taken away. They take their victim to a warehouse and hole up. The police are soon outside trying to negotiate. Then a journalist tries to score a scoop, and the London major (who sounds very familiar...) all try to wade in and make their mark.
But what of the teenagers? We hear different narrators sharing their thoughts, some of them are the teens - Troy is loyal to the gang's leader Blaze. These two are the best characterised, the others blended into one for me. I found the plot a tense one, I wasn't sure what the group would do to their hostage, it felt that escalation was just a few lines away.
As the story went on, the chapter headings were followed by snippets from science magazines, which I eventually realised were not created for the story but are all actual examples of reports on Ritalin and other ADHD drugs, which scarily coincided with the story I was reading.
The story has a point to make about medicating young people, about the causes of their behaviour issues and how we should be dealing with them. I wasn't quite convinced this is a 5-star read, I didn't really take to any of the secondary characters in the warehouse, I didn't really see why Blaze kidnaps the government worker. I think the parts that worked best were those with the journalist and mayor, and Troy/Blaze realising what has been done to them in the childhoods by the adults around them in their Concetr8 prescriptions.
It's a short read, it has a point to make and is something a little different - it's a topic teenagers won't find any other fiction on and is a subject younger generations really should consider.
This is not one for pre-teens, the violence and sexual content together make this inadvisable.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy.
September 27, 2015
Here's the link to my video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnNO4...
Concentr8 is a book about how the easiness of prescribed drugs, for suffers of ADHD and behavioural problem, can impact the youth and general society of London, at least this is what I grasped. In this novel, we follow Blaze, Troy, Femi, Karen and Lee: a gang of sorts, who, upon seeing the riots of London, knows they want in but they almost feel the need, the insane drive, to do something bigger... Something serious... Something LUDICROUS, in order to get their voices heard... Even if they're not too sure what their voices want to say.
I'm really not sure how to review this book because I think, under the surface it went into deeper tones, exploring society, than I am able to comprehend. As well as this, I'm not entirely certain how much is fiction and how much is not, but from what I can gather the plot is fiction based on a probable occurrence, hoping to share with the readers the distinct line between working class Londoners and, their fanciful rivals, the politicians. Skimming reviews prior to reading this, I noticed a mixed response but I thought it started out feeling tense and continued with that electricity throughout.
I enjoyed that this book was told from the perspectives of many people, both the gang and the higher class people, such as the mayor and the journalist. It gave me an insight on how others felt about the situation this plot delivered and also allowed me to see how all people responded to the actions of others, perhaps not in their social class. It also had excerpts from articles and books regarding ADHD and the use of drugs, which gave me a greater understanding to the medical side of things and therefore allowed me to better judge whether actions by characters in the book where just or insincere.
I found that everybody's point of view felt like a complete different person, which was great. I had the hardest time, initially, understanding Troy's parts because it was written exactly how I could imagine him speaking and showed how little educated he was, so it lacked sense of grammar and punctuation. I don't know if I had just got used to the style of Troy's narration, but I felt like it was more collected and easier to read, with more punctuation as I read on. Karen was a nuisance to read from because everything was written with question marks and I think she was not developed as some of the other characters were, although I generally think character development was an issue in this book.
All in all, I wish I could understand the depth, I know this book has, more than I did, but it still made an interesting and thought provoking read.
This was received free to read for an honest review, via the publisher on Netgalley.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! ^.^
Gén
Concentr8 is a book about how the easiness of prescribed drugs, for suffers of ADHD and behavioural problem, can impact the youth and general society of London, at least this is what I grasped. In this novel, we follow Blaze, Troy, Femi, Karen and Lee: a gang of sorts, who, upon seeing the riots of London, knows they want in but they almost feel the need, the insane drive, to do something bigger... Something serious... Something LUDICROUS, in order to get their voices heard... Even if they're not too sure what their voices want to say.
I'm really not sure how to review this book because I think, under the surface it went into deeper tones, exploring society, than I am able to comprehend. As well as this, I'm not entirely certain how much is fiction and how much is not, but from what I can gather the plot is fiction based on a probable occurrence, hoping to share with the readers the distinct line between working class Londoners and, their fanciful rivals, the politicians. Skimming reviews prior to reading this, I noticed a mixed response but I thought it started out feeling tense and continued with that electricity throughout.
I enjoyed that this book was told from the perspectives of many people, both the gang and the higher class people, such as the mayor and the journalist. It gave me an insight on how others felt about the situation this plot delivered and also allowed me to see how all people responded to the actions of others, perhaps not in their social class. It also had excerpts from articles and books regarding ADHD and the use of drugs, which gave me a greater understanding to the medical side of things and therefore allowed me to better judge whether actions by characters in the book where just or insincere.
I found that everybody's point of view felt like a complete different person, which was great. I had the hardest time, initially, understanding Troy's parts because it was written exactly how I could imagine him speaking and showed how little educated he was, so it lacked sense of grammar and punctuation. I don't know if I had just got used to the style of Troy's narration, but I felt like it was more collected and easier to read, with more punctuation as I read on. Karen was a nuisance to read from because everything was written with question marks and I think she was not developed as some of the other characters were, although I generally think character development was an issue in this book.
All in all, I wish I could understand the depth, I know this book has, more than I did, but it still made an interesting and thought provoking read.
This was received free to read for an honest review, via the publisher on Netgalley.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! ^.^
Gén
August 11, 2015
Interesting read, also informative (although not, strangely necessarily within the story) It's also a fast read, one of those books with short snappy chapters that can either work really well, or not so much. We'll come to that.
Anyway, Concentr8 is the drug choice in this novel, kids are on it through an official policy and then the programme is stopped. Riots ensue. We join the story when said riots are in full swing and we follow a group of kids who have kidnapped some guy off the street, plus we get the point of view of the mayor, a reporter and the kidnapped man himself.
This novel worked in making you think about the issues - ADHD and ritalin and all of that sort of thing in our real world, there are some little information snippets at the beginning of each chapter which were fascinating in part. There is enough character definition there for you to really begin to wonder how much of it is them and how much of it is withdrawal, and link that to the realistic circumstance under which a child is diagnosed with ADHD and medicated. So if the authors intention was to get people to at least consider all this stuff then job done.
The problem I found was in the narrative voices, especially with regards to the kids who all pretty much read the same. They all sounded alike and I often had to double check the chapter heading to see who's point of view I was actually on. This lessened as the story continued because they all had their own arcs but at first it was a bit annoying. Really if I'm honest there wasn't that much difference to the adult narrative voices either. My very personal opinion is that this might have been better written from one, maybe two points of view rather than the mish mash we got.
I actually think that is tied into the short snappy chapter thing. You were not with any one person long enough to get a feel for them and by the time you got back to them you'd forgotton what you thought they were like in the first place. Erm I'm sounding convoluted now but you know what I mean! (Hopefully)Again then, written from 2 points of view with short snippets might have worked better for me as a reader.
There are a lot of plus points as well, it is a quick fire, intriguing premise and an interesting question. The actions of both children and adults were well imagined in order to create questions and get you involved, the kind of "what if" scenario type novel that is always inviting.
Well imagined, perhaps could have been executed better for me. Still worth a read though.
Happy Reading Folks!
Anyway, Concentr8 is the drug choice in this novel, kids are on it through an official policy and then the programme is stopped. Riots ensue. We join the story when said riots are in full swing and we follow a group of kids who have kidnapped some guy off the street, plus we get the point of view of the mayor, a reporter and the kidnapped man himself.
This novel worked in making you think about the issues - ADHD and ritalin and all of that sort of thing in our real world, there are some little information snippets at the beginning of each chapter which were fascinating in part. There is enough character definition there for you to really begin to wonder how much of it is them and how much of it is withdrawal, and link that to the realistic circumstance under which a child is diagnosed with ADHD and medicated. So if the authors intention was to get people to at least consider all this stuff then job done.
The problem I found was in the narrative voices, especially with regards to the kids who all pretty much read the same. They all sounded alike and I often had to double check the chapter heading to see who's point of view I was actually on. This lessened as the story continued because they all had their own arcs but at first it was a bit annoying. Really if I'm honest there wasn't that much difference to the adult narrative voices either. My very personal opinion is that this might have been better written from one, maybe two points of view rather than the mish mash we got.
I actually think that is tied into the short snappy chapter thing. You were not with any one person long enough to get a feel for them and by the time you got back to them you'd forgotton what you thought they were like in the first place. Erm I'm sounding convoluted now but you know what I mean! (Hopefully)Again then, written from 2 points of view with short snippets might have worked better for me as a reader.
There are a lot of plus points as well, it is a quick fire, intriguing premise and an interesting question. The actions of both children and adults were well imagined in order to create questions and get you involved, the kind of "what if" scenario type novel that is always inviting.
Well imagined, perhaps could have been executed better for me. Still worth a read though.
Happy Reading Folks!
November 30, 2015
The premise of this book was incredibly appealing to me. Anyone that knows me knows I love a good dystopian. This, unfortunately, was not a good dystopian. This story is set in futuristic London where a drug known as Concentr8 has been banned by the government and the population starts to riot. That is where the story should stop. It just gets worse the more you read.
I did not care about any of the characters and felt they were very poorly written. The teenagers are portrayed as stupid and mindless, which I am sure they are based on society and whatnot. But they made the story difficult to read. They had no redeeming qualities so you, as the reader, just dislike them as the story progresses. The story moved at a snail’s pace and went on about nothing. I kept waiting for something big to happen but it never did.
The thing that bothered me the most about this story was the narrative. There are far too many and it made my head hurt after a while. I started to care less and less about what all of these people were saying. The other thing that was annoying was the grammar and lack of punctuation. Sure, the author may have felt he was on to something while writing that way but the reader will only get a headache from trying to understand it all. Skimming was the only way I was able to make it through each page.
Overall, this book was just not for me. Yes, the book gives you some things to think about, such as the ethics of over-medication of today’s youth, but that is as deep as the story goes. I almost DNF’d this book several times but pushed on since it is a short read. Do yourself a favor, do not do what I did. Pass on this book and read something else.
I did not care about any of the characters and felt they were very poorly written. The teenagers are portrayed as stupid and mindless, which I am sure they are based on society and whatnot. But they made the story difficult to read. They had no redeeming qualities so you, as the reader, just dislike them as the story progresses. The story moved at a snail’s pace and went on about nothing. I kept waiting for something big to happen but it never did.
The thing that bothered me the most about this story was the narrative. There are far too many and it made my head hurt after a while. I started to care less and less about what all of these people were saying. The other thing that was annoying was the grammar and lack of punctuation. Sure, the author may have felt he was on to something while writing that way but the reader will only get a headache from trying to understand it all. Skimming was the only way I was able to make it through each page.
Overall, this book was just not for me. Yes, the book gives you some things to think about, such as the ethics of over-medication of today’s youth, but that is as deep as the story goes. I almost DNF’d this book several times but pushed on since it is a short read. Do yourself a favor, do not do what I did. Pass on this book and read something else.
August 28, 2015
Concentr8 is a very thought provoking story about ADHD and the use of drugs, such as Ritalin to control it.
This novel tells the story of a society where the behaviour of children is controlled through the use of a drug similar to Ritalin, called Concentr8, and what happens when there isn’t enough of the drug to go around anymore.
It has a very gritty and often dark feel to it, and although I did feel it was slow to start, due to the frequent change in points of view, and the language used by the teenagers, which didn’t flow off the tongue very easily, once I reached about 20% I found it more interesting and much easier to follow. This story is told mainly from the point of view of various teenagers, the mayor of London, a female journalist and the man kidnapped by the teenagers.
Having very little knowledge of ADHD before reading this, other than being aware that ‘naughty’ children (often boys) take Ritalin to calm them down, and there appear to be more and more children being diagnosed with ADHD these days, I do feel this novel has educated me on the subject. I loved the factual snippets that were regularly included throughout the novel, and was truly shocked by some of the statistics. It has definitely opened my eyes!
I’m not sure exactly what the author’s intention was by writing this novel, but it has certainly left me with more questions than answers. I’ve been left wondering whether the use of drugs, such as Ritalin does actually benefit the child that supposedly has ADHD, or whether it is just convenient for the parents and teachers to have a better behaved, more subdued child to deal with, while at the same time making the pharmaceutical companies very rich.
What effect does long term use of Ritalin have on the children’s brains and senses? What causes ADHD – is it all down to the chemical makeup of a child, or the way they are parented, or the society around them? Why are more children being diagnosed with the condition as time goes on? Do the behaviours of ADHD have to be seen as a condition? Is it really so wrong to just accept that some children are born to be naughty? Are there better ways to deal with such behaviour without the use of drugs?
Overall, I think this was a good book, which raised lots of important questions through the behaviour and decisions made by the main characters within the story. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who either has an interest in ADHD, deals with children on a regular basis, or has very little knowledge of it, like myself and would like to know more.
I would like to thank the publisher, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for allowing me a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This novel tells the story of a society where the behaviour of children is controlled through the use of a drug similar to Ritalin, called Concentr8, and what happens when there isn’t enough of the drug to go around anymore.
It has a very gritty and often dark feel to it, and although I did feel it was slow to start, due to the frequent change in points of view, and the language used by the teenagers, which didn’t flow off the tongue very easily, once I reached about 20% I found it more interesting and much easier to follow. This story is told mainly from the point of view of various teenagers, the mayor of London, a female journalist and the man kidnapped by the teenagers.
Having very little knowledge of ADHD before reading this, other than being aware that ‘naughty’ children (often boys) take Ritalin to calm them down, and there appear to be more and more children being diagnosed with ADHD these days, I do feel this novel has educated me on the subject. I loved the factual snippets that were regularly included throughout the novel, and was truly shocked by some of the statistics. It has definitely opened my eyes!
I’m not sure exactly what the author’s intention was by writing this novel, but it has certainly left me with more questions than answers. I’ve been left wondering whether the use of drugs, such as Ritalin does actually benefit the child that supposedly has ADHD, or whether it is just convenient for the parents and teachers to have a better behaved, more subdued child to deal with, while at the same time making the pharmaceutical companies very rich.
What effect does long term use of Ritalin have on the children’s brains and senses? What causes ADHD – is it all down to the chemical makeup of a child, or the way they are parented, or the society around them? Why are more children being diagnosed with the condition as time goes on? Do the behaviours of ADHD have to be seen as a condition? Is it really so wrong to just accept that some children are born to be naughty? Are there better ways to deal with such behaviour without the use of drugs?
Overall, I think this was a good book, which raised lots of important questions through the behaviour and decisions made by the main characters within the story. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who either has an interest in ADHD, deals with children on a regular basis, or has very little knowledge of it, like myself and would like to know more.
I would like to thank the publisher, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for allowing me a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 26, 2017
What the heck did I just read? Let's be honest...I read about 1/2 then skimmed the rest because I hate not to finish a book. SPOILER ALERT: (but I hope you won't read this book anyway)...I suppose one could argue that the street kids that randomly kidnapped a guy and held him hostage were acting out of hopelessness. The whole premise of the book was the govt purposely targeting "troublemakers," paying parents to medicate their children to keep them in control & quiet. Wouldn't you think the author would plan the book so THAT was the kids' motivation? NO! The kids randomly kidnapped a random guy only to find out AFTERwards that they whole Concentr8 meds were unethical! Blaze, the leader, ended up taking the blame for everything, but what did he want in return? To force the mayor to shave his head (WHAT??) & be exposed for overmedicating kids. In the end, I just didn't care.
November 26, 2019
Didn't get it. too fucked up
Read
December 24, 2019The ideas behind this book sounded really interesting to me when I first picked it up and it was recommended to me as well, so I decided to give it a try. I have read some negative comments about this book but also some very positive, and I have decided I am in the middle. It didn't take me very long to read it, but I felt it went on a bit too long based on how little actually happened in the story. I enjoyed the chapters from the perspective of the journalist, but the others I felt were a bit repetitive and had no real action to them. I think other people could enjoy this more, it just wasn't for me.
August 21, 2016
3.5 stars
So I know a lot of people weren’t so keen on this but I liked it. It was no earth-shattering masterpiece but it was enjoyable and fast-paced, despite being set over a period of just 6 days.
Concentr8 is set during an outbreak of rioting, much like the London riots of 2011, but these riots were triggered by the withdrawal of a drug called Concentr8, used to treat schoolchildren with ADHD. The book follows 5 teenagers, as well as a few other characters, who all take turns narrating. Throughout the book, we follow the events that unfold when the teenagers take advantage of the chaos of the rioting to kidnap and hold captive a man they see leaving the building where the mayor works. I quite liked the plot but I’m not entirely sure what the author was trying to say with it – does he think ADHD isn’t real or is he just saying that the measures taken in his fictional world are too extreme? I was just rather confused by that whole aspect of the novel.
I liked the characters – especially the contrast between Troy and Femi, two boys who may initially be viewed as very similar, but who we come to see have had very different lives, and very different feelings on their situation. Then we have Karen, who only seems to care about the consequences for her, and Lee, who doesn’t really seem to realise there are consequences at all, or at least he chooses not to think about them. That only leaves Blaze, and I do think the way he was written was very clever and interesting – we mostly learn about him from the viewpoints of other characters and we really do seem to get to know him this way, to the extent that, despite him only having one chapter, he definitely feels like one of the most major characters. I really did like the way the book was written so that you see all these contrasting views, different people with different opinions and motives, all reflecting on the same situation – it was definitely my favourite thing about Concentr8.
Though I did like getting the viewpoints of the journalist and the mayor (I’m not sure about the hostage and the negotiator was completely pointless in my opinion), I think it may have been more interesting to only follow the kids, and have more of a chance to go in depth with them, learn more about their lives and what led them to their situation and their feelings on it – a little more character development. I do feel that, although I came to like the characters, none of them were as developed as I would have liked. Lee, especially, only has 3 chapters, in which all we seem to learn about his character is what we’ve learned from the other characters’ assessments of him – that he’s not so clever. I do think this was done quite well, to be fair, with his focus on other things and a lack of ability to seem to understand the gravity of the situation he’s in, but there must be more to his character and background than him being a bit thick.
I did think the book was quite good but it just had the potential to be so much more, to give that view of different people who have ended up in this situation, how they came to be there, their feelings on it, how they’re such vastly different people despite how society – and the reader at first – kind of views them as all the same. I also think it would have been interesting if Sutcliffe had pulled more on the idea of seeing one character from the point of view of the others i.e. how everyone views Blaze, kind of making the whole book about him without him narrating until the very end. This was kind of done a little bit but a stronger focus on it could have made for a more intriguing read.
I know some people gave up on the book very early on because they were annoyed by the way some of the characters speak in bad English but this wasn’t a problem for me, though it takes a little while to get the hang of it. It would have really bothered me if, say, there were apostrophes in the wrong place or words were spelled wrong but it wasn’t like that, it was written how the characters would speak and I think that helps some to help you get to know the character a little quicker, plus it helps you to separate them in your head even before you learn enough about them to distinguish them by their character traits.
This is definitely a book where you need to stick with it for a little bit to really get into it but, if you do manage that, and don’t let prejudices about bad English get in the way, it is an enjoyable and interesting read.
So I know a lot of people weren’t so keen on this but I liked it. It was no earth-shattering masterpiece but it was enjoyable and fast-paced, despite being set over a period of just 6 days.
Concentr8 is set during an outbreak of rioting, much like the London riots of 2011, but these riots were triggered by the withdrawal of a drug called Concentr8, used to treat schoolchildren with ADHD. The book follows 5 teenagers, as well as a few other characters, who all take turns narrating. Throughout the book, we follow the events that unfold when the teenagers take advantage of the chaos of the rioting to kidnap and hold captive a man they see leaving the building where the mayor works. I quite liked the plot but I’m not entirely sure what the author was trying to say with it – does he think ADHD isn’t real or is he just saying that the measures taken in his fictional world are too extreme? I was just rather confused by that whole aspect of the novel.
I liked the characters – especially the contrast between Troy and Femi, two boys who may initially be viewed as very similar, but who we come to see have had very different lives, and very different feelings on their situation. Then we have Karen, who only seems to care about the consequences for her, and Lee, who doesn’t really seem to realise there are consequences at all, or at least he chooses not to think about them. That only leaves Blaze, and I do think the way he was written was very clever and interesting – we mostly learn about him from the viewpoints of other characters and we really do seem to get to know him this way, to the extent that, despite him only having one chapter, he definitely feels like one of the most major characters. I really did like the way the book was written so that you see all these contrasting views, different people with different opinions and motives, all reflecting on the same situation – it was definitely my favourite thing about Concentr8.
Though I did like getting the viewpoints of the journalist and the mayor (I’m not sure about the hostage and the negotiator was completely pointless in my opinion), I think it may have been more interesting to only follow the kids, and have more of a chance to go in depth with them, learn more about their lives and what led them to their situation and their feelings on it – a little more character development. I do feel that, although I came to like the characters, none of them were as developed as I would have liked. Lee, especially, only has 3 chapters, in which all we seem to learn about his character is what we’ve learned from the other characters’ assessments of him – that he’s not so clever. I do think this was done quite well, to be fair, with his focus on other things and a lack of ability to seem to understand the gravity of the situation he’s in, but there must be more to his character and background than him being a bit thick.
I did think the book was quite good but it just had the potential to be so much more, to give that view of different people who have ended up in this situation, how they came to be there, their feelings on it, how they’re such vastly different people despite how society – and the reader at first – kind of views them as all the same. I also think it would have been interesting if Sutcliffe had pulled more on the idea of seeing one character from the point of view of the others i.e. how everyone views Blaze, kind of making the whole book about him without him narrating until the very end. This was kind of done a little bit but a stronger focus on it could have made for a more intriguing read.
I know some people gave up on the book very early on because they were annoyed by the way some of the characters speak in bad English but this wasn’t a problem for me, though it takes a little while to get the hang of it. It would have really bothered me if, say, there were apostrophes in the wrong place or words were spelled wrong but it wasn’t like that, it was written how the characters would speak and I think that helps some to help you get to know the character a little quicker, plus it helps you to separate them in your head even before you learn enough about them to distinguish them by their character traits.
This is definitely a book where you need to stick with it for a little bit to really get into it but, if you do manage that, and don’t let prejudices about bad English get in the way, it is an enjoyable and interesting read.
August 11, 2021
” Although some biological psychiatrists were puzzle by the fact that stimulants seemed paradoxically to calm hyperactive children, the belief in their effectiveness was such that, in some cases, stimulants were used as a diagnostic tool: if they calmed down an overactive, impulsive child, then the child likely had hyperactivity. More important for parents, however, was that stimulants were quicker, easier and less expensive treatment modality than arranging for psychotherapy or analyzing and attempting to change the social factors that might be contributing to such behavior. Such drugs appeared to be veritable magic bullets…. Stimulants did what psychotherapy could not do: they calmed children down within minutes. “- Matthew Smith, Hyperactive: The Controversial History of ADHD
In order to understand what Concentr8 is about you need to have some background information about what is happening in this futuristic London setting, because the story is told from multiple perspectives it can be easy to become confused in the beginning about what’s going on just like I was. In this world the drug, Concentr8, the government has been using it as a form of social control, until it has been abolished by the Prime Minister. Which is the reason why there are riots allover London.
In the beginning it was extremely difficult for me to understand what was going on and I’m not sure if it was because we are reading mostly from the perspective of a character going through withdrawal or because of the slang. I know that it was important to the characterization of these teenagers who were from the projects but, as someone who isn’t familiar with many of those terms it became frustrating to sometimes have to re-read pages. And with all of the different POVs it was difficult to connect with any of the characters.
While Concentr8 may not of had the most engaging characters, it did have some really good points. Such as, is medication really the solution when it comes to mental health? Should school administrators be so quick to recommend medication to “problematic children”? Do social and environmental factors contribute to mental health problems, or in this case ADHD? Before each chapter there is a quote, book excerpt, or sometimes even a tweet that provide interesting facts about Ritalin or ADHD, but, it’s not until the end that you realize their purpose in the story. I really enjoyed the way the author addressed issues pertaining to the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD instead of trying to have an accurate portrayal of a mental disorder that has such a wide spectrum, from attention deficit to hyperactivity.
Overall, this was a three star book that while I wish that I had been able to connect more with the characters, I did think that Concentr8 was a unique, memorable and though provoking young adult novel. I would definitely recommend picking it up if you are interested in reading more ya that discusses mental health.
Thank you so much Bloomsbury and the Irish Bananas Tours for providing me with a physical copy for review. In compliance with FTC guidelines, I must state that I received this book for free and was in no way compensated for my review.
In order to understand what Concentr8 is about you need to have some background information about what is happening in this futuristic London setting, because the story is told from multiple perspectives it can be easy to become confused in the beginning about what’s going on just like I was. In this world the drug, Concentr8, the government has been using it as a form of social control, until it has been abolished by the Prime Minister. Which is the reason why there are riots allover London.
In the beginning it was extremely difficult for me to understand what was going on and I’m not sure if it was because we are reading mostly from the perspective of a character going through withdrawal or because of the slang. I know that it was important to the characterization of these teenagers who were from the projects but, as someone who isn’t familiar with many of those terms it became frustrating to sometimes have to re-read pages. And with all of the different POVs it was difficult to connect with any of the characters.
While Concentr8 may not of had the most engaging characters, it did have some really good points. Such as, is medication really the solution when it comes to mental health? Should school administrators be so quick to recommend medication to “problematic children”? Do social and environmental factors contribute to mental health problems, or in this case ADHD? Before each chapter there is a quote, book excerpt, or sometimes even a tweet that provide interesting facts about Ritalin or ADHD, but, it’s not until the end that you realize their purpose in the story. I really enjoyed the way the author addressed issues pertaining to the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD instead of trying to have an accurate portrayal of a mental disorder that has such a wide spectrum, from attention deficit to hyperactivity.
Overall, this was a three star book that while I wish that I had been able to connect more with the characters, I did think that Concentr8 was a unique, memorable and though provoking young adult novel. I would definitely recommend picking it up if you are interested in reading more ya that discusses mental health.
Thank you so much Bloomsbury and the Irish Bananas Tours for providing me with a physical copy for review. In compliance with FTC guidelines, I must state that I received this book for free and was in no way compensated for my review.
September 1, 2015
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This novel is set in London in a society where Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is on the rise. Ritalin is a drug that is used to calm children/teens with ADHD, however there is a new wonder drug Concentr8 which has the same desired effects but better and cheaper
The concentr8 program has been abandoned! as a result London is in chaos with riots, looting, and fires.
The novel starts off with 5 teenagers Blaze, Troy, Femi, Lee and Karen, on a whim they to decide to kidnap an employee from the Mayors offices and tie him to a radiator, but they don't really know why. It just happens.
I hadn't heard much about this book or the author when I requested it and the synopsis intrigued me or maybe it was the blinding yellow of the book that drew me in (who knows).
I really didn't like the writing style of this book, every chapter was told by a different person and because they were so short, I had to go back to remind myself who the narrator was. I have never seen writing like this before either, the words are mashed together, eg "It's like all your lifeyou knowwhat's fantasyand whats solid..." It is
like this throughout the book and I had to make sure what i was reading as could be confusing at times.There are lack of comma's, full stops and pretty appalling grammar with thick London accents.
So I researched ADHD and some of the symptoms are impulsiveness, little or no sense of danger, excessive talking, unable to concentrate, short attention span and many more. Which does come across in the characters.
This is one of the mental health issues that hasn't really be discussed in books that much and I was looking forward to it being touched upon. There are also excerpts in every chapter that has been taken from real life twitter accounts, magazines and other sources regarding Ritalin.
The book is very thought-provoking about ADHD, medications that are used, their side effects and diagnosis.
If you are interested in Mental Health and diverse books then have a look.
I personally didn't enjoy this book but made myself finish it (DNF is a rarity)
This novel is set in London in a society where Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is on the rise. Ritalin is a drug that is used to calm children/teens with ADHD, however there is a new wonder drug Concentr8 which has the same desired effects but better and cheaper
The concentr8 program has been abandoned! as a result London is in chaos with riots, looting, and fires.
The novel starts off with 5 teenagers Blaze, Troy, Femi, Lee and Karen, on a whim they to decide to kidnap an employee from the Mayors offices and tie him to a radiator, but they don't really know why. It just happens.
I hadn't heard much about this book or the author when I requested it and the synopsis intrigued me or maybe it was the blinding yellow of the book that drew me in (who knows).
I really didn't like the writing style of this book, every chapter was told by a different person and because they were so short, I had to go back to remind myself who the narrator was. I have never seen writing like this before either, the words are mashed together, eg "It's like all your lifeyou knowwhat's fantasyand whats solid..." It is
like this throughout the book and I had to make sure what i was reading as could be confusing at times.There are lack of comma's, full stops and pretty appalling grammar with thick London accents.
So I researched ADHD and some of the symptoms are impulsiveness, little or no sense of danger, excessive talking, unable to concentrate, short attention span and many more. Which does come across in the characters.
This is one of the mental health issues that hasn't really be discussed in books that much and I was looking forward to it being touched upon. There are also excerpts in every chapter that has been taken from real life twitter accounts, magazines and other sources regarding Ritalin.
The book is very thought-provoking about ADHD, medications that are used, their side effects and diagnosis.
If you are interested in Mental Health and diverse books then have a look.
I personally didn't enjoy this book but made myself finish it (DNF is a rarity)
March 22, 2017
"If you opened all the doors on all the cages at London Zoo you’d get the exact something – playtime for the animals and everyone else shitting bricks. It’d be the zookeepers that’d get eaten first- ain’t that the truth."
I found the read slightly emotional- the thoughts of each child of why they do what they do, how much they really do or don't understand and at times how much, leaving aside the main event of the book, is not actually their fault. How they have been let down by the system that is greedy for money, fame and power.
Each paragraph is narrated through the eyes of the characters… we have the youngsters where the writing style is exactly the way they would speak (so, bad grammar!It's quite genius, really!) and we have the mayor, the journalist, the odd paragraph through the eyes of the negotiator. At the end of each paragraph is a factual piece about ADD medicines. Quite frankly, a scary eye-opening read. It’s as if the whole book is created to get the factual pieces across in a hands-on manner. As if explaining maths by using apples or something :)
Aside from the children, the characters of the journalist, the mayor and the negotiator have been perfectly brought across and with each paragraph my reading voice changed the tune and the voice accordingly.
Quite interesting… I would recommend at least to try and read this book. It will give some food for thought… Let us all interpret the message to our best abilities…
Book via: Netgalley
I found the read slightly emotional- the thoughts of each child of why they do what they do, how much they really do or don't understand and at times how much, leaving aside the main event of the book, is not actually their fault. How they have been let down by the system that is greedy for money, fame and power.
Each paragraph is narrated through the eyes of the characters… we have the youngsters where the writing style is exactly the way they would speak (so, bad grammar!It's quite genius, really!) and we have the mayor, the journalist, the odd paragraph through the eyes of the negotiator. At the end of each paragraph is a factual piece about ADD medicines. Quite frankly, a scary eye-opening read. It’s as if the whole book is created to get the factual pieces across in a hands-on manner. As if explaining maths by using apples or something :)
Aside from the children, the characters of the journalist, the mayor and the negotiator have been perfectly brought across and with each paragraph my reading voice changed the tune and the voice accordingly.
Quite interesting… I would recommend at least to try and read this book. It will give some food for thought… Let us all interpret the message to our best abilities…
Book via: Netgalley
January 19, 2016
I don't usually like not finishing books, especially ones that are sent to me as an ARC, but I do have to be honest.
I did try to give Concentr8 a fair chance, but you know when you have a strong feeling that you're going to dislike something? Yeah? That's exactly how I felt about this book.
From the get-go, I wasn't really sold on the characters and their voices. Not to cause offense, but I'm not a fan of chavvy narrators or characters in general. Seeing the word "blud" in print actually makes me want to stab myself in the eye with fork. I would be very interested to see the main character's GCSE grades.
The concept sounded interesting, but it just failed to hook me in. Considering it's set in future London, I was kind of hoping language had developed ever so slightly. Nope. The way these characters speak is a huge deal breaker for me in terms of reading. I don't think I could tolerate 200+ pages of chav-speak.
It's such a shame because I've never properly DNF'd a book before because it usually makes me feel like a terrible person, but this book just wasn't for me.
I did try to give Concentr8 a fair chance, but you know when you have a strong feeling that you're going to dislike something? Yeah? That's exactly how I felt about this book.
From the get-go, I wasn't really sold on the characters and their voices. Not to cause offense, but I'm not a fan of chavvy narrators or characters in general. Seeing the word "blud" in print actually makes me want to stab myself in the eye with fork. I would be very interested to see the main character's GCSE grades.
The concept sounded interesting, but it just failed to hook me in. Considering it's set in future London, I was kind of hoping language had developed ever so slightly. Nope. The way these characters speak is a huge deal breaker for me in terms of reading. I don't think I could tolerate 200+ pages of chav-speak.
It's such a shame because I've never properly DNF'd a book before because it usually makes me feel like a terrible person, but this book just wasn't for me.
August 31, 2015
This novel was honestly terrible! I DNF at 50%, and it was like torture. All the characters needed a punch in the face, or kick in the stomach. You can decide. I do not recommend this to anyone, you will probably be bored to death. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
Check out my full review at: https://rachwithbooks.wordpress.com/2...
Check out my full review at: https://rachwithbooks.wordpress.com/2...
June 29, 2016
Thank F*** for that.
Really struggled with this book. Don't get me wrong, the language of the characters was on point - even if it did annoy the f*** out of me - but I didn't actually feel like there was any point or plot to this book whatsoever.
Really disappointed as this was a carnegie shortlist and I don't know, I just expected more I guess.
Really struggled with this book. Don't get me wrong, the language of the characters was on point - even if it did annoy the f*** out of me - but I didn't actually feel like there was any point or plot to this book whatsoever.
Really disappointed as this was a carnegie shortlist and I don't know, I just expected more I guess.
August 20, 2024
Death Date - ⚰️ p.20
Absolute dnf. The writing is HORRIFIC, I’m talking, LITERAL ganglish. I love pretty writing and this isn’t even YA. It’s worse than pulling something out of a depressed middle schooler’s secret little diary, trying to be poetic and edgy but can’t even write properly. Not only that but it’s boring as shit. Now, I get that it’s going to be boring at only page 20, but it was already at an, quote quote, “intense part.” I already knew I was going to hate this so I didn’t even waste any time.
Please note: I’m not generally a negative reviewer, but holy shit.
Absolute dnf. The writing is HORRIFIC, I’m talking, LITERAL ganglish. I love pretty writing and this isn’t even YA. It’s worse than pulling something out of a depressed middle schooler’s secret little diary, trying to be poetic and edgy but can’t even write properly. Not only that but it’s boring as shit. Now, I get that it’s going to be boring at only page 20, but it was already at an, quote quote, “intense part.” I already knew I was going to hate this so I didn’t even waste any time.
Please note: I’m not generally a negative reviewer, but holy shit.
September 24, 2016
**Spoilers below**
Main Character – Multiple viewpoints
Sub Characters – Blaze (leader), Lee (bit simple), Karen (Blaze’s girlfriend), Troy (Blaze’s friend from very young), Matchstick (Blaze’s little skinny brother), Femi (boy in the group)
In the (not so distant) future, London is experiencing rioting and looting after a drug called Concentr8 has been taken off the market. Most of the rioters are people who’ve been on the drug for years. Blaze and his friends watch the riots from the edges but don’t join in. But the fires, the noise and the excitement on rioter’s faces as they strip stores of goods - rubs off on them and completely at random they kidnap a man leaving work for the day. It wasn’t planned – it just happens.
They take him to a warehouse Blaze and Matchstick knew of and tie him to a radiator.
Viewpoints from the teens / hostage / negotiator outside / mayor / journalist tell the story of what follows. They get bored and trash everything in the warehouse. They negotiate for food and more Concentr8. The characters show what they’re thinking – not happy about the situation but not wanting to say no to Blaze; about each other and how they fit into the group.
When Troy reads on his phone about the Concentr8 drug being handed out to parents after schools determined which kids were the disruptive ones – meaning an allowance was handed out to parents whose kids took the drug – he knows his mother put him on the drug for the money and nothing else. He had been on it for years, as had all of his friends. Had the government used it as a keeping the peace drug – taking the fight and spirit out of kids? He’s already noticed how more awake he feels.
He shows Blaze who then burns most of the packets given to them by the police negotiator outside.
Meanwhile a journalist is trying to find the scoop of her life (she had written the article Troy had read) and the mayor is trying to do something to give himself maximum brownie points with the public.
Each chapter had excerpts from scientific journals about the use of ADHD drugs such as Ritalin and how countries adopted it or banned it and how its use skyrocketed over the years.
I enjoyed the language used – The strong London accent and way of speaking and then the contrast to the mayor and his jargon and the journalist’s scheming for a scoop.
I don’t think this made me think less of people with ADHD, as some reviewers have suggested. It actually made me more aware of how hard it is to have it. This story is quite possible (which is scary), and deals with the topic of ADHD in a thought provoking way. I was only caught out once as to whose ‘head’ I was in as the point of views shifted, and I enjoyed the language. I particularly found Troy’s point of view heart-wrenching as he touched on how awful his childhood was.
I liked this book but I LOVED 'The Wall' - But that said, different styles, different times, just different.
Main Character – Multiple viewpoints
Sub Characters – Blaze (leader), Lee (bit simple), Karen (Blaze’s girlfriend), Troy (Blaze’s friend from very young), Matchstick (Blaze’s little skinny brother), Femi (boy in the group)
In the (not so distant) future, London is experiencing rioting and looting after a drug called Concentr8 has been taken off the market. Most of the rioters are people who’ve been on the drug for years. Blaze and his friends watch the riots from the edges but don’t join in. But the fires, the noise and the excitement on rioter’s faces as they strip stores of goods - rubs off on them and completely at random they kidnap a man leaving work for the day. It wasn’t planned – it just happens.
They take him to a warehouse Blaze and Matchstick knew of and tie him to a radiator.
Viewpoints from the teens / hostage / negotiator outside / mayor / journalist tell the story of what follows. They get bored and trash everything in the warehouse. They negotiate for food and more Concentr8. The characters show what they’re thinking – not happy about the situation but not wanting to say no to Blaze; about each other and how they fit into the group.
When Troy reads on his phone about the Concentr8 drug being handed out to parents after schools determined which kids were the disruptive ones – meaning an allowance was handed out to parents whose kids took the drug – he knows his mother put him on the drug for the money and nothing else. He had been on it for years, as had all of his friends. Had the government used it as a keeping the peace drug – taking the fight and spirit out of kids? He’s already noticed how more awake he feels.
He shows Blaze who then burns most of the packets given to them by the police negotiator outside.
Meanwhile a journalist is trying to find the scoop of her life (she had written the article Troy had read) and the mayor is trying to do something to give himself maximum brownie points with the public.
Each chapter had excerpts from scientific journals about the use of ADHD drugs such as Ritalin and how countries adopted it or banned it and how its use skyrocketed over the years.
I enjoyed the language used – The strong London accent and way of speaking and then the contrast to the mayor and his jargon and the journalist’s scheming for a scoop.
I don’t think this made me think less of people with ADHD, as some reviewers have suggested. It actually made me more aware of how hard it is to have it. This story is quite possible (which is scary), and deals with the topic of ADHD in a thought provoking way. I was only caught out once as to whose ‘head’ I was in as the point of views shifted, and I enjoyed the language. I particularly found Troy’s point of view heart-wrenching as he touched on how awful his childhood was.
I liked this book but I LOVED 'The Wall' - But that said, different styles, different times, just different.
February 9, 2016
Have you ever put off a review because you don't want to write it? That is how it has been with me and my review for Concentr8. I have been trying to get myself to write it for weeks. Actually, to be totally honest, this is not the only review I have been putting off. Well, I decided that I am going to open up where I write my reviews and just write it. I need to get it done.
Concentr8 takes place in London England in the not so distant future. Or maybe it is distant. It is kind of hard to tell. The city is currently under going a riot of epic proportions. Why? The government decided that it would stop supplying the medication Concentr8, used to treat ADHD, to the people. This medication is so wide spread and used by so many people that they all freak out and riot. A lot of them being teenagers.
Teenagers like our main characters. Our story follows a group of them. We start out at the riot, where they aren't doing much at all, and then the ring leader decides to kidnap a random government employee. The other kids don't know why, but they follow along anyways.
Then they take the kidnapped employee into an abandoned warehouse. They become public news. The mayor gets involved. Things happen. The whole story takes place over the course of 6 days.
I personally thought that this story sounded like an interesting one. I had such faith going into it that it was going to be good. I was so bitterly disappointed.
There are a lot of different narratives to follow with in this story. While this is not normally a thing that turns me off, when all the narratives essentially sound like I am following the same person when I am not supposed to be, I find them a horrible drag. And that is how they were in Concentr8. Unfortunately, I found them to be very poorly executed. To make matters worse, I felt like the author had tried too hard with it. So many of the sentences ended with "?"s when they really didn't need to. It made that particular person's narrative very hard to read in my personal opinion.
Aside from the narration, the whole story felt very flat. As I was reading along I kept waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever really did. I felt like I read a whole book where nothing really ever went down. It was quite disappointing.
I will give Concentr8 and William Sutcliffe this though. There was a message to his story, and I think it was a great message. Unfortunately though, I think it was just not executed very well.
My Rating
2 stars
This review is based on an eARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/
Concentr8 takes place in London England in the not so distant future. Or maybe it is distant. It is kind of hard to tell. The city is currently under going a riot of epic proportions. Why? The government decided that it would stop supplying the medication Concentr8, used to treat ADHD, to the people. This medication is so wide spread and used by so many people that they all freak out and riot. A lot of them being teenagers.
Teenagers like our main characters. Our story follows a group of them. We start out at the riot, where they aren't doing much at all, and then the ring leader decides to kidnap a random government employee. The other kids don't know why, but they follow along anyways.
Then they take the kidnapped employee into an abandoned warehouse. They become public news. The mayor gets involved. Things happen. The whole story takes place over the course of 6 days.
I personally thought that this story sounded like an interesting one. I had such faith going into it that it was going to be good. I was so bitterly disappointed.
There are a lot of different narratives to follow with in this story. While this is not normally a thing that turns me off, when all the narratives essentially sound like I am following the same person when I am not supposed to be, I find them a horrible drag. And that is how they were in Concentr8. Unfortunately, I found them to be very poorly executed. To make matters worse, I felt like the author had tried too hard with it. So many of the sentences ended with "?"s when they really didn't need to. It made that particular person's narrative very hard to read in my personal opinion.
Aside from the narration, the whole story felt very flat. As I was reading along I kept waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever really did. I felt like I read a whole book where nothing really ever went down. It was quite disappointing.
I will give Concentr8 and William Sutcliffe this though. There was a message to his story, and I think it was a great message. Unfortunately though, I think it was just not executed very well.
My Rating
2 stars
This review is based on an eARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/
February 17, 2017
Concentr8 welcomes its readers to a world set in distant future where most kids are on medication for ADD. The medication was welcomed willingly as it seemed to offer some relief to not only those who suffered from ADD but also to those around them. But then chaos breaks loose bringing riots to the city. And amongst all the chaos are five kids who have held a seemingly random man hostage. Troy, Femi, Lee, Karen and Blaze are five kids who have been on Concentr8 from the time they could remember. Why did they kidnap someone off the streets? And why are they holding him hostage? What is going on in the city to bring these kids, a journalist, a negotiator and the mayor together?
The concept of the book attracted me immediately. It is not very common to get a chance to get into the minds of such oddball characters – and I mean oddballs in a good way. We are so used to larger than life characters, the next door teenagers kind of characters play the lead roles in the books that it is often a refreshing change to read about different kind of characters. Told from multiple points of view, the story provides its readers with a complete sense of the plot. The author has done a great job of setting up the plot and then following it through till the end. The plot makes you question a lot of things and unfortunately does not provide any answers to them, leaving it up to the readers to decide.
However, I have to admit that the narration and characterization in the book was the most confusing thing ever. The author, in order to add to the authenticity of the characters, has given different voices to his characters and narrated the story in a way so as to stay true to its characters who suffer from ADD. As a result the narration can be difficult to follow and to warm up to. After all, one cannot expect people with ADD to be able to narrate coherently or with perfect grammar or without losing track. So, while on one hand the characters and their narration made it very difficult for me to read, on the other hand I marveled at the author’s ingenuity in deciding to tell the story in such a way. It is the biggest advantage and also the biggest disadvantage of the book.
In the end, while it was a really difficult book to complete, I appreciate the author’s endeavor to come up with something different more. I would recommend this book to readers who are always up for something different – no matter how daunting and at the same time suggest to pick this up at your own discretion.
The concept of the book attracted me immediately. It is not very common to get a chance to get into the minds of such oddball characters – and I mean oddballs in a good way. We are so used to larger than life characters, the next door teenagers kind of characters play the lead roles in the books that it is often a refreshing change to read about different kind of characters. Told from multiple points of view, the story provides its readers with a complete sense of the plot. The author has done a great job of setting up the plot and then following it through till the end. The plot makes you question a lot of things and unfortunately does not provide any answers to them, leaving it up to the readers to decide.
However, I have to admit that the narration and characterization in the book was the most confusing thing ever. The author, in order to add to the authenticity of the characters, has given different voices to his characters and narrated the story in a way so as to stay true to its characters who suffer from ADD. As a result the narration can be difficult to follow and to warm up to. After all, one cannot expect people with ADD to be able to narrate coherently or with perfect grammar or without losing track. So, while on one hand the characters and their narration made it very difficult for me to read, on the other hand I marveled at the author’s ingenuity in deciding to tell the story in such a way. It is the biggest advantage and also the biggest disadvantage of the book.
In the end, while it was a really difficult book to complete, I appreciate the author’s endeavor to come up with something different more. I would recommend this book to readers who are always up for something different – no matter how daunting and at the same time suggest to pick this up at your own discretion.
August 31, 2015
“Everybody wins, yeah? Schools, teachers, feds, parents? Everyone. Except the kids that are taking the pills.”
Concentr8 is story of a kidnapping that occurs at the time of riots. After Concentr8 a drug which is given to people who have ADHD or have signs of it, is taken away people take to streets in protest and in the chaos a group of teenagers kidnap and take a council worker hostage.
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
The story is taken from many perspectives; Troy, Femi, Karen, The Mayor, The Journalist, The Hostage, Lee, The Negotiator and Blaze. Were they all needed, no! The story is very boring as nothing much happens the story mainly goes around in a circle with the group talking about how they made a mistake, the mayor making a bigger mess and the hostage just talking about how he feels. The only interesting perspective is the Journalist as she actually did something.
The book is essentially about how the government put greed and money in front of the care and needs of those with ADHD and really any teenager. The govt started giving out Concentr8 to nearly everybody who isn’t perfect which leads to ill side effects when it’s taken away. The govt can then blame the riots on the mental issues of the rioters.
The group who take the worker hostage – Troy, Femi, Karen and Lee are led by Blaze. The chapters just go on about how they’ve ruined their lives by blindly following Blaze, how they can’t go against Blaze and other weird things.
The characters did have distinct different personalities and I liked that about them but the writing style was so bland and the plot was so boring and uneventful that I didn’t care about the books or the characters.
Also the book ends with a snippet from books/articles about ADHD which I didn’t care much about and added little to the book.
★★☆☆☆
Concentr8 is story of a kidnapping that occurs at the time of riots. After Concentr8 a drug which is given to people who have ADHD or have signs of it, is taken away people take to streets in protest and in the chaos a group of teenagers kidnap and take a council worker hostage.
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
The story is taken from many perspectives; Troy, Femi, Karen, The Mayor, The Journalist, The Hostage, Lee, The Negotiator and Blaze. Were they all needed, no! The story is very boring as nothing much happens the story mainly goes around in a circle with the group talking about how they made a mistake, the mayor making a bigger mess and the hostage just talking about how he feels. The only interesting perspective is the Journalist as she actually did something.
The book is essentially about how the government put greed and money in front of the care and needs of those with ADHD and really any teenager. The govt started giving out Concentr8 to nearly everybody who isn’t perfect which leads to ill side effects when it’s taken away. The govt can then blame the riots on the mental issues of the rioters.
The group who take the worker hostage – Troy, Femi, Karen and Lee are led by Blaze. The chapters just go on about how they’ve ruined their lives by blindly following Blaze, how they can’t go against Blaze and other weird things.
The characters did have distinct different personalities and I liked that about them but the writing style was so bland and the plot was so boring and uneventful that I didn’t care about the books or the characters.
Also the book ends with a snippet from books/articles about ADHD which I didn’t care much about and added little to the book.
★★☆☆☆
August 31, 2015
I received this book from NetGalley, in return for an honest review.
The premise is interesting - in a not-too-distant future, children are almost routinely dosed with a Ritalin-like drug called Concentr8. This is supposed to help them to pay attention at school, and generally to mitigate their bad behaviour. It has become an automatic response to any diagnosis of ADHD. But when it is withdrawn, there is rioting. The story focuses on four teenagers - they have all taken Concentr8 for most of their lives - and following their leader Blaze, they do something even more extreme. Has withdrawal led them to this? Or is it more insidious than that, has Concentr8 actually changed who they are?
Although the idea is good, and I especially liked the insertion of quotes from actual papers on the history of Ritalin and its use and misuse, the story doesn't quite work. The thinly-disguised portrait of a well-known Mayor was amusing (and pretty cutting), but it felt like an add-on rather than something integral to the plot. All the characters have their say, which is always a tricky technique to pull off and I'm afraid Sutcliffe didn't manage it with the teenagers - I kept having to check back to see who was speaking.
There were good things in this book, and I felt that it went some way towards showing the reader how hopeless circumstances lead young people to self-loathing and crime, but in the end it read more as a polemic against drugging children into passivity than as a coherent piece of storytelling - an entirely worthy point to make, but it doesn't really work as a YA novel.
Despite all that, however, I will buy a copy for my school Library, as I know there are students there who will enjoy it.
The premise is interesting - in a not-too-distant future, children are almost routinely dosed with a Ritalin-like drug called Concentr8. This is supposed to help them to pay attention at school, and generally to mitigate their bad behaviour. It has become an automatic response to any diagnosis of ADHD. But when it is withdrawn, there is rioting. The story focuses on four teenagers - they have all taken Concentr8 for most of their lives - and following their leader Blaze, they do something even more extreme. Has withdrawal led them to this? Or is it more insidious than that, has Concentr8 actually changed who they are?
Although the idea is good, and I especially liked the insertion of quotes from actual papers on the history of Ritalin and its use and misuse, the story doesn't quite work. The thinly-disguised portrait of a well-known Mayor was amusing (and pretty cutting), but it felt like an add-on rather than something integral to the plot. All the characters have their say, which is always a tricky technique to pull off and I'm afraid Sutcliffe didn't manage it with the teenagers - I kept having to check back to see who was speaking.
There were good things in this book, and I felt that it went some way towards showing the reader how hopeless circumstances lead young people to self-loathing and crime, but in the end it read more as a polemic against drugging children into passivity than as a coherent piece of storytelling - an entirely worthy point to make, but it doesn't really work as a YA novel.
Despite all that, however, I will buy a copy for my school Library, as I know there are students there who will enjoy it.
January 27, 2016
*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*
This book, where do I even begin, I honestly have no idea how to put into words what I just read. The synopsis and cover art is stunning and intriguing, it was what pulled me in first. I guess the easiest way to begin this review is that this book is straight up controversy and a play on our modern day society as we know it. It is an interesting perspective to read a book on a miracle drug like Ritalin when you teach at a school where the majority of the student population is on such medication. It really brings the questions to light, are we over medicating today's youth and are we just doing it to keep them from acting out?
Concentr8, based on my comments above was intriguing and thought-provoking, causing you to reflect on our current society and where we are headed. The book is completely unique, and I have never come across something that broaches this topic in YA, ever. I would classify this as an upper YA book and while it didn't blow me out of the water, it kept me wanting to flip the pages...but most of all it caused me to reflect on the students I surround myself with everyday, well 5 days a week.
William Sutcliffe's writing is also unique, multiple narratives with multiple thoughts and styles of speaking, some are just jumbled thoughts. You really feel like you are in the characters' heads and while the story is somewhat predictable, because really, kidnapping someone can only have so many outcomes...I still liked the read. So if you are looking for something quick and unique, I definitely recommend Concentr8.
This book, where do I even begin, I honestly have no idea how to put into words what I just read. The synopsis and cover art is stunning and intriguing, it was what pulled me in first. I guess the easiest way to begin this review is that this book is straight up controversy and a play on our modern day society as we know it. It is an interesting perspective to read a book on a miracle drug like Ritalin when you teach at a school where the majority of the student population is on such medication. It really brings the questions to light, are we over medicating today's youth and are we just doing it to keep them from acting out?
Concentr8, based on my comments above was intriguing and thought-provoking, causing you to reflect on our current society and where we are headed. The book is completely unique, and I have never come across something that broaches this topic in YA, ever. I would classify this as an upper YA book and while it didn't blow me out of the water, it kept me wanting to flip the pages...but most of all it caused me to reflect on the students I surround myself with everyday, well 5 days a week.
William Sutcliffe's writing is also unique, multiple narratives with multiple thoughts and styles of speaking, some are just jumbled thoughts. You really feel like you are in the characters' heads and while the story is somewhat predictable, because really, kidnapping someone can only have so many outcomes...I still liked the read. So if you are looking for something quick and unique, I definitely recommend Concentr8.
Read
July 17, 2015DNF'ing 170 pages in, because I tried, okay? I spent ages getting through the first 100 pages, just hoping it would get better. It didn't. I'm bored out of my mind. Seriously bored. Watching paint dry would be more interesting, I know it sounds harsh, but honestly, I would rather watch paint dry.
Nothing happens, we're basically reading the same shit over in a different perspective, same thoughts, same do nothing, rinse, repeat, read again. The only interesting parts about Concentr8 is the little titbits at the beginning of each chapter that gives us some information on ADHD, and some of The Journalists perspective. Other than that? No.
Concentr8 is told in multiple perspectives, the teenagers, the hostage, the mayor, and the journalist, you can tell the difference in The Hostage, The Mayor and The Journalists perspective, but once it comes to the characters that kidnapped The Hostage (I seriously can't even remember his name), apart from Karen's perspective, I had a hard time of telling who was who, and the only reason I knew Karen's perspective was Karen's perspective because everything she says is said like a question and? It's? Fucking annoying? Right?
So, what happened within the first 170 pages of Concentr8? Some teenagers kidnap a guy. Keep him in a warehouse (I think, can't even remember that, either) annnnnnnnnnnnnd that's about it.
Concentr8 didn't keep my concentr8ion. *cough*
Nothing happens, we're basically reading the same shit over in a different perspective, same thoughts, same do nothing, rinse, repeat, read again. The only interesting parts about Concentr8 is the little titbits at the beginning of each chapter that gives us some information on ADHD, and some of The Journalists perspective. Other than that? No.
Concentr8 is told in multiple perspectives, the teenagers, the hostage, the mayor, and the journalist, you can tell the difference in The Hostage, The Mayor and The Journalists perspective, but once it comes to the characters that kidnapped The Hostage (I seriously can't even remember his name), apart from Karen's perspective, I had a hard time of telling who was who, and the only reason I knew Karen's perspective was Karen's perspective because everything she says is said like a question and? It's? Fucking annoying? Right?
So, what happened within the first 170 pages of Concentr8? Some teenagers kidnap a guy. Keep him in a warehouse (I think, can't even remember that, either) annnnnnnnnnnnnd that's about it.
March 7, 2018
~ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review~
Concentr8 takes us into London, where the increase of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents have reached epidemic levels. Concentr8 has been used by the government as a form of social control until the use of Concentr8 was abolished, wiping out the availability of its supply to the public. A group of teens kidnap a random worker from the Mayor's office for hostage although it is clear that they don't know why they did it or what they actually want by doing it.
Personally, Concentr8 had the potential to be so great, but it really wasn't a readable novel. The multiple POV change too quickly for my liking, and at some points, I didn't know if it was really that necessary to capture the perspective of every other character in the story. I hoped it would give a clearer picture, but it just didn't work. The narrative voices all sounded alike and would have been better off with one or two POVs rather than the mashup we got.
However, this book does have some strong points that are interesting to read in a YA novel. The psychology of nature versus nurture is a longstanding debate and this novel really work with the issues of ADHD and Ritalin. It's a quick read, with an intriguing premise and well-imagined story, but it could have been executed better for me. Still worth a read though, for anyone interested.
Concentr8 takes us into London, where the increase of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents have reached epidemic levels. Concentr8 has been used by the government as a form of social control until the use of Concentr8 was abolished, wiping out the availability of its supply to the public. A group of teens kidnap a random worker from the Mayor's office for hostage although it is clear that they don't know why they did it or what they actually want by doing it.
Personally, Concentr8 had the potential to be so great, but it really wasn't a readable novel. The multiple POV change too quickly for my liking, and at some points, I didn't know if it was really that necessary to capture the perspective of every other character in the story. I hoped it would give a clearer picture, but it just didn't work. The narrative voices all sounded alike and would have been better off with one or two POVs rather than the mashup we got.
However, this book does have some strong points that are interesting to read in a YA novel. The psychology of nature versus nurture is a longstanding debate and this novel really work with the issues of ADHD and Ritalin. It's a quick read, with an intriguing premise and well-imagined story, but it could have been executed better for me. Still worth a read though, for anyone interested.
March 3, 2016
Thought provoking.
I thought this was an excellent Young Adult book, with just the right amount of suspense to keep the attention of youngsters, while sending out an interesting message about the power of drug companies and the ease with which drugs can be prescribed.
In a future Britain, Concentr8 is the new Ritalin and it has been prescribed to all children who are in any way disruptive. Huge numbers of children are on this drug, manipulated by the drug companies, who have convinced the government to give pay-outs to parents of children who take the drug.
Then, suddenly, there is a policy change and the drug is withdrawn to save money. Massive riots break out across the country, as children try to cope with their new-found energy.
Five teenagers; Troy, Karen, Lee and Femi, led by Blaze, go out to see the riots that are going on in their town. On a whim, they take a hostage and tie him to a radiator in an empty warehouse. What do they want? What will they do with the hostage? And how will it all end??
Each chapter is narrated by one of the youngsters, a journalist, the mayor, or the negotiator and it's interesting to see events from so many perspectives.
There are also interesting quotes from leading professionals in the field of ADD and ADHD at the end of each chapter.
Also read:
The Wall by William Sutcliffe (5*)
I thought this was an excellent Young Adult book, with just the right amount of suspense to keep the attention of youngsters, while sending out an interesting message about the power of drug companies and the ease with which drugs can be prescribed.
In a future Britain, Concentr8 is the new Ritalin and it has been prescribed to all children who are in any way disruptive. Huge numbers of children are on this drug, manipulated by the drug companies, who have convinced the government to give pay-outs to parents of children who take the drug.
Then, suddenly, there is a policy change and the drug is withdrawn to save money. Massive riots break out across the country, as children try to cope with their new-found energy.
Five teenagers; Troy, Karen, Lee and Femi, led by Blaze, go out to see the riots that are going on in their town. On a whim, they take a hostage and tie him to a radiator in an empty warehouse. What do they want? What will they do with the hostage? And how will it all end??
Each chapter is narrated by one of the youngsters, a journalist, the mayor, or the negotiator and it's interesting to see events from so many perspectives.
There are also interesting quotes from leading professionals in the field of ADD and ADHD at the end of each chapter.
Also read:
The Wall by William Sutcliffe (5*)
January 6, 2016
The synopsis of this book sounds very interesting, and I will admit I was going out of my normal bookish comfort zone for it, but I had to call it quits before 100 pages.
I know there are a ton of people out there who will probably love this book, and that's awesome! Every book deserves some love. But this didn't do it for me. I couldn't understand why this group of kids where doing the things they did. It made me feel sad for them, and they weren't relatable to me at all. I first decided to DNF this book when I got to the Hostages POV scene. Whether the outcome of this mans situation was good or bad, I really didn't want to know.
This book seems like the type of thing I would enjoy watching on a screen. It's so chaotic and it was hard for me to keep details in order, but on a screen everything is condensed and not as segmented as this book felt. I give the author props. The writing style is different, and bold, and if this was my cup of tea I would've really enjoyed that about it.
I always feel bad leaving a negative review, but we receive ARCs for our honesty. Thank you to Bloomsbury for the chance.
I know there are a ton of people out there who will probably love this book, and that's awesome! Every book deserves some love. But this didn't do it for me. I couldn't understand why this group of kids where doing the things they did. It made me feel sad for them, and they weren't relatable to me at all. I first decided to DNF this book when I got to the Hostages POV scene. Whether the outcome of this mans situation was good or bad, I really didn't want to know.
This book seems like the type of thing I would enjoy watching on a screen. It's so chaotic and it was hard for me to keep details in order, but on a screen everything is condensed and not as segmented as this book felt. I give the author props. The writing style is different, and bold, and if this was my cup of tea I would've really enjoyed that about it.
I always feel bad leaving a negative review, but we receive ARCs for our honesty. Thank you to Bloomsbury for the chance.
September 14, 2015
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway so thank you to goodreads, and of course to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy (and the little note you sent with it!!).
As someone who is passionate about young people this book struck a chord with me. Cleverly written and surprisingly real, it doesn't seem too irrational or too much of an extravagant idea that this could happen.
Each character has its own voice and with that comes varying perspectives.
A wonderful book and at times quite enlightening about ADHD and the (increasing??) prescription of Ritalin to children and young people who are socially deviant.
Absolutely brilliant book. Would highly recommend it.
'I'm saying you've got no respect for us. You want us to disappear. And since you can't do that, the next best thing is to just shut us up, ain't it? Soften us up, calm us down, keep us quiet and out the way where we won't cause trouble'.
'The world at large does not, it appears, care all that much about which drugs are administered to disaffected children'.
As someone who is passionate about young people this book struck a chord with me. Cleverly written and surprisingly real, it doesn't seem too irrational or too much of an extravagant idea that this could happen.
Each character has its own voice and with that comes varying perspectives.
A wonderful book and at times quite enlightening about ADHD and the (increasing??) prescription of Ritalin to children and young people who are socially deviant.
Absolutely brilliant book. Would highly recommend it.
'I'm saying you've got no respect for us. You want us to disappear. And since you can't do that, the next best thing is to just shut us up, ain't it? Soften us up, calm us down, keep us quiet and out the way where we won't cause trouble'.
'The world at large does not, it appears, care all that much about which drugs are administered to disaffected children'.
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