Six

by M.M. Vaughan

Parker Banks is having a hard time adjusting to his new life in New York after moving with his family from London following the tragic death of his mother. His father, a scientist, is under mounting pressure in his new job, and his sister Emma, despite being deaf, has had no problems making new friends.Then Parker's father, on the cusp of a technological breakthrough, is kidnapped. Alerted via E.F.E. - a device invented to help Emma communicate telepathically with her family - Parker, along with his sister, best friend Michael and an albino pig, embark on a rescue mission.But as their search progresses, it becomes clear that SIX, the project that Parker's father has been involved in against his will, is being run by a sinister enterprise - an enterprise whose work poses a threat not only to the Banks family, but to the world at large.

Genres: Science Fiction, Middle Grade, Adventure, Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Suspense

323 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 12, 2015

About the author

The daughter of South American parents, Monica Meira Vaughan grew up in Spain before moving to London at the age of five where she learnt English by watching Sesame Street and reading every Roald Dahl book she could get her hands on.

On leaving school, and after a brief stint in public relations, Monica decided to train as a primary school teacher. She has spent the last eight years working in special needs, mostly with children with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Monica likes to start writing after midnight and it has been, until recently, her secret hobby. On the weekends she likes to try to catch up on her sleep.

She lives in London, England.

(From Curtis Brown Literacy Agency)

Reviews

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review to come soon, but this was fun!

[Kim Bahr · Rating 4 out of 5]

There must be a sequel! I have unanswered questions!

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

SIX. The perfect number. SIX. The "perfect" place. SIX. Not quite the perfect book.

"SIX" by M.M. Vaughan is this month's selection for Chapter and Verse book club. This late elementary/early middle school read is a pretty good science fiction mystery that could use a good edit and takes awhile to hit its stride.

Twelve year old, Parker Banks, and his ten year old deaf sister, Emma Banks, team up when their molecular biophysicist father disappears, leaving them only a brief and cryptic message - "Find a man called Solomon Gladstone." Because their mother died in an accident three years earlier, the two are forced to bring their wealthy friend, Michael, and his adult driver, Brendan, into their confidence. With their assistance, they try to solve the mystery of what happened to their father, the mysterious work he does for Avecto Enterprises, a place called "SIX," and a man named Solomon Gladstone."

Pacing is an issue in "SIX." First of all, the book is too long at 361 pages. There are several sub-plots that are unnecessary and unfinished - the fact that the Banks family is British, the bullying by Aaron, the slacker teacher, what Michael's mysterious parents do for a living, the pet pig Polly, the men in the silver car, Emma's swimming prowess, the gold key that Solomon gives to Michael, and who the character of Anteater is, for example. It isn't until the last one hundred pages or so that things really get going. Also, they are way too many coincidences (it just so happens that there is no one at the reception desk at Plotter Kill Psychiatric Center) and events that stretch credulity - the fact that Michael's parents are always conveniently away and his housekeeper seems oblivious to what is going on is troubling. Finally, the ending leaves a lot of loose threads. I suspect that "SIX" is just the first book in a series to be continued. It does not stand well on its own.

Those things being said, the unique premise of the book is a plus. Teleportation/avection and the science fiction aspects of the book are interesting - I'm not sure how scientifically sound they are, however.In addition, the major characters - Parker, Emma, and Michael are believable and compelling. The reader roots for them and wishes the best for them. Parker and Emma's relationship with their father is also compelling and moving ("Do not underestimate what a father will do to protect his children...").

In terms of any serious lessons, however, things are stretched thin - loyalty to family, the value of living things (explored briefly), animal testing, the consequences of bullying, hacking (seen as a good thing here)...nothing earth shattering. There is potential in serious issues of the what "paradise" or "utopia" might be like, greed, the pros and cons of technological advancements, and governmental corruption ("...there were people in the world who would always find a way to turn an invention for good into one for evil."). However, the potential of these ideas is lost, as are not explored fully. Perhaps they will be explored more fully in a sequel.

Recommended. Not perfect. But good.

[Branodn Peckham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six about a boy named Parker Banks and his deaf sister, Emma has just recently moved to New York. His mother is dead and his father is all tied up in his new job. Parker is having a hard time adjusting to his new school, but his worries change when his father is kidnapped. A device that his Dad invented helps them communicate telepathically. His dad gives him little information before the connection gets disrupted. Parker must figure out where his father is, but as he is searching, his suspicions about his dad's company that he works for is doing something big. This project, named SIX, is more than just his family that is going to in danger. If you like mystery and on the tip of your feet action, this is the book for you. Parker is the main character in this novel. The biggest conflict in this novel is when Parkers dad is kidnapped. Anyone can read this book, as it doesn't have too many difficult words. Overall, I would read this book over my homework as it is a terrific book.

[Kathryn Svendsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this action/adventure novel written for middle-grade students. It was fast-paced and exciting. The protagonists, Parker and his deaf sister Emma along with their friend Michael are extremely resourceful and creative.

Parker, Emma and their dad share technology that allows them to communicate between themselves through their thoughts. Emma is also proficient at lip reading and signing.

Parker and Emma’s dad is almost never around as he is working night and day on a project at his new job. They’ve been uprooted from their home in London and are being bullied at school except for the one boy, Michael who has befriended them.

Just on the cusp of completing his project, Parker’s dad is kidnapped. Fortunately due to the message he sent Parker via his thoughts before he was taken Parker has a clue as to how to rescue his dad. But what is this mysterious project? What is so important about it? This project affects more than just Parker’s family. It’s a sinister project called SIX.

I liked the bits of humour that were injected into the book to lighten the tension. It made me laugh out loud and would be something that would definitely strike the funny bone of a youngster in the 8 – 12 year old range.

There are lots of twists and turns in this plot, enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. The author has developed the characters of Parker and Emma well enough that you will care about what happens to them.

I don’t believe this is the last book you’ll see about Project SIX. I’ll be watching for another one. I gave this one 5 stars out of 5. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

To see my complete review, visit Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogs...

[Thomas Norstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

This was a fun middle-grade read with a lot of neat sci-fi/tech details. Most notably, I loved the whole teleportation/avections plot (Solomon), and I felt like Effie (to help with Emma's deafness) was a really unique feature.

I did feel like there was a lot of details missing, along with an incomplete ending. Plot points were introduced for the sake of advancing the story, then never mentioned again. For example, Parker and Emma's disappearance from school apparently goes completely unnoticed by literally everyone.

Despite its flaws, I still found it a decent read.

[Ivy Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of adventure, and an exciting plot - overall amazing.

[Kathryn Wuerker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow pacing. The ending made all of the 6th graders hope for a sequel to answer many questions that were left unanswered at the end.

[Carlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was book was surprisingly good! I added this book to my shelves a while ago, and I honestly lost interest in it as time passed. However, I decided that I would give it a shot since it looked a quick read, and I'm really glad that I did. I thought that all of the characters were interesting, and I did care about what happened to them. They weren't that complex because this is a book intended for middle grade readers, but they were still decent. I also really liked the author's choice to have one of the main characters be deaf. I feel like it's really rare that I will read a book where that is something that a main character is dealing with, so it was different and I appreciated it. Especially since this is a book intended for a younger audience, I think that it's important that kids understand that there are all kinds of different people in the world. I also really liked the plot. There were one or two things that I didn't really see coming, and I think that everything unfolded nicely. I thought the ending was really good, but it was kind of open-ended. There is room for a sequel if the author chose to go down that road. This book was very heavy sci-fi, and could get your brain thinking about what it would be like if these events were happening in the real world. This book was fairly fast-paced and a quick read. It did take me a hot second to get into it, but that didn't really taint my experience all that much. There wasn't any cursing in this book, and there definitely wasn't any sexual content. There was a little violence, but nothing that a middle grade reader couldn't handle. While I do think that this book is best suited for a middle grade reader, I also think that anyone older could easily enjoy this book. I definitely recommend this book. It's a fast-paced, light, and good book! I would be open to reading more from this author in the future, but I'm not sure that I will be seeking books out.

[Leigh Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deaf reader reviewing books with deaf characters. This book is listed on my ranked list of books with deaf characters.

I really enjoyed this novel in general, but this is also one of the better representations of a deaf character I've seen. Let's get into it:

The author thanks many people, though it's unclear whether any of them are deaf. I'm going to assume at least one person involved in writing this is deaf, given how well Emma turns out.

The story starts off with a bit of worldbuilding, courtesy of Parker (12), who "looks out" for his sister Emma (10). But it's mentioned and shown multiple times throughout the book that Emma doesn't need much looking out for. Emma was born with a damaged auditory nerve, so she's never heard a sound.

Important to know is that Parker and Emma are British. They moved to the U.S. for their father's job, and are attending a school with a deaf unit attached. This basically means it's a mainstream school with a signing deaf program, so that's why Parker and Emma attend the same school. When this is first mentioned, quite a few questions ran through my head:
- Is Emma signing BSL or ASL? If the latter, how did she learn?
- Parker does know some signed language, but I'm presuming that's BSL. When Parker teaches Michael signs, is he showing him BSL or ASL?
- Since Emma would have had to learn ASL to attend the deaf program at this school, did Parker and Dad also learn ASL?

It is mentioned at one point that there is a difference between British Sign Language (BSL) and American Sign Language (ASL)--which is news to Parker, for some reason. But it does indicate that Parker only knows BSL, and has not learned any ASL alongside his sister. Emma is obviously having to learn ASL at this school in order to understand classes and have a social life, but it's definitely concerning that no one seems to have known before arrival that she would be learning ASL. When enrolling Emma, surely they would have mentioned or discussed this, but it's never brought up in the book. Which leads to having more questions, these unanswered:
- How well is Emma communicating with her friends in the program, and how they are teaching her?
- Is she on a special language track, apart from her peers until she is able to follow lectures?
- Are they providing a BSL interpreter or CART for classes until she becomes proficient in ASL on her own time or at a specific time slot (after school or morning tutoring, etc.)?

I wish the author had been a little more in-depth about the logistics behind Emma's language use.

Here's some accurate stuff:
- Emma is proudly unique, and doesn't feel she has a disability. Culturally Deaf people in particular feel this way, and many non-culturally deaf people as well.
- Quote: "The reaction of people finding out that Emma was deaf was always different. Most of the time people took it well, though they often had a tendency to then just ignore Emma, which annoyed them both. Sometimes–rarely–people would look horrified and make their excuses, and sometimes–as Michael did now–they would start to shout."
- Towards the end, Michael tries to sign her name, and ends up spelling EMMD. Excellent portrayal of a person just starting out! Mistakes happen often. It's not clear, however, if he is signing BSL or ASL, but it is a little strange because A and D don't look at all alike in either signed alphabet. I won't say it's inaccurate because I've seen stranger mix-ups!
- At one point, Emma wears an "eye-watering" mix of fluorescent colors to school. Not very sign friendly, but I am very much guilty of wearing loud colors and designs, much to my interpreters' misfortunes.
- Apparently Emma "can't" talk. Granted, this observation was made by an ableist man or two, and it's very much accurate to how many hearing people perceive deaf people. The concept of "deaf-mute" is very pervasive, and very misleading. At no point in this book does Emma speak, but presumably she can actually speak if she had oral training/speech therapy, or if she later chooses to get it.

An interesting thing about this novel is that the Banks family have a wrist device called "Ears for Emma" (E.F.E., or Effie). The device translates electrical impulses created by thoughts into audible speech for Parker and his parents to hear through an implanted microphone, and into subtitles that Emma can read using specially designed glasses. (Basically, it's a cell phone, but for thoughts instead of voices, and with a limited range.) Yay accessibility! Effie allows the family to communicate without speaking or signing.

It's mentioned that in the past, Dad had tried to expand Effie to pick up on sounds around Emma, but the mic couldn't distinguish voices and ambient noises, resulting in gibberish. (Good parallel to hearing aids.) Emma requested the idea be discarded, and the family never brought it up again. That's the appropriate reaction! If a deaf member of a family says some accommodation doesn't work, it's time to stop trying with that one and move on to one that does work for the deaf person, not what the hearing family thinks is best or most convenient.

Less accurate things:
- The conversations between Michael and Emma are a bit confusing. She is obviously lipreading, but she's responding in sign, and somehow Michael is "grasping her meaning." Parker sometimes explicitly translates, so I suppose one could assume he's constantly playing interpreter? It would have been nice if Michael had pulled out his phone or a pencil and paper so they could write back and forth.
- Emma can lipread. Apparently with no issues. She follows spoken dialog between an old woman and one of her kidnappers with perfect ease. Strange that accents, mouth shapes, teeth, etc. don't seem to play any part here.
- She can also read the tiny print subtitles flashing across her glasses lens at the same time she's fake screaming/crying and looking around. Talk about multitasking! This is necessarily inaccurate--but when I was ten I could barely keep my balance when I walked, let alone cry, read, and look around all at once.

Bonus rep: an old woman who is hard of hearing answers the phone and has trouble understanding Parker, who is disguising his voice with a voice changer. She misunderstands Solomon Gladstone as Benjamin Gladstone, which is accurate. People sometimes miss one or two syllables, and try to put it together with the syllable(s) they have. What's happened here is she missed "Solo" and heard "mon," knew from context that it was a name, and came up with a common name ending in the "muhn" sound: Benjamin! Parker has to repeat himself once or twice throughout the short conversation.

Overall, a good representation of a deaf character who is treated with respect and who has autonomy.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

We've read a bunch of MM Vaughan's books, Friendroid and the Ability duology, and this one was intriguing. It was a COVID "the library's-about-to-close shelf-run" find.

It involves one-way particle reconstruction as a way of traveling instantaneously through space, and the question: If you could go to a new world, a veritable paradise, purported to have everything you'd ever need and that wouldn't repeat the mistakes Earth made, but the trip was only one-way, would you still want to go, sight-unseen? Would you take that chance, knowing that if you EVER wanted to come back, you'd be scrambled and might lose a body part, or your face might get re-arranged?

It's an interesting conundrum, but in the end, for Parker Banks, it's a no-brainer. But for none of the reasons you'd think.

Parker has a terrible time adjusting to life in the US, when his father moved to New York to take a new job that consumes all his time and attention. Parker's bullied for his accent, and even though he makes a friend, they decide to ditch school instead.

He, his younger sister, and his mom and dad share a mind-reading device, implanted under the skin of their wrists. They can only communicate with each other, but their mom's link has been broken ever since she disappeared.

Then one day, when Parker's not at school, his dad's light goes out. He can't reach him, and strange men seize his sister at her swim meet. With help from his new friend's chauffeur and body guard, they spring her free, but quickly learn -- their dad's taken a one-way trip. What lengths will they go to be reunited with him -- and their mom?

This is a great, if a bit older, sci-fi read for that voracious reader in your family! We loved this one.

Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/

[Christinalovesreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Both my daughter and I read this and loved the suspense and science-y nature of this book. Great characters and a thrilling plot make it a good read for both J and YA readers.



Summary ( Spoilers)
Son of scientist dad discovers that he is missing. He and his rich friend ( girl) eventually learn the dad had invented a teleportation process/device which has teleported many people to this new planet, owned and operated by the "company" and is supposed to be idyllic. The dad is being blackmailed by his employer to finish the teleportation process. Apparently you can go, but not come back without serious physical problems. The investors of this process/device are anxious to have it completed so the company stages a little demonstration that sends a pig to this planet and back again, but the pic comes back purple. The investors are angry and that's when the boss sends the dad to the planet as incentive to figure out the problems.

[Cheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have rated this higher, but the ending seemed abrupt and against things that were said earlier in the book. The stated goal earlier was the dad was going to work his butt off so they could get back to earth, but at the end it sounded like they were just going to stay there, with absolutely no discussion of why or how he changed him mind. It doesn't make sense, either, because they are pretty much dependent on supplies they can get from earth.

[Stacey Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parker and Emma's father does the best he can to be there for his children but his new job has him working way too much. In a new school Parker meets Michael and the two become friends. Parker and Emma rely on Michael's help when their father goes missing leaving them a vague clue to find Solomon Gladstone. The trio, along with Michael's friend and chauffeur Brenden do everything they can to figure out what happened and how to find the one man who can maybe help them....Solomon.

[Apollonia McNuff · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
It was a intriguing and decent read, but I remember that when I read it as a child the unfinished ending just bothered me

There is a difference between an open and an unfinished ending, and this book would require a sequel, which I fear would not live up to the expectations of the original story

[Jim Sibigtroth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a middle-grade science fiction novel about teleportation. I found the ending to be rather abrupt and felt there were too many loose ends. For the intended age group, the characters were relatable and interesting. The writing was clear and the dialog was good.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stilted at first, but then the story picked up. And then...it just ended. A tiny bit of resolution, but so many loose ends. It felt like just one story in a series, or at the very least a duology, but no dice. Bummer.

[Preeti Khola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the sci-fi world, this book is bound to leave an impact on you. If you're into science fiction, and haven't read this, you're missing out; and if you're not into science fiction and haven't read this, you're still MISSING OUT!

[Gunner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this book for anyone who likes science and action. I liked the whole idea of the book and I encourage you to read it.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always trying to find books that will grab the hard to reach readers. I believe I found one. This was such a page-turner that I think it will grab a certain amount of reluctant readers.

[olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book and hoped it would have became a series. It was your classic dystopian novel and I loved it, I just strongly disliked the way it ended since it ended so quickly.

[Kathy Mathey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool and creepy sci fi...putting this on the shelves!

[Yeslech · Rating 3 out of 5]

male protagonist, Deaf sister, science fiction

[Shanshad Whelan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at Views from the Tesseract: https://shanshad1.wordpress.com/2015/...

Twelve-year-old Parker and Ten-year-old Emma haven’t had an easy deal of things so far. They’ve lost their mom. They’ve moved to a new country, a new home and a new school. Adjusting to the changes is hard, especially when their father’s time is eaten up by his new job. And then, their father is kidnapped. Thanks to the special computer link between Parker, his sister and their father, Parker knows his father was taken against his will–and knows he has to run. But dangerous enemies are closing in on the kids, and they have no idea who has their dad or where they’ve taken him. Parker is going to have to uncover the project his father has been working on, and find the people who can tell him what’s going on. What they discover will have them embarking on an out-of-this-world adventure!

It’s always fun to discover someone working a different angle in the SF world of middle grade, and this one nicely fits the bill. While the classic parent is missing/kidnapped, kids on the run adventure plot is familiar, the specific details of the story make it something I happily settled down with. The most exciting bit for me in this? There’s “telepathy” and “teleportation”–two words that are usually associated with psychic powers and given a rather mystical bent. M. M. Vaughan doesn’t go that route. Emma, Parker and their father share a “telepathic” link, but it’s created by the use of technology. Mr. Parker invents a device that allows the family to communicate through thought with Emma, who is deaf. It’s a clever idea, and the existence of this tech allows the siblings a super secret form of communication that essentially gives them mind to mind abilities without either one possessing special psychic gifts. Likewise, teleporting is treated as a purely technological development, one fraught with problems. As a science fiction reader who gets weary of the typical technologies, this is a refreshing change.

You have some nice infusions in this adventure plot beyond the telepathy angle. As I mentioned, Emma is deaf–for the most part this is merely treated as an aspect of the story rather than an issue in and of itself. Emma’s a strong-willed younger sister with fierce opinions regarding all sorts of things. She’ll even try to protect her older brother from bullies. Parker is a tougher nut to crack: he’s struggling to adjust in school and has a simmering temper. His friendship to the equally bullied Michael gives him room to be more of a kid and less stressed about everything. Michael’s unexpected friendship allows Emma and Parker to escape the corporate goons who try to abduct them, with the help of his easy-going chauffeur. With their shared knowledge of computers, the boys must track down the meaning of the clues Parker’s father left behind, and piece together what really is going on–and what the villain’s plot really is all about.

Despite a tense and thrilling prologue, the story takes some time to really hit its stride but once the action is underway, the rest of the plotting moves at a fair clip. And while the nefarious villains are fairly run of the mill evil and corrupt, their plans are something a bit out of the ordinary which makes uncovering the actual plot worthwhile. I really enjoyed reading through this one. Cohesive story, likable characters, and some fresh ideas. Perhaps my biggest complaint is that this book ends at a point that isn’t quite a cliffhanger, but it’s not a true wrap up of a plot either. Our characters are safe for the time being, maybe even happy–but threats loom around them, the villains have not been held accountable and deadlines still loom. Not to mention that several characters remain loose threads to be wrapped up in the future. Given that this appears to be a series, I can anticipate these things will be dealt with in the books to come!

Note: An advanced reader copy was provided by the publisher.

[Anna Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Mild Spoiler)

Gladstone Code:

,14,6,13,14,8,16,6,13,3,6,5,14,24,10,25,17,00,17,00,22,3,21,1,13,3,8,14,5,3,10,20,14,2,2,14,3,8,6,10,7,7,16,12,21,2,2,7,12,17,25,5,6,9,20,25,3,8,4,3,4,22,9,8,6,21,20,9,00,14,6,14,5,6,13,9,12,14,20,5,6,9,5,5,9,24,10,7,7,16,0,3,23,3,20,4,10,7,7,16,14,13,3,22,9,20,9,3,4,12,7,20,6,13,14,5,25,9,3,20,5,10,7,7,16,3,23,3,20,4,5,3,8,4,14,6,13,7,20,7,21,1,13,2,25,9,8,15,7,25,9,4,14,6,12,20,7,17,6,13,9,5,6,3,20,6,6,7,6,13,9,12,14,8,14,5,13,00,14,2,7,22,9,4,13,7,23,6,13,9,25,11,7,21,2,4,5,18,9,3,16,6,7,9,3,11,13,7,6,13,9,20,22,14,3,9,12,12,14,9,6,13,7,21,1,13,2,14,16,9,0,18,3,20,16,9,20,3,8,4,9,17,17,3,14,4,14,4,8,6,18,3,20,6,14,11,21,2,3,20,2,25,0,2,14,16,9,6,13,9,6,13,7,21,1,13,6,7,12,10,9,14,8,1,5,6,21,11,16,7,8,3,8,7,6,13,9,20,18,2,3,8,9,6,3,8,4,10,9,14,8,1,17,7,8,14,6,7,20,9,4,7,8,9,22,9,20,25,6,13,14,8,1,6,13,9,25,5,3,25,3,8,4,4,7,00,14,6,13,14,8,16,6,13,9,7,18,9,8,14,8,1,0,5,13,7,23,9,4,13,7,23,4,14,12,12,9,20,9,8,6,10,7,6,13,18,3,8,4,9,3,8,0,4,9,22,9,8,17,23,9,20,9,12,20,7,17,6,13,9,5,6,3,20,6,7,12,6,13,9,8,7,22,9,2,6,7,6,13,9,9,8,4,00,6,13,9,9,8,4,7,12,6,13,9,10,7,7,16,23,3,5,3,5,21,10,6,2,9,11,2,14,12,12,13,3,8,1,9,20,0,3,8,4,14,23,3,8,6,6,7,16,8,7,23,14,12,6,13,9,25,9,22,9,20,5,9,9,17,14,11,13,3,9,2,3,1,3,14,8,7,20,14,12,6,13,9,14,20,4,3,4,12,14,8,4,5,3,5,3,12,9,23,3,25,6,7,1,9,6,10,3,11,16,6,7,9,3,20,6,13,00,7,22,9,20,3,2,2,6,13,14,5,10,7,7,16,14,5,7,21,6,5,6,3,8,4,14,8,1,3,8,4,14,23,3,5,9,8,1,20,7,5,0,5,9,4,14,8,14,6,6,13,9,23,13,7,2,9,23,3,25,6,13,20,7,21,1,13,00,14,23,7,21,2,4,20,3,6,9,14,6,9,14,1,13,6,3,8,4,3,13,3,2,12,7,21,6,7,12,6,9,8,00,

Translation:

I think that Six by M.M. Vaughan is a brilliant book full of mystery and adventure. It is the first Essex Book Award book I have read for this year’s book awards and I thoroughly enjoyed it from the start to the finish. I loved how they could speak to each other via Effie, though, like Parker and Emma, I didn’t particularly like the thought of being stuck on another planet and being monitored on everything they say and do. I think the opening showed how different both P and E and even M were from the start of the novel to the end. The end of the book was a subtle cliff-hanger and I want to know if they ever see Michael again, or if their dad finds a safe way to get back to Earth. Overall, this book is outstanding and I was engrossed in it the whole way through. I would rate it 8.5 out of 10.

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

SIX is a YA book aimed at the younger age of the market. It follows brother and sister, 12 year old Parker and 10 year old Emma Banks, who is deaf.

Their dad Geoffery is a molecular biophysicist, working for Avedo Enterprise on a top secret advanced technology project.

Nearing completion of the project, Geoffery is kidnapped. As he is being taken hostage, he manages to get a message to his son via his thoughts using a telepathy creation that he invented for his daughter, so that they family could communicate with one another. He tells Parker to find a man named Soloman Gladstone, and to tell him that he’s been taken to SIX.

It is now up to Parker, Emma and wealthy friend Michael and his driver to save Geoffery, and most probably the world.

SIX is a fast paced story that weaves lots of action together with sci-fi, including the teleportation of Polly the pig.

The characters are very likeable, especially Emma. Even though she is two years younger than Parker, she really looks out for him, even fighting his battles with Aaron, the school bully.

It was lovely to see a close knit family in a YA book, rather than the kids being fed up of their parents.

The book was an interesting read, especially the technological advances that are portrayed. I also like that when the family were communicating via their thought that the messages were in bold. I do however feel that at 384 pages the book is very long for a YA, and children may be put off by its length, especially as the kidnapping doesn’t happen until over 100 pages in. There was a lot of the story that could of been cut out and the book would still be as exciting, if not more so.

If you are into sci-fi, then this is the perfect book for you.

Reviewed by Stacey at www.whisperingstories.com

[Beccie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to keep my eye on this author. I really enjoyed her first book, The Ability , and now I really liked this one. I was just talking to someone the other day about how the science fiction genre so often contains no science. That is not the case in this one. Science abounds, and it is very interesting science. There was a lot of action and suspense surrounding the science, and the children in the story have to go to great lengths to uncover secrets about the firm their father worked for.

I liked the characters of Parker, Emma and their dad. I found it refreshing to have a deaf character who was never treated like a person with a disability. Emma is tough, loyal, compassionate and fiercely devoted to animals and the environment. Parker is believable as a boy who is just trying to survive a new school and bullying. Dr. Banks is a loving father with a tremendous amount of stress and pressure on him that the children don't understand. They have no idea that everything he is doing is to keep them safe, so it is sad when they resent him and all the time he takes away from them on his work. Another character, the new friend Michael, has kind of an Artemis Fowl feel to him. Not in a bad way (I can't stand Artemis Fowl), but because he had unlimited resources, absent parents, and servants who would do whatever he said. Add all of those characters to an interesting plot, and we have ourselves a winner. Middle school students should love this one!

Areas of concern:
*Grief over a lost mother/wife.
*A kidnapped father leaving 2 children on their own.

http://read-me-maybe.blogspot.com

[G. Ludlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a good read.
From a fairly standard start of the misfit newcomer at a new school, it became a very good introduction to a different sort of science fiction.
Friendships, economies, and family are all woven in to make a very absorbing story that ticks along. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the beginning of a trilogy - or even maybe a series.

[Stuart Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Seriously awesome.

I'm not generally a huge fan of sci-fi, but I don't know if this even fits the bill. No aliens, monsters etc etc ('this is science fact, not science fiction' to quote from the book itself). The sci-fi elements that do exist in the story are completely believable - wrapped up in science that isn't too much of a leap of the imagination.

The story itself is very well-written - gripping, fast-paced and very funny. I laughed out loud throughout. The main story - a boy who is struggling to fit in - isn't the most original, but that's probably because it's an issue that most kids can relate to. But the central theme - taking care of our planet, the idea of fairness and whether we'd choose a perfect life if it was at the expense of others, is what stands out most for me.

I'm aways on the lookout for books to read with my students and this one fits the bill perfectly - great story and some huge issues for the class to think about.

Highly recommended - though probably for the higher end of the middle-grade age bracket and above (10-14 years).

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved The Ability and Mindscape, two other books by the same author, M M Vaughan. I was very excited to start in with a new set of characters and Vaughan's impressive creativity. The creativity is here but the story lacks the cohesiveness that made her other books so exciting. There are a lot of story threads going on but most are left hanging. Two children and their brilliant father relocate from England to the U.S. for their father's secret work project. Since the daughter is deaf, the father created implants for all 4 family members that allow them to communicate by thoughts. The children believe their mother is dead because her implant has not responded for 3 years. Their father works too hard and is unavailable and the older child, a boy, is bullied at school. One day his father transmits thoughts telling his son he is being kidnapped and needs his help. From that point on a standard MG book morphs into science fiction. The science fiction is good but the transition between the stories left many details just unresolved.