What do you think?
Rate this book
Aura Jax #1
Aura
Her family hid her gifts. Her city made her a fugitive. Her power made her a target…
Surviving on the outskirts of a technologically advanced Smart City in a post-uprising dystopia, sixteen-year-old Aura and her family live in fear of a government that monitors thoughts themselves. Years after she took the test that would determine – and control – her future, Aura continues to hide the explosive results the test revealed. But when her mother is arrested, Aura is forced to unleash deadly powers she didn’t know she had in order to escape.
Shocked and confused by the scope of her abilities, Aura trusts a mysterious man from her family’s past and finds him a willing mentor. But as the intense training sharpens her talents, she discovers that her mother and her incarcerated father are in grave danger. As time ticks down to her father’s public execution, Aura has no choice but to infiltrate the city that tore her family apart.
Can Aura complete her impossible mission without setting off lethal consequences to herself – and everyone around her?
Aura is a thrilling YA dystopian adventure. If you like reading about gutsy heroines and futuristic societies gone wrong you'll love R. J. Wade's action-packed novel.
Surviving on the outskirts of a technologically advanced Smart City in a post-uprising dystopia, sixteen-year-old Aura and her family live in fear of a government that monitors thoughts themselves. Years after she took the test that would determine – and control – her future, Aura continues to hide the explosive results the test revealed. But when her mother is arrested, Aura is forced to unleash deadly powers she didn’t know she had in order to escape.
Shocked and confused by the scope of her abilities, Aura trusts a mysterious man from her family’s past and finds him a willing mentor. But as the intense training sharpens her talents, she discovers that her mother and her incarcerated father are in grave danger. As time ticks down to her father’s public execution, Aura has no choice but to infiltrate the city that tore her family apart.
Can Aura complete her impossible mission without setting off lethal consequences to herself – and everyone around her?
Aura is a thrilling YA dystopian adventure. If you like reading about gutsy heroines and futuristic societies gone wrong you'll love R. J. Wade's action-packed novel.
460 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2019
89 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
R.J. Wade
3 books12 followersR. J. Wade is a YA author from the North East of England. A lifelong book‑lover inspired by the likes of Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton and R. L. Stine, she grew up writing short stories, comics and poems before finding her creative voice through indie rock—with her music taking her across Europe, the USA and Japan.
She eventually turned her storytelling back to fiction, creating the Aura Jax trilogy: Aura, The Spark, and Wildfire, a dystopian urban‑fantasy saga exploring totalitarianism, resistance, and the rise of AI. Fans compare her work to The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Red Queen and The Maze Runner.
When she isn’t writing, Becky divides her life between cross‑fitting, travelling, and connecting with readers in her Readers Group. Visit www.RJWadeBooks.com to download your free Aura 'Extras' PDF and sign up for the group.
She eventually turned her storytelling back to fiction, creating the Aura Jax trilogy: Aura, The Spark, and Wildfire, a dystopian urban‑fantasy saga exploring totalitarianism, resistance, and the rise of AI. Fans compare her work to The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Red Queen and The Maze Runner.
When she isn’t writing, Becky divides her life between cross‑fitting, travelling, and connecting with readers in her Readers Group. Visit www.RJWadeBooks.com to download your free Aura 'Extras' PDF and sign up for the group.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 10, 2020
I'm not normally a futuristic kind of storyline reader, but I'm glad I took the time to read this. So many twists and turns, it kept me hooked right up to the very end. In fact I was disappointed that I finished it. I wanted to keep reading! I can't wait for part two! #TeamAura!
April 7, 2024
Aura by R. J. Wade is a wonderfully unique young adult science fiction book that is the first part of a Duology, with Spark being the second book.
Repression is the overarching theme of the first book. Aura, her sister Selena, and her Mother are barely making a living in the Old City. The Society is in charge of who lives and works where, and bases everything on intelligence tests. The bottom rung is Worker, all workers are on subsistence level and must work long hours at often dangerous jobs.
Elites are the second and top level and also have strong paranormal skills. They often work in The Telepapathe, a level that monitors the compliance of people with The Society's rules. Above that, are the enforcement levels consisting of the Savants, who are more like secret police and the COGs, who are law enforcement.
Everything about The Society is about control. Aura's Mother makes sure that her test levels, which are Elite, are switched out to Worker, so she will not have to take the mandatory pill that controls her. Aura finds out on her own that there is so much more corruption than anyone knows, even in her own family.
Will Aura survive exiting The Society? Is she strong enough to handle the power within her? And can she bear the enormous betrayals that lie ahead of her? You'll have to read the book to find out. Aura is an exciting, nail-biting, fast paced adventure that does a great job handling a high level subject for young readers. I highly recommend it. It would be a perfect read for a high school political science class.
Repression is the overarching theme of the first book. Aura, her sister Selena, and her Mother are barely making a living in the Old City. The Society is in charge of who lives and works where, and bases everything on intelligence tests. The bottom rung is Worker, all workers are on subsistence level and must work long hours at often dangerous jobs.
Elites are the second and top level and also have strong paranormal skills. They often work in The Telepapathe, a level that monitors the compliance of people with The Society's rules. Above that, are the enforcement levels consisting of the Savants, who are more like secret police and the COGs, who are law enforcement.
Everything about The Society is about control. Aura's Mother makes sure that her test levels, which are Elite, are switched out to Worker, so she will not have to take the mandatory pill that controls her. Aura finds out on her own that there is so much more corruption than anyone knows, even in her own family.
Will Aura survive exiting The Society? Is she strong enough to handle the power within her? And can she bear the enormous betrayals that lie ahead of her? You'll have to read the book to find out. Aura is an exciting, nail-biting, fast paced adventure that does a great job handling a high level subject for young readers. I highly recommend it. It would be a perfect read for a high school political science class.
August 27, 2019
An intriguing tour of a future extreme socialist dystopian quagmire.
A story set in the future or someone’s idea of socialism has taken it to the extreme. If you think socialism today is bad then you should read this story because it’s worse than you think. Follow a young girl who lives as a worker with her mother and unregistered sister in the old part of the city where the workers live. A dilapidated filth infested part of the city. Delete leave in the golden hi tech fully automatic and updated with everything they ever will need inner-city. A president who orchestrated this socialist in his mind in paradise. They have technology or even your thoughts are regulated and even thinking the wrong thing can get you executed. She begins to realize she is a bit different follow along as she discovers who and what she is capable of. An intriguing dystopian sci-fi tale.
A story set in the future or someone’s idea of socialism has taken it to the extreme. If you think socialism today is bad then you should read this story because it’s worse than you think. Follow a young girl who lives as a worker with her mother and unregistered sister in the old part of the city where the workers live. A dilapidated filth infested part of the city. Delete leave in the golden hi tech fully automatic and updated with everything they ever will need inner-city. A president who orchestrated this socialist in his mind in paradise. They have technology or even your thoughts are regulated and even thinking the wrong thing can get you executed. She begins to realize she is a bit different follow along as she discovers who and what she is capable of. An intriguing dystopian sci-fi tale.
September 30, 2019
What an incredible book! Futuristic almost Divergent-like yet a huge step into another direction! What a stupendous book! It is a long one but so worth the details! It makes you feel like you are in the book when you are reading which I love! A definite page turner, suck you in, worth it!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 18, 2020
"You'll be the death of me, Aura Jax." says one of the characters. Not quite the death of me but she did disturb my sleep as I kept staying awake to read just one chapter, and just one more after that, and one more...
Looking forward to #2 in the series.
Looking forward to #2 in the series.
August 22, 2023
An interesting read
A great dystopia YA that had me on the edge of my seat at the end.
I really prefer books like these, where its not so cut and dry what side is doing what. But at the same time I enjoy villains that are villains. This book offers a good mix of the two.
A great dystopia YA that had me on the edge of my seat at the end.
I really prefer books like these, where its not so cut and dry what side is doing what. But at the same time I enjoy villains that are villains. This book offers a good mix of the two.
August 29, 2019
Enjoyed it!
I enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next book! I got drawn into the story and the characters and want to read more about Aurora.
I enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next book! I got drawn into the story and the characters and want to read more about Aurora.
February 3, 2024
Excellent story. I want the next one.
May 9, 2022
Aurora Jax is special ... one of the only Influencers born in who knows how long. Desperate to save her family from death, she learns to harness her skill to use against the President. Of course, nothing ever goes as planned.
I did really enjoy this book once it got going, but I will admit that it took me a while to get into it. It started off pretty exciting, with a few dangerous escapes from the government. But once she reaches the outside world, things really slowed down for a bit. It wasn't until she went back into the city that things started to pick up for me.
Now, with that said, I enjoyed this read. The world is interesting, and I really worried about some of the characters. There are a lot of unanswered questions at the end, which I expect we will come back to in the next book. This is a series after all. Not everything can be tied off with a pretty bow.
I recommend this book to anyone looking for an entertaining read! The tech they used and some of the methods of infiltration were really unique and unbelievable, yet they way they were written I totally bought into it. Well done!
I did really enjoy this book once it got going, but I will admit that it took me a while to get into it. It started off pretty exciting, with a few dangerous escapes from the government. But once she reaches the outside world, things really slowed down for a bit. It wasn't until she went back into the city that things started to pick up for me.
Now, with that said, I enjoyed this read. The world is interesting, and I really worried about some of the characters. There are a lot of unanswered questions at the end, which I expect we will come back to in the next book. This is a series after all. Not everything can be tied off with a pretty bow.
I recommend this book to anyone looking for an entertaining read! The tech they used and some of the methods of infiltration were really unique and unbelievable, yet they way they were written I totally bought into it. Well done!
June 27, 2024
Aura Jax lives the life her parents chose for her when they chose to hide her abilities. The society in which she lives has little use for those only ca able of doing menial tasks. Yet they reserve some of those jobs just to let them earn their keep. Then she learns the authorities are coming for her family. The ensuing attempts at escape lead her to a deeper understanding of herself and her abilities. But will any of this help her save her family and friends?
The story intrigues me but key aspects of the plan don’t quite track. The abilities of those who are deemed gifted seem to be physically fueled and inherited yet they transfer through digital means? Not sure I can accept that enough to follow Aura’s story.
The story intrigues me but key aspects of the plan don’t quite track. The abilities of those who are deemed gifted seem to be physically fueled and inherited yet they transfer through digital means? Not sure I can accept that enough to follow Aura’s story.
August 14, 2025
I love a good dystopian society storyline, this book actually turned me into more of a sci-fi novel lover as well. I was a little skeptical at the beginning and put the book on pause before picking it back up. There wasn’t any substance to the story that intrigued me just yet. Even though this is my go-to genre, I thought the book was going to be a badly written version of The Hunger Games or something. After starting over, it definitely caught my attention by the 3rd chapter and I could not put it down after that!
The book is very well written, love the characters’ development, and it has a sense of determination throughout the story. It left me guessing, because the ending could have went in so many different directions. I was disappointed about the cliffhanger, but that just made me more excited to read the next book. Usually most sequels don’t add up to the greatness of the first book, but I have high hopes for this one!
The book is very well written, love the characters’ development, and it has a sense of determination throughout the story. It left me guessing, because the ending could have went in so many different directions. I was disappointed about the cliffhanger, but that just made me more excited to read the next book. Usually most sequels don’t add up to the greatness of the first book, but I have high hopes for this one!
Read
November 5, 2020A young girl forced to hide her gifts is forced into action when her mother is arrested and her father faces public execution. Not even aware of her full power, the protagonist is thrown into situations beyond her. Desperate and frightened she tries to figure out her life and a way through. Told with amazing insight, great characterization and a plot that rips along at breakneck speed, the reader barely takes a breath as the excitement and tension mount. A fantastic read that should please readers of all ages, this book is one of the best! Don’t miss it!
August 1, 2022
Good, not unique. This book fades into the background as “just another teen dystopian novel.”Characters are adequately developed and believable. Some events of the plot were too far fetched and hindered the readers ability to connect and insert themselves into the story. It feels like a dystopian novel that tries to also be a sci-fi novel without doing either one the time it takes to build the world surrounding these themes and without the due diligence these genres need.
March 8, 2022
A banging good SF mystery
Excellent YA novel - there are conspiracies galore, multiple layers of underhanded backstabbing and friendships gained and lost.
There are many moral and ethical situations that could have been explored (but this novel is great with character development!)
Excellent YA novel - there are conspiracies galore, multiple layers of underhanded backstabbing and friendships gained and lost.
There are many moral and ethical situations that could have been explored (but this novel is great with character development!)
December 31, 2020
Dystopian novels are not new, nor are they few. It's becoming far more frequent to see these stories featuring or revolving around advanced technology. This is one of those books, set in a futuristic world dominated by technology - as well as the Elite. Society is separated into two main categories: Workers and Elite. Workers do just that - they work, right after taking a test at twelve years old. Elite are different; they continue education and go onto work in the Telepathe, the centre of the Society. Within this group are extremely special and rare individuals, who have a Gift. This can take a few different forms, with some Gifts rarer than others.
Aurora 'Aura' Jax is a worker, like her mother. Her father is in prison, and the family watch the monthly announcements with dread. During these broadcasts, names are announced for the next executions. It's only a matter of time until Aura's father's name appears.
Aura also has a sister, Selena. She is, in defiance of the strict laws of the Society, neither a Worker nor Elite. She is entirely unregistered. The family have moved around a lot for all of Aura's life, though she doesn't really know why. Life is tough for them, as it is for all Workers.
One of Aura's childhood friends is Elite, and he gives Aura details for a bus leaving the Society. When 'Cog's raid their home, Aura's mother gives herself up to give her daughters a chance to make a run for it. So they do.
The girls make it out, even finding the camp where Aura's best friend ran away to with his mum. But they find other outcasts, too; Neeve and her father, Edward. They immediately notice that Aura is different, and agree to help the camp with resources if she helps them out. And so they help her learn more about herself, her abilities, and even her past.
This was a really exciting read, though I did find the passage of time kind of strange. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it was nothing major. The details on how different technologies work, as well as how the Gifts work, was really good (though there were perhaps a couple of little holes). I found Aura to be a little naive, I guess, and I wasn't one hundred per cent sold on her as a character, but she wasn't bad.
The plot was different, with lots of intriguing twists. And the ending was actually rather unexpected - it definitely intrigued me. I would quite like to read on! I definitely did enjoy this and would recommend it to any YA or sci-fi fans!
Aurora 'Aura' Jax is a worker, like her mother. Her father is in prison, and the family watch the monthly announcements with dread. During these broadcasts, names are announced for the next executions. It's only a matter of time until Aura's father's name appears.
Aura also has a sister, Selena. She is, in defiance of the strict laws of the Society, neither a Worker nor Elite. She is entirely unregistered. The family have moved around a lot for all of Aura's life, though she doesn't really know why. Life is tough for them, as it is for all Workers.
One of Aura's childhood friends is Elite, and he gives Aura details for a bus leaving the Society. When 'Cog's raid their home, Aura's mother gives herself up to give her daughters a chance to make a run for it. So they do.
The girls make it out, even finding the camp where Aura's best friend ran away to with his mum. But they find other outcasts, too; Neeve and her father, Edward. They immediately notice that Aura is different, and agree to help the camp with resources if she helps them out. And so they help her learn more about herself, her abilities, and even her past.
This was a really exciting read, though I did find the passage of time kind of strange. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it was nothing major. The details on how different technologies work, as well as how the Gifts work, was really good (though there were perhaps a couple of little holes). I found Aura to be a little naive, I guess, and I wasn't one hundred per cent sold on her as a character, but she wasn't bad.
The plot was different, with lots of intriguing twists. And the ending was actually rather unexpected - it definitely intrigued me. I would quite like to read on! I definitely did enjoy this and would recommend it to any YA or sci-fi fans!
February 17, 2022
Well written page turner. The only drawback for me was the abrupt cliffhanger ending.
September 18, 2023
When my mini review reads - Get more!!! You know it was something special!!
March 17, 2024
DNF-ed at page 341 (77%)
I wanted to like this book because of the premise, but I sadly didn't. I'm glad many people loved it, though. It's just not for me.
I wanted to like this book because of the premise, but I sadly didn't. I'm glad many people loved it, though. It's just not for me.
September 16, 2024
Pretty good YA dystopian/scifi book! I am excited to see what happens in book 2! I heard it ends on a cliffhanger though and book 3 is not out. 😬 but I enjoyed Aura!
December 16, 2020
I liked this well enough while I was reading it. Interesting ideas. I wish I had noticed that it was the first book in a series, with a follow-up not out yet. By the time the sequel comes out, I'm afraid this story will fade in memory too much to pick it up again. I didn't love the cliff-hanger ending ... it just ended, I didn't feel any closure at all.
Kindle text available as part of Kindle Unlimited.
Kindle text available as part of Kindle Unlimited.
July 5, 2025
Amazing
This book had me interested to the end. I enjoyed the action and tension between the characters. And getting to learn the plot and character backstories was amazing.
This book had me interested to the end. I enjoyed the action and tension between the characters. And getting to learn the plot and character backstories was amazing.
May 13, 2024
Your next fave dystopian read - the next Divergent and Hunger Games - loved it!
I loved this refreshing dystopian that drew on so many of my favourite speculative fiction books & movies. Having said that, these were an inspiration rather than rewrites as the book is unique and kept me at the edge of my seat throughout.
16yo Aurora (Aura) Jax had her test results falsified at 11 and has been hiding out as a worker ever since. Her father has been arrested and is paraded as the lead terrorist undermining The Society. She lives hand to mouth with her mother and unregistered sister. On the night they have to run for their lives, Aura learns she never knew her mother at all.
I loved the tech, the set-up of the author’s imaginary Society which is almost a satire on the modern social divide. I also loved Aura as a character and the way she evolved into her powers. The book is both plot and character-driven, which is rare. Many details drawn from popular dystopian books and movies made this a really fun mashup to read - the feel of the book is very much Divergent (a test that would determine your fate), with a dash of Hunger Games, (saving her sister and opposing the big bad Wolfe), hints of Ready Player One (VR and White Room), Ender’s Game (sim training and not everything being as it seems), Elysium (Elite vs Workers), Dune (command words like Somnum), Transcendence (uploading one’s mind), The Minority Report (savants reminded me of ore-cogs) and Equilibrium (DN8 mood pill) and even Surrogates (uploading your mind to another body). These ideas have been masterfully pulled together into a unique new book and I would expect the series to be made into a movie at some point. I did hate the cliffhanger ending in book 1, but am secretly glad the story isn’t over and we get to see more of Aura and the holy trifecta of powers in book 2. Will definitely keep an eye out for other books by this author.
I absolutely loved the scifi tinge - because some of the science referred to is actually already in existence - like the RNM (remote neural netowrk management), retinal scans and AI - and some could easily evolve in the next 100 years (hybrid AI, Tech dogs, etc).
Recommended for lovers of speculative fiction that has scifi and dystopian elements, as well as for lovers of YA scifi and dystopian fantasy who are already fans of and looking to read something like Divergent or Hunger Games.
I loved this refreshing dystopian that drew on so many of my favourite speculative fiction books & movies. Having said that, these were an inspiration rather than rewrites as the book is unique and kept me at the edge of my seat throughout.
16yo Aurora (Aura) Jax had her test results falsified at 11 and has been hiding out as a worker ever since. Her father has been arrested and is paraded as the lead terrorist undermining The Society. She lives hand to mouth with her mother and unregistered sister. On the night they have to run for their lives, Aura learns she never knew her mother at all.
I loved the tech, the set-up of the author’s imaginary Society which is almost a satire on the modern social divide. I also loved Aura as a character and the way she evolved into her powers. The book is both plot and character-driven, which is rare. Many details drawn from popular dystopian books and movies made this a really fun mashup to read - the feel of the book is very much Divergent (a test that would determine your fate), with a dash of Hunger Games, (saving her sister and opposing the big bad Wolfe), hints of Ready Player One (VR and White Room), Ender’s Game (sim training and not everything being as it seems), Elysium (Elite vs Workers), Dune (command words like Somnum), Transcendence (uploading one’s mind), The Minority Report (savants reminded me of ore-cogs) and Equilibrium (DN8 mood pill) and even Surrogates (uploading your mind to another body). These ideas have been masterfully pulled together into a unique new book and I would expect the series to be made into a movie at some point. I did hate the cliffhanger ending in book 1, but am secretly glad the story isn’t over and we get to see more of Aura and the holy trifecta of powers in book 2. Will definitely keep an eye out for other books by this author.
I absolutely loved the scifi tinge - because some of the science referred to is actually already in existence - like the RNM (remote neural netowrk management), retinal scans and AI - and some could easily evolve in the next 100 years (hybrid AI, Tech dogs, etc).
Recommended for lovers of speculative fiction that has scifi and dystopian elements, as well as for lovers of YA scifi and dystopian fantasy who are already fans of and looking to read something like Divergent or Hunger Games.
July 19, 2023
When I first started reading this book I was knee-deep in reading 2-star free ebooks on the Kindle. (that was absolutely trashy in a good kinda way) And after just finishing another free ya romance at 12am, I stumbled across this book. I was tired of reading free romances, so I thought in my right mind to download this free dystopian instead. In about 24 hours I finished it, no, more like inhaled it. Now does this make this a masterpiece? No. Do I still think about this book? Barely. Would I recommend it to every single person alive? Well it depends if they were in a slump of reading bad books. But overall I enjoyed this. I'm not sure if it had to do with the poor reading choices I made beforehand, but nevertheless I ate this up. I even started to have a fan crush on Sebastian so I really think that R.J Wade secured me as a fan.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews