FUTURE HACK

A young activist is recruited to help save the world from the corporations that run her oppressive school in Klisanin’s middle-grade SF thriller.

Twelve-year-old Lexa Andromeda has been emotionally reeling and acting out since the sudden death of her dog, Zara. After her latest bout of mischief results in an accidental injury, her parents decide to send her to Thistleton Academy for Highly Creatives. Lexa is thrilled; throughout her life, she’s heard stories about Thistleton’s unconventional approach to education, which celebrates innovation and encourages autonomy. But when Lexa arrives, she discovers that Thistleton has had a dramatic transformation—what was once a bastion of creativity is now a stifling authoritarian institution funded and controlled by various corporations. Students are forbidden to go outside or have any contact with their families, and they’re under constant surveillance. Headstrong Lexa quickly stokes the ire of Executive Counseling Officer Mr. Yang and Executive Educational Officer Ms. Ballent when she refuses to kowtow to Thistleton’s new culture. To further complicate matters, a specter from the future—a virtual time-traveler named Norbu—appears with an important message: There’s going to be a mass extinction event caused by Thistleton and its partners…and he needs Lexa, a budding environmental activist, to help prevent it. With the world in peril, Lexa teams up with her friends Jack, Sage, and Will to save the planet. This action-packed book is an entertaining and engaging story about friendship, grief, and empowerment. The book has a dynamic, racially diverse cast of characters: Lexa and Jack (both 12 years old) are illustrated with light skin and dark hair, but are otherwise racially ambiguous; Will, Jack’s roommate, is Black; Sage is a white girl, Mr. Yang is Asian, and Ms. Ballent is white (Norbu’s race is up in the air, as he only appears as a blue hologram). Lexa’s fierce determination and indomitable spirit make her a compelling protagonist and narrator (“‘History is boring,’ I groan. ‘The future is what counts’”). Through her, middle-grade readers get a thought-provoking—and funny—introduction to issues such as the use and misuse of technology and the role of corporations in environmental crises.

A fast-paced and engaging introduction to SF and environmental activism.