A teen boy is trapped in a dark virtual prison with no knowledge of how or why he's there, and with no physical stimulus other than the disembodied screams of his two friends, Kara and Jenna. Then Jenna disappears. Almost 260 years later, he reawakens in a new body.
This is the disorienting fate of Locke, whose story began in Pearson's The Adoration of Jenna Fox. Locke narrates his awakening with Kara in a strange body at an unknown location. Locke and Kara escape in search of Jenna with the help of a robot named Dot. Dot believes, "Escape is not about moving from one place to another. It's about becoming more." Dot's emergent robotic consciousness expresses a nurturing sense of humanity toward Locke, Kara and, later, Jenna, that mediates the relentless trauma of their lives. The characters' experiences will inspire feelings of trepidation and revelation about what you know about yourself and others. "There are all kinds of friends you make in life.... But there's something different about someone who spreads their wings with you."
This book is best read as part of the series continuum; the true reward comes at the intersection of this story and the one told in Adoration. Pearson confidently melds Philip K. Dick sci-fi elements with headline-inspired bioethics issues. The novel depicts serious mental and physical trauma more appropriate for mature YA readers. However, there is also enough sophistication in plot and character development for an adult crossover audience. --Jessica Bushore, veteran Ohio public librarian