Book Description Review “A solid series starter for tinkerers and adventurers alike.” – Kirkus Reviews“McCulloch’s riveting tale will speak to children interested in STEM as well as any reader interested in intelligent, rapidly paced sf mysteries.” – Booklist“[A] vividly imagined Toronto-set middle grade series opener intertwines smartphone technology with the hallmarks of classic science fiction via a fun, insightful narrative and bright voice…With a sharp eye toward the rising awareness of device addiction and a keen sense of wonder, McCulloch’s tale is a feast for the imagination that celebrates women in STEM fields.” – Publishers Weekly“An enjoyable read with just enough genuine friendship and suspense to draw readers in.” – School Library Journal“This is a swift moving story that takes the time needed to develop its characters and relationships to the point where readers will genuinely care about the outcome…Recommended.” – School Library Connection“Readers will cling to the edge of their seats.” – The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Read more About the Author Amy McCulloch was born in the UK, raised in Canada, and currently lives in London. She is also the author of The Oathbreaker’s Shadow duology and The Potion Diaries series. She loves traveling the world, researching extraordinary settings and intriguing stories for future books. Find her online at amymcculloch.net Read more Customers Review: This is the first book by Amy McCulloch that I have read and it will not be the last. The is the first book in a new series; meet Lacey Chu a talented tinkerer who lives in a company owned complex. MONCHA is the largest tech company in the world. Their main products are robot animals that are leashed to their owners – think smart phones that are personal companions. Eagles, cats, dogs, tigers, etc. Lacey is obsessed with getting into the top school as a gateway to being an engineer at MONCHA. She is rejected and getting ready for her alternative path when she encounters a broken robot. She fixes the robot cat and starts an adventure that is reminiscent of a mash up of Harry Potter and Ready Player One.. The themes in this book are similar to other popular books, but have a unique spin that makes this book an exciting read. The only reason it is 4 stars instead of 5 is Lacey’s interaction with her old friends or lack of. Her obsession with her new life affects her relationship with her best friend Zora. There is also a mystery involving Lacey’s father, one of MONCHA original engineers. I look forward to the next book in this series.Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebook Kids for this ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley, Amy McCulloch, and Sourcebooks Kids for the opportunity to read Jinxed in exchange for an honest review.I haven’t read a riveting middle-grade page-turner in quite some time; this book has left me on the edge of my seat, breathless, and extremely eager for the second installment.Originally published in the United Kingdom in 2018, Jinxed makes its debut in the United States in January 2020. Sure, this book has some elements seen in many middle-grade and young adult novels, but it brings just the right blend together to make something fun, intriguing, and absolutely unique.Told in the perspective of Lacey Chu, a seventh-grader with the dream of being a companioneer at Moncha Corp, this world has cell phones, sure, but also something much greater. Monica Chan, the founder and head engineer at Moncha, had a brilliant idea. What if people had all the same capabilities as smartphones–calling, texting, net searching, etc.–in the shapes of animals? They can move around with their intricate structure and form the basis of this society’s lifestyle.Lacey wants to get into Profectus, a school that Moncha takes all of its new-hires from, a school for only the most advanced students. It’s more like a university than a middle/high school. Lacey has the highest grades of anyone, but for some reason she didn’t get accepted into the school of her dreams. She can never become a companioneer, someone who builds bakus, for her favorite company if she doesn’t go to Profectus. Bakus are the name for the smart animal tech that accompany many of the people in society. When Lacey doesn’t get accepted to the school of her dreams, she doesn’t get the scholarship she was hoping for in order to buy a higher level baku. Instead, she’s stuck with a level one baku, which is all she can afford.On her way home from the store, her school rival picks on her and her friend, and she goes down into a ravine to save her friend’s new baku. Out in the trees, she finds the remains of another baku. When she takes it home, she sees that it is a high-level cat baku. This level three baku allows her into Profectus. After spending the whole summer repairing the cat baku (and waiting to see if someone was looking for it), Lacey finds out her baku isn’t quite normal. It has a will of its own. Jinx, as she calls it based on its serial number, can speak to Lacey telepathically, is a master hacker, and does not follow directions.Lacey must hide these strange features from everyone around her, or people might start asking questions that may lead to her expulsion from Profectus.There are also the baku battles, a secret competition between selected teams to battle their bakus against each other. Part of the challenge is being able to not only control their baku in battle, but to be able to efficiently repair the mechanics if they seek a job at Moncha. It’s these battles that might ultimately expose Lacey’s secret about Jinx.There’s a whole lot more going on in the story than that. Monica Chan hasn’t been seen in some time, causing suspicion from Lacey and others. The corporation is currently being run by a potential tyrant with sinister motivations for the direction of Moncha. A rival corporation called BRIGHTSPRK seeks to steal Moncha’s tech secrets. Lacey has been caught up in the middle of this intense corporate scandal. Let’s not forget the basic struggles of a seventh-grader building both romantic and friend relationships…An absolutely fantastic novel packed with excitement from page one. The cover for the U.S. release is a perfect fit for the target audience as well. A book I will highly recommend to all ages that explores potential ideas that we may just see in our own technological future.
Lacey Chu is twelve years old living with her mom. She lives in a “mini corporate city.” The city has grow up around the Moncha Corp., developer of baku which are robotic companions that blend companionship with a smartphone utility. Lacey has applied to the Moncha Corp. school as she wants to become a companioneer. As a companioneer, she would develop, innovate and build bakus. Lacey finds a destroyed baku and decides to take it home to “fix” it. It’s a cat that she calls Jinx. Jinx is unlike any other baku in that it is independent— thinks and does things without any instruction from Lacey. This causes Lacey some problems but also helps her. Jinx gets her into this school after she has been rejected. Why does Jinx do this? How is he able to do this? Will Lacey get to meet her idol — Monica Chan, the owner and first companioneer of Moncha Corp.? Jinx is kidnapped and Lacey must get him back. Who kidnapped Jinx? Why? Will Lacey be able to find Jinx?The novel reminded me of how people today are so addicted to their cell phones. It appears that cellphones have replace one-on-one interaction. There is a sense of wonder in this first novel of a series. It made me think of women in the STEM fields. This story is more than about cellphones, it has mystery, challenges and surprises. There is a little romance thrown in.Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley.This tense, smart middle grade book establishes a near-future Earth where only the poorest people have smart phones. Anyone who’s anyone has a baku, which is a companion robot, computer, and accessory all in one. Lacey Chu is a brilliant young engineer with her hopes set on getting into an elite school that fast-tracks graduates to the Moncha corporation, where Monica Chan invented bakus. Lacey is devastated when she isn’t accepted, and embarrassed when all she can afford is a measly level one scarab baku. But when she finds a piece of junk and hauls it home to her workshop, she’s stunned to find it’s a cat baku unlike any other. She fixes it up. Suddenly, her school rejection is undone. She’s in! But as she starts her dream school, she realizes her baku, Jinx, is truly unique. He doesn’t obey orders, as if he…. is alive.This book is so much fun. You can’t help but love Jinx. He’s such a cat. Lacey is a great heroine, a kid with dreams and genuine drive. I found the book breathless in pace. I didn’t want to put it down! My only complaint is that the book ends on a tortuous cliffhanger. |
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