AUTHOR: Stuart Wilson
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
AVAILABILITY: Amazon US (Kindle ebook), Amazon UK (Kindle ebook),
Smashwords (multiple e-formats)
APPROXIMATE LENGTH: 107,000 words
Recommended for fans of comic book adventures such as the TV show X-Men:
Evolution.
GENRE
Science Fiction—Young Adult
Cyberfreak Debt
takes place in a comic book type of universe in which teenagers attend an
underground school at the Directorate of Metanormal Defense to learn how to
battle supernatural dangers (vampires, ghosts, etc). Nanobots, virtual reality,
holograms, and other high-tech gadgets are commonplace. Familiar territory for
readers of comics like the X-Men series.
This universe is a sci-fi/fantasy blend, with paranormal happenings given
“scientific” explanations. None of these explanations are drawn out,
though—there’s hardly any techno-babble.
PACE
This book is relatively fast-paced,
with plenty of exciting action scenes and lingering mysteries. The story pulls
back every so often to ruminate on the thoughts of the main character, Kyle, as
he deals with the changes in his life, the death of his parents, and his
relationships with his friends.
PERSPECTIVE
Third person limited. The story
alternates between Kyle’s point of view and that of Leila, a girl who attacks
the Directorate early in the story and is imprisoned in a virtual world.
CONTENT REVIEW
14-year-old Kyle Rivers, left paralyzed
after an accident that killed his parents, is given an offer he can’t refuse:
join the Directorate of Metanormal Defense and walk again. Via high-tech
nanobots that work specifically with his DNA, Kyle not only regains use of his
legs, but develops super-speed and the ability to read people’s danger levels.
Along with his wacky best friend,
Ollie, Kyle attends the DMD’s training program, hoping to one day become an
agent who protects humans from dangers such as vampires and poltergeists. Not
long after their arrival, a teenage girl called Leila, whose father had been
killed by one of the DMD’s agents, attacks the compound. Leila is captured and
placed in a virtual reality prison, where she must face demons generated by the
minds of the other prisoners in order to survive and possibly escape.
Cyberfreak Debt
alternates between Kyle’s story and Leila’s chapter by chapter, with each
chapter opening with an ominous countdown to “cyberdome activation.” The
cyberdome causes the real and the virtual clash, sometimes bringing Kyle into
the virtual world, sometimes sending Leila into the real one and bringing to
life that which is imagined. This causes both realize that something nefarious
is going on at the DMD, and they must put aside their differences to figure out
who is behind the cyberdome activations, and what their motivations are. Is it
Agent Magnolia, the creepy, dangerous man who seems to radiate evil? Is it
Director-General Pratt, the goofy man in charge and Kyle’s legal guardian?
Professor Brownstein, the caffeine-addicted scientist behind most of the DMD’s
technology? Someone else entirely?
Meanwhile, Kyle adjusts to life at the
DMD—attending classes, dealing with bullies, joking around with Ollie. Every so
often, he is prone to bouts of melancholy as he recalls his parents’ tragic
death, and he gradually learns to take control of his mind and not allow his
doubts and frustrations to overwhelm him. Courageous, diligent, and good-natured,
he is an immediately likable protagonist who is easy to sympathize with, the
kind of kid we all like to root for. He sparks with hero potential, following
his do-the-right-thing instincts in a manner that is genuine and unpretentious.
Leila, on the other hand, is an
arrogant, tough-talking spitfire. She is, in many ways, the opposite of Kyle.
Whereas Kyle does his best not to dwell on his parents’ deaths, Leila fixates
on avenging her father. She is a fascinating character to watch, one whose
violent tendencies make her unpredictable. Both Kyle and Leila interact with a Japanese
boy called Ahn, an odd little Buddhist who rattles off nuggets of wisdom in
humorously broken English.
Wilson’s snappy and witty writing makes
Cyberfreak Debt crackle with energy.
Between the zingy dialogue and the vibrant action scenes interlaced with sound
effects (Raka-taka-taka! Kabloom!),
this book and its characters practically explode from the page. It’s as though
he’s allowed his vivid imagination to run wild, creating a story that is dynamic
and a tad surreal. He uses the virtual world and the cyberdome activations to
illustrate the idea that runs through the whole book—you are what you imagine
yourself as.
And yet he also takes the time to
develop the characters, sometimes stepping back from the action to draw out
poignant scenes that add a level of emotional depth to the story. Kyle isn’t
just a hero-in-training—he’s also a kid coping with tragedy. Ollie isn’t just
the plucky best friend—he uses his jokes to cover his insecurities. And Leila, bitter
and hostile, teeters on the edge of villainy.
But for the most part, Cyberfreak Debt is pure fun—thrilling,
humorous, and rather ridiculous at times. Among other things, Wilson throws in Nazi
clown cowboys, an eating contest ending in copious flatulence, and more than a
few jabs at the Twilight series
(“Vampires do not sparkle!”). Through
the twists and turns of the plot, vividly imagined settings, and the lively
character interactions, this book grabs you from the beginning and refuses to
let go.
THE NITPICKY STUFF
There are a handful of small errors and
typos, but nothing distracting.
Heads up for American readers—Cyberfreak Debt uses British
conventions.
This book contains comic book type
violence (explosions, gunshots, etc.), but nothing gruesome or graphic. The
content is appropriate for a young audience.
AUTHOR INFO
[from Amazon.com’s author page]
Stuart Wilson was born in Manchester
and comes from a family with a recessive werewolf gene, meaning no one ever
changes form, but they do all growl a bit. He likes writing with a quill pen
set on fire, giving him a few minutes writing time before he has to stop to
battle the flames. The work which survives these constant bouts is now
available on amazon and in all good book stores (with computers in them where
you can access amazon). Enjoy…
COMING SOON: An Interview with Stuart Wilson
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