Crashed

Gr 7-10 "Crashed" can stand alone, but teens who have read "Skinned" (S & S, 2008) will find themselves more invested in Lia's newest conundrum. She is a mech, a skinner. Her mind has been downloaded and her memories placed in a mechanical body. It is the only way she could survive after an accident demolished her body. She has left her family to live with other mechs because they understand what she is going through. Now a new threat has arisen: The Brotherhood of Man. This organization considers mechs to be against the will of God, and they have no problem killing innocent people in their quest to prevent any more from being "born." However, there is more to the Brotherhood than appears on the surface, and as Lia and her mech friends dig deeper, they find a conspiracy with far-reaching implications. This installment in the trilogy has intense action, a fast-paced plot, and interesting characters, even if they can't "feel." Give it to fans of Mary E. Pearson's "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" (Holt, 2008) or Nancy Farmer's "The House of the Scorpion" (S & S, 2002)."Emily Garrett Cassady, North Garland High School, Garland, TX" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.