Promotional Information

What would you do if your entire memory had been erased?

About the Author

Teri Terry has lived in France, Canada, Australia and England at more addresses than she can count, acquiring four degrees, a selection of passports and a silly name along the way. Moving constantly as a child, teenager and also as an adult has kept Teri on the outside looking in much of her life. It has given her an obsession with characters who don't belong or find themselves in unfamiliar places, like Kyla in Slated. Teri recently completed a research MA on the depiction of terrorism in YA dystopian fiction.

Reviews

A gripping dystopian debut. - BooksellerSophisticated, intelligent, thought-provoking. Watch out Suzanne Collins and Sophie McKenzie, there's a new writer in town. - talltalesandshortstories.blogspot.comAn original and haunting psychological thriller. I was gripped from the first page and can't wait to read more. - Julie Bertagna, author of the Exodus trilogyGripping, chilling and all too real. An unputdownable thriller. - L.A. Weatherly, author of Angel.A beautiful, intriguing puzzle revealed piece by dark and sinister piece. - Sara Grant, author of Dark Parties.There is an Orwellian harshness about this dystopia that makes for disturbing and provocative reading. - Books For KeepsA tense psychological thriller that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. - Daily RecordA terrific read which doesn't give up its secrets lightly. From the first pages it grips. Highly recommended. - School Librarian

Memory loss and near-future dystopia have been popular YA themes of late, and while debut author Terry's dystopia is not always convincing-absent a large-scale catastrophe, it's hard to believe society is going to give up its gadgetry-her treatment of medically induced amnesia is intriguing. Kyla Davis, who knows that's not her real name, is 16 and emerging from nine months in the hospital after being "Slated," or having her memory erased. She is preoccupied with observing and drawing her surroundings, studying them for clues to her old identity. This, readers are told, is unusual, though every "Slater" described in the book differs from the supposed "blank-brained" norm. One is Amy, Kyla's black adoptive sister; another is Ben, a kind classmate with a knack for discovering information. There is little by way of conventional plot; the focus is on Kyla's unfolding awareness and gradual piecing together of the puzzle that is her past. Intriguing, yes, but also frustrating-at the end of this book (a sequel arrives next year in the U.K.), there's much left to happen in the plot. Ages 12-up. Agent: Caroline Sheldon, Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 7-9-In 2050 London, young criminals are "Slated"-their brains wiped clean of all memories. They relearn how to walk and talk in a hospital rather than a prison. Though Kyla is 16, her new family (Mum, Dad, Slated older sister Amy) will teach her that stoves are hot and traffic is dangerous. Kyla's Levo, a permanent wristband, will monitor her moods, beeping if she gets distressed and, in the worst-case scenario, disabling, and even killing her if she turns violent. Those who favored law and order thought this would solve the problem of gang violence and terrorist attacks. Kyla avoids the Slater Haters on the bus, goes to school, attends group meetings, and makes friends with fellow Slaters Ben and Jazz. Then her nightmares return, bits and pieces of a past life begin to surface, and calming mechanisms like eating chocolate or going for a run fail to bring her levels up to normal. Though the Central Coalition shows only happy news, and the militaristic Lorders maintain control, Kyla learns of a darker side of society. She comes to question the true uses of Slating and how people are chosen to undergo the procedure. Terry's debut novel treads familiar dystopian paths of controlling government, rebellious teens, and romance in a community where strong emotions are deemed unsuitable and dangerous. Slated has some lovely turns of phrase, a plot that speeds by, and a cliff-hanger ending. The terrain may not be new, but this book will attract many readers.-Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.