About the Author

Kevin Emerson is the author of the acclaimed novel Last Day on Mars and its sequels in the Chronicle of the Dark Star. He has written thirteen middle grade novels, including The Fellowship for Alien Detection, the Oliver Nocturne Series, and Lost in Space: Return to Yesterday (based on the Netflix series), as well as eight young adult novels, including The Atlanteans trilogy and Any Second. A former science teacher, Kevin is also a drummer and singer, most recently with his band Model Shop. He lives with his family in Seattle, Washington. You can visit him online at www.kevinemerson.net.

Reviews

"The high-stakes narrative moves forward with momentum, and a romance between Owen and Lilly is gracefully unveiled." -- Publishers Weekly"The Lost Code will satisfy teens' thirst for post-apocalyptic dystopian novels with just the right amount of suspense, adventure, science fiction, fantasy, and romance, but without the brutal violence found in other stories. Readers will eagerly devour Owen's tale and look forward to its continuation." -- Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)"The ending of the book leaves plenty of room for the sequel, and readers will likely be intrigued enough to continue." -- School Library Journal"A smart dystopian adventure packed with mind-blowing fantasy and characters you'll love." -- Michael Grant, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Gone series"The Lost Code will stop your heart with scenes of passion and power, as it draws you in to a group of kids who are the only hope in a dying world of artifice and desperation. What happens to them is like nothing you've ever read." -- Peter Lerangis, NYT Bestselling author of two books in the 39 Clues series, and co-author of Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am"The broad strokes of conflict and characterization make this a movie-ready action flick at heart...an accessible entree to the dystopia trend." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Gr 8-10-In a postapocalyptic world in which water is scarce and sunlight kills, privileged teenagers still enjoy the opportunity to attend summer camps. These camps are set up in giant domes that protect the inhabitants from radioactivity and allow everyone within to pretend that everything is fine. Owen is a poor kid from Hub whose father entered him into a drawing, and Owen won. During a swim on his second day of camp, Owen drowns. but he doesn't die. Instead, he begins to change in unexplainable ways, and he soon learns that he's not the only one. When he begins to talk to some of the other campers, he learns that over the years, students have vanished and their disappearances have been conveniently explained by the staff. He also learns that the dome is beginning to fail. This book examines a postapocalyptic world from a different perspective, because all the action takes place in a setting that closely resembles any summer camp one might visit today. However, underneath the varnish of swimming holes, archery ranges, and mess halls, there is the truth that the Earth is dying. Owen is an awkward teen-not a natural hero. Even though his body is metamorphosing into something strange and he's being called to fulfill an ancient quest, he's still a self-conscious guy, trying to get the girl to like him. The ending of the book leaves plenty of room for the sequel, and readers will likely be intrigued enough to continue.-Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.