Scan (Scan #1)

Scan (Scan #1)
Age Range
12+
Release Date
May 01, 2014
ISBN
978-0399160653
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Tate and his father don’t exactly get along. As Tate sees it, his father has unreasonably high expectations for Tate to be the best—at everything. Tate finally learns what he’s being prepared for when he steals one of his dad’s odd tech inventions and mercenaries ambush the school, killing his father in the process and sending Tate on the run from aliens who look just like humans. Even with all he knows like how to defend himself with useful tools made out of bubblegum, Tate fears he’s still inadequate. With the help of his girlfriend and estranged mother, all Tate can really do is keep moving and ensure his father’s invention stays out of the hands of his pursuers and that his father didn’t die in vain. A riveting, fast-paced adventure, Scan is a clever alien thriller with muscle and heart.

Tate and his father don’t exactly get along. As Tate sees it, his father has unreasonably high expectations for Tate to be the best—at everything. Tate finally learns what he’s being prepared for when he steals one of his dad’s odd tech inventions and mercenaries ambush the school, killing his father in the process and sending Tate on the run from aliens who look just like humans. Even with all he knows like how to defend himself with useful tools made out of bubblegum, Tate fears he’s still inadequate. With the help of his girlfriend and estranged mother, all Tate can really do is keep moving and ensure his father’s invention stays out of the hands of his pursuers and that his father didn’t die in vain. A riveting, fast-paced adventure, Scan is a clever alien thriller with muscle and heart.

Editor reviews

2 reviews
Scan
(Updated: March 18, 2014)
Overall rating
 
4.0
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Wow, hold on to your seat as this story is one adrenaline rush that is filled with suspense, intrigue, romance, and even aliens.

What worked: This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I'm totally loving alien YA stories and this one doesn't disappoint. What I loved had to be the twist and turns throughout plus the intriguing premise of a world that might in fact be dominated by mostly aliens. Most of the Earth has been taken over by aliens who arrived some 400 years ago. They have mixed with humans and only 'the 50' are pure human. Tate and his father are one of the only remaining 50 families on the Earth still. But the twist is that most aliens don't know that they are in fact not human. Tate's father is tight lipped on what he's doing and why he's pushing him so hard. These scenes are filled with the resentment Tate feels at not being like other teens his age. But when he brings one of his father's secret weapons to school, all heck breaks loose. From there on it's a fast paced roller coaster ride with some painful reveal: like what do you do if you find out that your hot girlfriend might in fact be an alien? Plus there are huge trust issues which are totally believable.

As a mother of a teen son, I love when I find books that are perfect for him. This book is sure to appeal to reluctant readers out there. What's not to love? And kuddos for a protagonist that is able to use his smarts to make devices to help him--like exploding oranges and mixing hydrogen peroxide/ nail polish to make a sticky device. Plus a scanner that can tell who is alien and who is human. **There is a reveal at the end though that had me wondering if in fact there might be more to it than that.

The only thing that didn't work had to be that the story ended too soon! Ohmigosh on that cliff hanger ending!

War of the Worlds meets YA with a smart protagonist who finds himself in the middle of a world where not everything is what it seems.
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