Shadow State
Shadow State
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Publisher's Hardcover ©2018--
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Macmillan
Annotation: A depressed science student begins experiencing flashbacks of being abducted and brainwashed, an event tied to a weaponized new drug that is being used by terrorists to control people's memories.
Genre: [Suspense fiction]
 
Reviews: 5
Catalog Number: #199972
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Special Formats: High Low High Low
Publisher: Macmillan
Copyright Date: 2018
Edition Date: 2018 Release Date: 07/03/18
Pages: 277 pages
ISBN: 1-250-12423-9
ISBN 13: 978-1-250-12423-4
Dewey: Fic
LCCN: 2017957969
Dimensions: 22 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
ALA Booklist (Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

With therapy and antidepressants, gifted science student Brynn has climbed out of the depression her emotionally abusive ex left her in. She doesn't remember much about that time, and she's grateful. She's excelling in school again, planning for MIT, and even dating a sweet guy, Dex. Meanwhile, her mother, a pharmaceutical scientist, is about to see the public launch of her wonder drug Cortexia, which will revolutionize PTSD treatment. Then Brynn starts receiving anonymous texts that suggest she spent months working with an anti-Cortexia extremist group on a secret mission, triggering flashbacks of being abducted and interrogated. Brynn uncovers disturbing implications to Cortexia that mean she may not be able to trust anyone, including herself. This uneven psychological thriller is suspenseful, with a relatable but unreliable narrator and a gripping premise, but a third-act plot twist sends the story into a tailspin. The reveal is set up well and likely to shock even expectant readers, but the follow-through relies on villain monologuing and a disappointing ending that leaves invested readers with an unfinished story.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In this slow-moving thriller set in Annapolis, Md., high school sophomore Brynn Caldwell, a science superstar, starts having vivid nightmares and terrifying flashbacks of being kidnapped and interrogated, and possibly brainwashed. She has no idea what these scenarios are based on or whether the events in them really happened, nor does she know who is sending her mysterious text messages, which seem to be counting down to a bomb-s explosion. Brynn-s new boyfriend is afraid that Brynn is part of a homegrown terrorist organization that planted the bomb, which may be timed to coincide with the release of a brand-new drug, developed by Brynn-s mother, that is meant to help PTSD sufferers by erasing their memories. But Brynn doesn-t remember joining a terrorist group. In fact, Brynn can-t quite remember last summer at all. Could she be part of a plot against her own mother? The story takes a while to get off the ground, and the characters- motivations don-t hold together at the end, with an ultimate twist that strains credulity. But the premise, that a pharmaceutical company would falsify its tests, is more than conceivable, and Brynn is a likable protagonist. Ages 14-up. (July)

School Library Journal (Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Gr 9 Up-Brynn Caldwell is finally recovering from a depression that left her floundering. but soon finds herself in the middle of a situation out of a Hollywood movie. Brynn's mother has just patented a new medication to treat PTSD by erasing memories. Brynn herself is a very advanced student with national chemistry awards to her credit. She is scared by memories beyond her grasp, and messages sent to her suggest that she has information, making her believe a terrorist group wants to stop the release of her mother's medication. Things become even more terrifying when she starts to think that she herself may have been a willing participant in developing a bomb. Brynn's struggle to determine the truth at all costs is what gives the story its appeal, despite convenient and somewhat absurd plot points that allow her to enter locked buildings and elude the police and her captors. VERDICT Recommended for general collections and teens looking for a fast-paced read. Betsy Fraser, Calgary Public Library, Canada

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
ALA Booklist (Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
School Library Journal (Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)
Voice of Youth Advocates
Reading Level: 9.0
Interest Level: 9-12
Lexile: HL670L

What Brynn Caldwell can't remember might get her killed. Brynn is a promising science student recovering from a major setback: Last year, a bad relationship sent her spiraling into depression. But as she puts the pieces of her life back together, a few don't fit. Soon Brynn starts having flashbacks--hazy memories of being abducted and possibly brainwashed. It's all connected to a wonder drug to treat PTSD that might actually be the ultimate weapon: a tool to control people's memories. And Brynn can't trust the people who know the truth--her best friend turned enemy, her genius scientist mother with a secret, and Brynn herself, whose memories might all be lies. Now, to stop a possible terrorist attack, Brynn has to uncover what she's been forced to forget--and learn what side she's really on. Elyse Brayden's Shadow State is a pulse-pounding thriller that tackles homeland security, government conspiracy, and obsessive love, with a final-page plot twist you'll never forget. An Imprint Book Suspenseful, with a relatable but unreliable narrator and a gripping premise. --Booklist


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