Sunday, December 4, 2011

Lurkers by Lindsay Below






Blurb:
To say Kayla is bad at science would be a colossal understatement. So why does she carry the responsibility to figure out what went wrong? In the blink of an eye, everything she knows has changed. Her parents -- along with the rest of the adults in Toronto -- have disappeared, leaving her saddled with her whiny little brother. Luckily, she meets Jackson Sullivan, a fifteen-year-old scientific genius bent on finding out what happened. But he wants her help. How is she supposed to help sort out all this science stuff when she can barely pass her tenth grade science class?

As Jackson’s sidekick? Not in a million years.

Excerpt:

“What are we going to do?” she whispered.

She figured he knew what she was talking about—their parents. “I need more information,” he muttered. “We should go out into the city and find more people like us.”

“More people?” she gaped. “You think there are still people out there, besides us?”

He laughed. It was quick, and he covered his mouth with his hand, but she heard it. “You thought we were the only people left in the city,” he mumbled through his fingers.

She scowled. He made it sound like she was an idiot. “I didn’t see anybody else,” she snapped. It wasn’t so far-fetched to think that she, Josh, and Jackson were the only people left.

“I’ve had three separate calls today,” he informed her. “All from kids. None could find their parents. Not everybody is gone, only the adults. How many other kids do you think there are in the city?”

“You think this is happening to everybody?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Of course.” He lifted his hand, listing the points on his fingers. “No buses. No cars. No television. No radio.” He leaned back. “I’m almost surprised we have electricity. Although, depending on how many people use it, we should have enough stored up for a while.”

Kayla frowned to herself, thinking. “But why would all the adults leave? Why wouldn’t they take us with them? They’re our parents.”

“I don’t know yet,” Jackson admitted. “That’s what we need to find out.”


All of the adults have gone, but where?  Jackson thinks he can find out with Kayla’s help.  But it’s all she can do to keep herself together and ride herd on her eight-year-old brother—who happens to have diabetes, and need insulin.  Not an easy job.  Especially after she burns down the house the first night.  I never have liked electric stoves.  You can’t tell whether the burners are on or off.

This is another Young Adult book from MuseItUp Publishing, Inc., and it was written by a very young author.  I guess it takes what it takes to get us where we are, but I’m a smidge jealous that Ms. Below (pronounced Bay-low) has gotten there already at the tender age of twenty-one.  How wonderful to be getting paid to do what you love at such a young age, and to do it so well!  You can fill the bottom of your children’s Christmas tree with or stockings with copies of Lurkers.  But since it’s rather gauche to give away books that have already been read, I suggest you wait until after Christmas to borrow your child’s copy, or better yet, buy one for yourself!  I’m sure you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did.

Price:  $5.50


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