Luka Kane turns 16 inside prison. This isn’t just any prison. It is called The Loop – a high security prison in Earth’s future. He has already been there two years, the monotony of his days stretching out before him. In this future prison system, inmates are woken by a computer presence in their cell. This system is called Happy, and controls everything, including Luka’s food, when he sleeps, when he wakes, and all without any human connection.

Even Luka’s limited time outside his small cell is controlled by Happy. All inmates outside are watched continuously by drones to prevent escape. The inmates can hear others, but still can’t see them. Every day, an inmate yells that he will kill Luka if he ever gets the chance. Luka can even understand why.

Everything happens at exactly the same time every day, including the rainfall at night and the nightly torturous process all inmates go through, being forcibly used as batteries to run the prison. It’s a terrible existence.

They are all destined for The Block or death. The stories about The Block are chilling but there is another option. Inmates can choose a Delay. This involves all and any types of experimental operations to benefit the rich members of the population, and are not often survived.

If it wasn’t for the kindness of warden (19 yr old Wren) who gives Luka books, and talks to him daily, he would be even more miserable. When he hears talk over the high walls of his exercise yard of a war outside the prison, he begins to wonder. Then his computer screen goes black. No food arrives. The rain doesn’t fall. What is going on?

Luka is suddenly free, but that angry inmate still wants his blood. Who should Luka trust? Can he really leave? He wants to find his family, but encounters giant mutant, hungry rats, soldiers with guns and futuristic weapons that make guns look like toys. Then there is the device in his heart that can be triggered to explode at any moment.

What he does find is nearly more than he can comprehend. His journey to discover what is happening outside also brings friends he would give his life for, and they him, answers to the rumours that have circulated for years among the poor and an even more uncertain future.

Empathy was my first emotion with this YA novel. Luka is just trying to survive every day, and fight back at a futuristic barbaric system in any tiny way he can. Throughout the novel I felt his fear, exhilaration, courage and sadness. There is also much confusion and I rode with it until I discovered what was happening along with Luka.

There is much manipulation, control and terror, along with drugs, chemical use and technology both inside and outside the human body. The state of Earth itself is at risk, and higher powers believe they have the answers, which are horrific but successful – except for those like Luka and his friends who choose to fight back.

This is the first in this trilogy. Gripping read!

Author – Ben Oliver

Age – 13+

(Future, Poverty, Control, Torture, Crime, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Loyalty, Fear. Grief, Drugs, Technology, Action, Guns, War, Battle, Science, Murder, Trilogy, Series)