In this futuristic sequel (Skinned, 2008, Crashed, 2009), the indomitable “mech” Lia Kahn returns, now even more comfortable in the bionic body given to her by BioMax after a horrific car crash that left her all but brain dead. Although it reintroduces familiar struggles with the corrupt corporate giant that saved and changed her life and the ethical issue of what it means to be a mech that cannot die, this installment is truly about relationships, especially those among Lia’s family. Born to a BioMax executive, Lia has a love/hate relationship with her father, and when she begins peeling back the layers of BioMax’s latest insidious and deadly plan she finds herself both pitted against him and reunited with her previous nemesis, her cunning younger sister Zo. Wasserman creates a convincing and imaginative dystopia that her characters fill with action and a wide range of human emotion. Harsh language makes this appropriate for older teens, who will also appreciate the overt and underlying ethical dilemmas throughout. (Science fiction. 12 & up)
