Kirkus Reviews QR Code
BOY X by Dan Smith

BOY X

by Dan Smith

Pub Date: Feb. 28th, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-338-06564-0
Publisher: Chicken House/Scholastic

Twelve-year-old Ash wakes in an unfamiliar room with an IV in his arm, a head full of jumbled memories, and a host of superhuman abilities. He has no idea what he is capable of, but if he is going to save the world, he needs to evolve.

With the lead scientists locked in quarantine, it is up to mixed-race (Indian/white) Ash to track a group of criminals intent on releasing a deadly virus into the world. Unfortunately, a dense jungle full of terrifying creatures is between the biosphere where he is being kept and the getaway boat. Thankfully he meets Isabel, a Costa Rican girl familiar with the dangers of Isla Negra. Drawing upon her local knowledge and what he’s learned from his scientist mother and his memories of his deceased soldier father, Ash and Isabel begin their journey. They quickly learn there are more deadly things hiding on Isla Negra than the bizarre fauna and the deadly flora. This fast-paced adventure features both a reluctant hero and an intelligent and capable heroine. With an island full of impossible creatures and new dangers around every corner, there are few lulls in this high-stakes race.

Intense, captivating, and distinctive.

(Science fiction. 8-12)