Shadeâ€™s Children

Author: Garth Nix

Winner of the Golden Duck Award and nominated for an Aurealis, Shade's Children is a grim dystopian tale that is high on mystery and action. Earth has been taken over by evil Overlords who harvest anyone over the age of 14 and use their organs to create genetically mutated soldiers and beasts. Only a small group of teens has escaped, living on an abandoned submarine, following the last adult consciousness left on the planet, an entity known as Shade who cares for them and educates them. Though Shade tells the teens that their mission is to take down the Overlord and return life to normal, when one of the team is in danger, his motives become less clear. Fans of The Matrix will find a lot to appreciate in Shade's Children, as the grim world of the novel is similar to the post-apocalyptic world of The Matrix. The teens must face all kinds of monsters in their missions, and they never know if they will survive or end up harvested. Video reports done by the characters at the end of each chapter help you to connect with each of the four protagonists and to care for them. The tension is ratcheted up in this story, and you will be on the edge of your seat.