Everyone gets the Mark. It gives all the benefits of citizenship. Yet if getting the Mark is such a good thing, then why does it feel so wrong?
Set in a future North America that is struggling to recover after famine and global war, Swipe follows the lives of three kids caught in the middle of a conflict they didn’t even know existed. United under a charismatic leader, every citizen of the American Union is required to get the Mark on their 13th birthday in order to gain the benefits of citizenship.
The Mark is a tattoo that must be swiped by special scanners for everything from employment to transportation to shopping. It’s almost Logan Langly’s 13th birthday and he knows he should be excited about getting the Mark, but he hasn’t been able to shake the feeling he’s being watched. Not since his sister went to get her Mark five years ago . . . and never came back.
When Logan and his friends discover the truth behind the Mark, will they ever be able to go back to being normal teenagers?
The world in Swipe is terrifying, innovative (even if the innovation did lead to a scary result) and fascinating! It’s scary to think that this could be our future if things took a turn for the worse. Swipe is a MG/YA suspense/thriller that is really cool!
I loved Evan’s descriptive writing. The attention to detail really made the story rich. I loved how he described houses as going up rather than across. Most of the houses have one room on each floor but can be over 20 stories high. (Because land is so scarce and expensive that lots are much smaller.) And all of these details are interwoven in Swipe that it makes this world come alive.
I both love and hate that Logan and Erin are so smart. It was the one snag in this otherwise 5 gavel book. The characters in Swipe are 13 years old. And while they may be on the smart side of the spectrum, they are otherwise normal 13 year olds. But their language and sense of humor and thought process were so adult. I just couldn’t imagine any young teen talking or interacting at this level. They would have joke arugments between friends about the “letter of the law” v. the “spirit of the law”, and their vocabulary was well beyond even high school SAT vocab. I love smart teens and I wish more people would upgrade their vocabulary, but I also want the characters to be realistic. So this bugged me a little bit, but it was the only thing I didn’t love about this book.
The characters are likable and Logan is such a bright kid. My favorite part about them was how inquisitive they were. Always questioning things, never blindly accepting what they are told. It shows an independance that is really great to see. Swipe took me on a suspenseful joy ride. Swipe is a really good read.
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| 3.5/5 Gavels |
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This book’s description sounds like so many other YA dystopia books that I normally wouldn’t give it a second look but your review has made me curious about it. It might even be a book my 11 year would enjoy.
I have GOT to read this book!!! It brings life to a fear in me about our future one day, and how we may be controlled beyond our wildest dreams.
Thanks for this great review!!
Shannon
http://www.irunreadteach.wordpress.com
Oh this does sound interesting. Not sure if I’ll like characters so you, but the story sounds good.
This book really sounds interesting to me…great review!
This is the first time I have ever heard about this book, so thank you so much, Michelle, for bringing it to my attention! i always find a great new book while stopping by your blog and my only wish is that I would have more time to comment on every single fabulous post you have on here! But hey, I do stalk you regularly and will definitely start bothering you again as soon as we’ll move to our own place. Living with in-laws doesn’t exactly provide me with a lot of free time 🙁 And I miss chatting with you! Remember that I love you and I stalk you (although quietly), and will be back to smother you with my creeptastic blogger love soon! <3
Can you imagine having to scan your tattoo when you want to shop? This story sounds interesting and it’s on my wish list!