5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Where is Hogwart's when you need it?, February 4, 2008
This review is from: Teen, Inc. (Hardcover)
Jaiden Beale became an orphan at a very early age, so early that his parents had yet to give him a name. The company that was responsible for his parents' deaths, NECorp, did a very noble, or wacky, thing. They adopted Jaiden. Well, he had yet to be called Jaiden, but NECorp hired an expensive branding firm to come up with the name. The last name turned out to be more difficult, so NECorp executives decided that Jaiden should keep his parents' last name. Perhaps Jaiden would have been better off had he been a wizard and could go to a school named Hogwart's.
Jaiden's life was more than a bit unusual. Steering committees, focus groups, and executives guided his activities. He lived in an office in NECorp's world headquarters. Jaiden tried to make the office look like a room, but it still looked like an office. Jaiden's life was relatively stable until Jaiden became a teenager, and then things became difficult.
It all started when Jaiden was called to a meeting. Jaiden thought the meeting was going to be one of the usual subjects; homework or staying in his room after hours. When the big screen came on, Jaiden freaked. There in huge letters was the title of the presentation, Jaiden Beale Dating Options 1Q. Little did the executives of NECorp realize what they started with their presentation.
Jaiden was already interested in one of his classmates. Her name was Jenny Tate. Of course, Jaiden had yet to ever talk to Jenny and the way things were looking, he might never talk to her. Then there was the biology project. By some miracle, Jaiden and Jenny were chosen to be a team. Jaiden and Jenny's lives were about to become really exciting.
Jenny's father is one of the founders of JenCare, a remediation company. He is convinced that NECorp LiteSpring plant is polluting the water table around the plant with mercury. Of course, Jaiden had already seen the reports that the LiteSpring plant was using a new process that actually reduced the mercury coming from the plant. Then again, perhaps NECorp was not telling everything they knew.
Jaiden and Jenny soon find themselves in the midst of company politics. Rather than becoming a pawn in a public relations campaign, Jaiden decides it is time to learn the facts and to stand up for himself. What Jaiden, Jenny and Jaiden's best friend Nate fail to appreciate is the lengths that some executives are willing to go to protect NECorp and their jobs.
This story was a quick and enjoyable read. Stefan's story-telling style captured me immediately, and I discovered that I could not put this book down. Stefan's story is creative, the writing is clear and crisp, and the characters are engaging. I was unable to predict the exciting and plausible ending to this story.
I was pleasantly surprised that Stefan's writing style reminded me a lot of another of my favorite authors, Robert A. Heinlein. The story is not science fiction, but I enjoyed Jaiden's observations and explanations throughout the story, which are a characteristic of Heinlein's stories, especially his so-called juvenile books.
I believe it is likely that this book will end up becoming a movie at some point. The story is far too clever to remain in a book. I recommend this book to teens and adults looking for a well-written, clever and creative story about teenagers learning to think for themselves and learning what corporate responsibility means.
Enjoy!
The author provided me with a review copy of this book.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Big brother is babysitting, December 29, 2007
This review is from: Teen, Inc. (Hardcover)
It all started with a faulty valve.
This valve was manufactured by the SafeWarm company, whose manager quadrupled production at the expense of quality control.
Two people died as a result of the faulty valve that came from the firm that quadrupled its production at the expense of quality control.
Those two people had just been blessed with a baby boy, who stands to inherit their 40 million dollar wrongful death settlement on his 25th birthday.
The parent company of SafeWarm legally adopted the boy to give their case a little positive spin, and there begins the tale of Jaiden Beale, the boy raised by NECorp.
It's hard enough growing up with two parents looking out for you, so imagine poor Jaiden who's every life decision had to be pondered, debated and discussed by a committee. He lives in a converted office that still looks like an office, he eats at the cafeteria, and his only escape is when he's at school. Of course his going to public school was a widely debated topic, and only agreed upon after analysis showed conclusively that he was below the curve for social interaction.
The penultimate straw comes when Jaiden is summoned to a meeting to discuss his dating options, especially as the list of candidates didn't include the one girl that he was interested in. An ill-fated study date leads Jaiden to a shocking discovery, which puts him in the position of having to choose between his gut-feeling and the only family he can call his own.
An intriguing concept that chronicles the life of a boy who took his first steps on corridors of wealth and power, and who is forced to make one of the biggest decisions of his life. Fast and funny, with a killer ending, you'll probably want to read this in one sitting. Recommended for pre-teenagers and people who still think like pre-teenagers.
Rated: 4.5 stars
Amanda Richards, December 30, 2007
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great read!, September 21, 2007
This review is from: Teen, Inc. (Hardcover)
When Teen, Inc. arrived, I thought I would just read the first chapter before handing it over to my daughter. Instead, I read it in one sitting! It's a great read for adults, as well as for teens and tweens. Funny, honest and heartwarming - Jaiden is a new American hero and I look forward to more of his adventures. Can't wait for the movie!
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