Free to Fall

Starred review from March 10, 2014
It’s 2030—handhelds are tinier, Gnosis is society’s current technology juggernaut, and people rely on a program called Lux to maximize happiness for their every decision, down to ordering coffee. Like most people, Rory Vaughn consults Lux every chance she gets, but she has a secret: she suffers from “the Doubt,” an inner voice that supposedly marks a person as crazy. After Rory is accepted to the exclusive Theden Academy, she begins searching for answers about her long-dead mother, who also attended the school. While there, the Doubt only grows stronger, and Rory’s Lux consultations diminish. Then Rory falls for North, a sexy, antiestablishment barista-hacker, who has her back as she’s drawn into a complex web of secrets and lies. Miller (Parallel) offers an intricately plotted, intellectually rich thriller that will please a range of readers, from those searching for a page-turner to those wishing to thoroughly engage the mind. Mathematics and Milton’s Paradise Lost serve as additional drivers pushing Rory toward the truth in this boarding school murder-mystery with a near-future SF twist. Ages 13–up. Agent: Kristyn Keene, ICM.

March 15, 2014
A girl solves family mysteries while uncovering a technological conspiracy. When Rory is accepted by the prestigious, superelite Theden Academy, she doesn't have to ask Lux if it's a good idea to attend. (The popular decision-making app Lux compiles user data to make recommendations.) Before Rory leaves, her father gives her a letter and necklace from her long-dead mother, revealing that her mother was a Theden dropout. The letter--a quote from Paradise Lost--baffles Rory. Additionally, she must cope with the sudden appearance of the Doubt--in this future, any inner voice, be it intuition or providence, is viewed as mental illness. At the school, the student-body president pursues her, she has tons of friends, and she's even invited into an exclusive secret society. But she finds romance with a counterculture barista-hacker townie. Through a psychology-class project on the Doubt, she accesses her mother's school and medical records. Unraveling the inconsistencies about her mother, she discovers dark truths about Lux--and as the only one who knows, it's up to her to stop it. Rory's stated brilliance is inconsistent with the heavy foreshadowing, and in the final act, there's a marked drop in believability as both the conspiracy unravels and the solution becomes apparent. Despite these missteps, the story offers wonderful treatments of its themes and will keep readers flipping pages. Recognizable characters and intriguing technology shine in this cautionary tale. (Science fiction. 13 & up)

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May 15, 2014
Grades 8-12 Rory is thrilled when she is accepted at Theden Academy, the most prestigious school in the country. Her mother had gone there, but she left before graduation and died in childbirth less than a year later. Theden promises their students exceptional futures, but within the elite circle is an even smaller, more prestigious group, for which Rory is tapped. As she becomes more immersed in her new life, Rory realizes her mother has left clues to protect her from things that aren't as they seem. Miller has created intricate societies within and outside Theden. Now, people are tethered to a device called Lux that makes many of their decisions. Also discouraged is listening to gut feelings, renamed the Doubt. A relationship with a hacker, North, allows Rory to delve deep into the real purpose behind Lux, Theden Academy, and the intended impact on individual lives. Miller smartly doesn't exchange strong, involving characters for nonstop actionthere's plenty of both. Readers may not quite understand every technical detail, but they'll be thoroughly caught up in the romance and the story's very high stakes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
In 2030, people are entirely dependent on their mobile devices (sound familiar?), relying on an app called Lux to make their decisions. Rory, a student at a prestigious boarding school, uncovers a massive conspiracy related to Lux, which is also connected to her mother's death sixteen years earlier. Secrets, romance, suspense, even math--this fast-paced, captivating novel has it all.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from April 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-When Rory Vaughn, 16, gets accepted to a prestigious boarding school, she's elated. Even Lux, her decision-making app, tells her that Theden Academy is the best way to assure her perfect future. Yet, within her first few days there, Rory finds so much more than what she'd expected on the surface, and inconsistencies about her own birth lead the teen to question her own past, present, and vision for the future. With friends and teachers who encourage her to follow the illustrious path of Theden alums, she wonders why she finds herself so drawn to the rebellious hacker North and his outsider, anti-Lux lifestyle? As more secrets of the past are uncovered, Rory begins to wonder if the same covert group that may have caused her mother's death could now be after her. Miller's science fiction-based romantic thriller takes on social commentary about teens consulting technology for every aspect of their lives. Engaging and thought-provoking, Free to Fall should appeal to a variety of readers with its blend of action, secrecy, and romance, and it provides excellent discussion opportunities.-Jessica Miller, West Springfield Public Library, MA

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