Title: Sylo
Author: D.J MacHale
Series: Sylo #1
Genre: YA, Science Fiction
Format: Hardcover, 407 pages
Release Date: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: ARC provided from publisher for honest review

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Does Tucker Pierce have what it takes to be a hero when the U.S. military quarantines his island?

Fourteen-year-old Tucker Pierce prefers to fly under the radar. He’s used to navigating around summer tourists in his hometown on idyllic Pemberwick Island, Maine. He’s content to sit on the sidelines as a backup player on the high school football team. And though his best friend Quinn tells him to “go for it,” he’s too chicken to ask Tori Sleeper on a date. There’s always tomorrow, he figures. Then Pemberwick Island is invaded by a mysterious branch of the U.S. military called SYLO. And sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option for Tucker, because tomorrow may never come.

It’s up to Tucker, Quinn, and Tori to uncover the truth about the singing aircraft that appears only at night—and the stranger named Feit who’s pushing a red crystal he calls the Ruby that brings unique powers to all who take it. Tucker and his friends must rescue not just Pemberwick Island, but the fate of the world—and all before tomorrow is too late.


Do you remember the show Are You Afraid of the Dark? Well the you know D.J MacHale. He was a writer for that show and since I was a huge fans growing up I knew I had to pick up his latest book. Sylo follows fourteen-year-old Tucker who is living on Pemberwick Island. Everything seems fine until one night Tucker and his best friend Quinn witness something that changes their lives forever.

I liked this book for many reasons, but the main reason was Tucker himself. I loved that he was naive to everything that was going on around him, and we found out everything right along with him. He was funny and sarcastic, which is a win-win for me and he felt like a real kid. Another aspect that I really enjoyed was the element of the unknown that appears throughout the book. Tuckers home has been quarantined by SYLO, a military based unit who arrive unexpectedly and set up camp--not letting anyone leave. There are a lot of secrets in this novel, and not all of them are resolved at the end, and I think it will be interesting to see where this series goes in the future.

There were a few things that left me feeling disappointed and one of those things was the secondary characters. Although they had a purpose (sometimes), I felt like they lacked something. I couldn't connect with them on any level, which made it very hard to care when something happened to them. I also found the inclusion of a mysterious drug a little forced at times, and I really didn't understand its overall purpose in the story. And then there was the reveal at the end. Although I was surprised and I did not see it coming, I wasn't convinced that it was believable. But I am very interested in seeing where this series goes in the future and I will definitely pick up the next book solely to read Tuckers voice because it was so fantastic!