Cyberia [Paperback]

Welcome to Zane's life totally wired. An anklet goes into his skin to track his whole life, from his school schedule to his blood pressure and glucose levels to even when his next anticipated trip to the bathroom should be. All of his information feeds into the computers in his room and the television screens on his walls. His parents --- who he rarely sees in person --- even communicate with him through technology. But everything changes when Zane's dad leaves him a new gizmo called "The Gizzard," which is supposed to allow him to connect with technology while he's outside his room. But it also has another strange perk. "The Gizzard" lets him communicate with animals.

It turns out that Zane's dog, Hugo, "a hodgepodge of a terrier," has a lot on his mind. His vet, Dr. Gristle, a celebrity for the recent development of animal chips, is not all he's cracked up to be. Hugo calls Dr. Gristle "Doctor Fathead Vet Jerk" and warns Zane that the vet's plan is to "turn us all into robots...First, he worked out the chip that lets you boss us in and out of the house when you want. Now he's developed the one that lets you read our hearts and minds. We've gone from being pets to being toys."

Hugo insists that the vet's intentions are wrong and rotten and they need to do something, but Zane isn't sure he can help. Then Hugo brings Zane to a place deep in the woods --- where nobody goes anymore, where there's no technology --- called the WildArea, or Cyberia. There are animals of all types. Zane, who can't believe his eyes, thinks, "I have never seen this kind of variety in one place, and there is a good reason for that --- they don't belong in one place. Squirrels and pigeons and blue jays --- sure, they're native. But what explains the sudden wild world where a marmoset hangs out in a tree two miles from my house? And a falcon? A chinchilla? And what's with the pony?"

The animals, in their eclectic assortment, have one thing in common. They are all talking, pleading and screaming, and some are squawking to Zane, begging him for help. They need to make the evil Dr. Gristle stop microchipping animals. Their lives, and the lives of all animals, are depending on him. How can Zane say no?

Zane immediately visits Dr. Gristle's office and sees some more mysterious things. But when the vet realizes Zane has some connection with the animals that he himself does not have, he gets very, very angry. Does Zane have what it takes to save the animal kingdom?

CYBERIA, by acclaimed author Chris Lynch, takes readers on an adventure through a futuristic digital world where technology and nature are up against each other. Zane is a likable character whose well-wired world is, in reality, quite lonely. His plight of saving the animals is one that young people will enjoy. Plus, his dog Hugo is humorous and truly lives up to the name "boy's best friend."

--- Reviewed by Kristi Olson

I'm writing this review on behalf my son, who is 11 and had to read a book for a project at school. My son despises reading. Despite my best effort to get him to read for enjoyment, he refuses. He's an excellent reader, but he won't read unless he is forced. Back to his school project; he chose a random book, which happened to be this one. Well, he came home and started to tell me all about the plot, which I of course (being from a different generation) didn't quite "get". It didn't matter, he was finally excited about a book!! He just finished it and loved the surprise ending (which I won't give away). Thank you to this author for writing a book that a boy would enjoy. I will be sure to look for more titles from this writer. Now it's on to do a diorama...

Zane lives in the future where everything is networked and microchipped, computers are responsible for telling you when you need to go to the bathroom, telling you what you're temperature is, adjusting your food so you're not gassy, and performing other such daily functions. His parents are wired, too, but he never gets to see them unless he has an appointment.

When Zane receives a gizzard chip that synchronizes all of his information feeds, he starts picking up on extra information. With only his dog, Hugo, for companionship, Zane is excited to be able to understand his dog's speech. Hugo, however, starts telling Zane about how Dr. Gristle, the vet who put the dog's microchip in, has been performing twisted techno-experiments on animals in hopes of harnessing their abilities for government use - and that Zane is the only one who can rescue them.

With technology that can be tapped in to and watch your every move, will Zane manage to rescue the animals?

A great, fast-paced adventure for technology junkies. The characters are well-developed, and the story is unique and gripping. Readers who like science fiction, adventure, and action will like reading CYBERIA.

Reviewed by: Kira M

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 6 reviews  4.2 out of 5 stars