Bookworm Speaks!- Tracked by Jenny Martin

Bookworm Speaks!

Tracked 

by Jenny Martin

****

Acquired: Half-Price Books

Series: Tracked Series

Publisher: Dial Books (May 5, 2015)

Hardcover: 400 pages

Language: English

****

The Story: On corporately controlled Castra, rally racing is a high-stakes game that seventeen-year-old Phoebe Van Zant knows all too well. Phee’s legendary racer father disappeared mysteriously, but that hasn't stopped her from speeding headlong into trouble. When she and her best friend, Bear, attract the attention of Charles Benroyal, they are blackmailed into racing for Benroyal Corp, a company that represents everything Phee detests. Worse, Phee risks losing Bear as she falls for Cash, her charming new teammate. But when she discovers that Benroyal is controlling more than a corporation, Phee realizes she has a much bigger role in Castra’s future than she could ever have imagined. It's up to Phee to take Benroyal down. But even with the help of her team, can a street-rat destroy an empire?

The Review: What immediately sets this book apart from other YA fiction is its setting. While there are definitely some dystopia-themes, the does not place on a futuristic Earth but rather another planet that has since been colonized by humanity. That is something that Bookworm has wanted for quite some time and the author does a good job at building this desert planet for the reader. While the majority of the book takes place within the city and one building in particular but no spoilers, the author does a good job and building up the quiet desolation of the planet and industrial engines that keep it going. Some passages in particular, describe the drug that is ravaging the planet, sap. Not only is that a pretty creative name for a narcotic, the pain and destruction it causes feel very visceral. The author can’t help but wonder if this is based upon personal experience of the author…

The driving and racing aspects of the story really take a backseat (no pun intended) to the teenaged angst. It is unsure how well Fast and Furious would translate into novelized format but it was quite disappointing how little off it there actually was. Bookworm wanted more cars! More crashes! More races! What we got instead, was yet another, “teenage girl fights against a oppressive regime” story that have become extremely popular the last few years. 

The theme of raging against the man is a universal one but it is becoming oversaturated to the point of becoming a cliche. To throw a cherry on top, there is another insufferable love triangle between the main female lead and two main male characters. We have seen this countless times before and it is really starting to get old. 

Even the social commentary that the story makes can get a little ham-fisted at times. Inserting personal politics into creative work is inevitable despite the best of intentions but one must be careful not to take it to far or the creative medium just winds up becoming preachy. Not to mention the political statements have also been seen countless times. The rich heartlessly crush the poor under their thumb and its up to a band of rebels to see justice done. 

Seen it. 

Word of advice to future authors: If your story is going to go down this path, work extra hard to make both the setting memorable and give the oppression is own distinct flavor. When Bookworm reads…he does it to escape the harshness of reality. Its okay to make a statement there but when said statement gets a little too close to home, it breaks the illusion. That spoils it for Bookworm. 

And get rid of the stupid love triangle!

Bookworm really wanted to see more cars, garages and race tracks. We get them make no mistake but so much of the book takes place inside of the protagonist’s head while she is adjusting to her new surroundings. That is another retread of other YA fiction. The main character just seems like another pointlessly brooding, endlessly conflicted character in the vein of Katniss or the girl from Divergent. Would it kill to include characters that are confident in way that doesn’t feel like bombast? 

Final Verdict: While it’s setting is unique, this story ultimately retreads too much of the Hunger Games and other YA fiction to really stand out.  

Three Checkered Flags out of Five

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