The Roar

Overview

"Exciting, thought-provoking, and very hard to put down."--The New York Times Book Review

Mika lives in future London, behind The Wall: Solid concrete topped with high-voltage razor wire and guarded by a battalion of Ghengis Borgs, it was built to keep out the animals, because animals carry the plague.

Or so Mika's been told.

But ever since Ellie vanished a year ago, Mika's suspected his world may be built on secrets--and lies. When a mysterious organization starts recruiting mutant kids to compete in violent virtual reality games, Mika takes the chance to search for his twin sister--and the truth.

"A hugely inventive and entertaining read which grabs the reader by the scruff of the neck from the first sentence. It flies along like a laser beam from a blaster and sustains the breakneck pace until the stunning climax. A fresh and exciting take on sci-fi..."--Eoin Colfer

*Includes a bonus chapter previewing the breathtaking sequel THE WHISPER!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440742606
Publication date:	09/30/2024
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.50(h) x 5.00(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Emma Clayton lives with her two children in Leamington Spa, England. THE WHISPER is the sequel to her debut novel THE ROAR.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5–8—In Emma Clayton's futuristic, action-packed tale (Chicken House, 2009), 12-year-old Mika is certain that his twin sister, Ellie, whom everyone thought drowned, is still alive. He senses that winning a series of battle contests invented by Mal Gorman, the minister of youth development, is the key to finding her, and puts his mutant gifts to work to do just that. Along the way, he discovers that Gorman is training the poorer kids of London to fight a war against a powerful few who hold the population at large in tiered and walled cities, where animals are banned and only the rich ever see the sun. He also learns that the government has been lying to the population at large, making them think that they are being held behind the walls to protect them from a plague caused by rabid animals. Mal Gorman will stop at nothing, including the murder of innocent children, to achieve his goals. Narrator Jane Collingwood does a fantastic job of keeping listeners on the edge of their seats. Her lovely English accent and excellent pacing keep listeners enthralled, and she moves seamlessly from one character to the next. A good discussion starter on the topics of greed, power, and propaganda. For fans of science fiction and Susan Collins's Hunger Games trilogy.—Kathy Miller, Baldwin Junior High School, Baldwin City, KS

School Library Journal

The Roar is exciting, thought-provoking and very hard to put down.
—The New York Times

Julie Just

This book is set in a future London where people live behind The Wall in order to be safe from The Animal Plague just beyond the boundary. This plague caused every animal to turn vicious and attack anyone they came upon. As a result the wall was built and the animals were killed with a poisonous gas that damaged the surrounding environment as well. This is the world that Mika has always known. His life however is changed forever by the disappearance of his twin sister Ellie. To make matters worse a secret organization is recruiting mutant children. They are used to fight in virtual reality games that are more than what they seem. This is the author's first novel for children and I often read these books with great trepidation when I hear of this. People often think that the jump from novels written for adults to those written for children is an easy one. This is not true, yet this author manages to not completely lose sight of the intelligence and the interests of her intended audience. At times, not surprisingly, the book feels inspired by manga and anime. This makes it fun and almost visual in its approach to setting, events, and locations. Reviewer: Monserrat Urena

Children's Literature - Monserrat Urena

In a future in which animals have contracted a horrible plague that makes them hungry for human flesh, all humans retreat to the northern part of the world behind The Wall. While the rich reside in golden turrets above London, the masses are forced to live in flooded slums. Thirteen-year-old Mika knows that his twin sister is still alive despite government claims that she drowned. When the Youth Development Foundation holds a contest for a chance to fly a real Pod Fighter, Mika knows it is his only chance of finding his sister. Clayton's debut novel is a sure-fire hit with teens young and old alike. Boys especially will like the action- and suspense-packed story, filled with harpoon guns, video games, and espionage. The plot is jumbled, going in many different directions, which might distract older readers while at the same time holding teens with shorter attention spans. The novel's extensive length sets up a sequel, allowing readers a chance to look forward to another action-packed volume. The world is creative and filled with secrets and danger at every turn, keeping readers guessing which direction the characters will be forced to go next. Although not the most polished or sophisticated of novels, it will prove popular with teens, with little violence and no objectionable language. Teens will roar for more of this must-have for any library. Reviewer: Robbie Johnston

VOYA - Robbie Johnston

On a future Earth, 12-year-old Ellie pilots a fighter pod from an orbiting space station to England. Although she's determined to reunite with her parents and twin brother Mika, she is recaptured by government agents. How Mika discovers the secrets of their dystopian society and begins to seek a peaceful solution to them propels the exciting, suspenseful plot. In fact, this compulsive read should not be started at bedtime if readers intend to get any sleep. Echoes of Ender's Game and the Tripod Trilogy lend interest to Clayton's skillful blending of science-fiction tropes into an original novel. Transportation pods, monstrous cyborg animals, advanced healing techniques and the scientific study of ESP provide the details that make this world work. The book's climax, although satisfying in itself, does not resolve all readers' questions or tie up the loose ends that provide an enticing glimpse of possibilities for future volumes. Since it ends with a walloping cliffhanger, here's hoping a sequel appears in our not-too-distant future. (Science fiction. 10-12)

Kirkus Reviews

"A hugely inventive and entertaining read which grabs the reader by the scruff of the neck from the first sentence. It flies along like a laser beam from a blaster and sustains the breakneck pace until the stunning climax. A fresh and exciting take on sci-fi..." -- Eoin Colfer

“Telepathically connected twins battle a totalitarian regime…Exciting, thought-provoking, and very hard to put down.” – The New York Times Book Review

“An exciting, suspenseful plot; this compulsive read should not be started at bedtime!”
– Kirkus Reviews

“An unusually gripping adventure…roars to a satisfying conclusion.”
– BCCB

From the Publisher