EchoStar

Ruby is desperate – desperate to get good marks for schoolwork so her mother will allow her to the drama Camp. Ruby lives for Drama. As does her best friend Deva, who also wants to go to the Camp. Neither are great scholars, so why is Deva behaving oddly? What is the little earpiece that seems to be attached to her glasses. The truth us startling – an App, Echostar, that can provide the answers for her schoolwork. It is miraculous – but isn’t it cheating? If it gets results Ruby wants in. But it seems the App cannot be shared. And Ruby loses her friend – but gains the App. It has such a friendly approach, that she is soothed – then things start to go wrong. Has Ruby gone too far? Reality can be shocking.

A new novel from Melinda Salisbury is always a treat. Nor does this disappoint though there are no dragons or magical contests. This is a contemporary story for contemporary teens. Despite it being a slim volume, EchoStar is a gripping read. We follow Ruby as she is sucked into the world of online manipulation. Of course her motivation is worthy – at least to her – and will be well understood, recognised even, by its young audience; the pressure to do well, the ambition to become famous, the pressure not to talk…these are all situations that are familiar across schools. With AI a current topic, Salisbury draws attention to the dark side. She also reminds her readers that behind technology there are people who can use it to manipulate and control. This is a simple narrative and Ruby a very believable protagonist as are the dilemmas she faces and the consequences of her actions. The text, presented in the accessible format now expected from Barrington Stoke is both immediate and sophisticated. No reader needs be left out. This is for those teen readers who want that horror element in what they read – here they will find a horror that really could happen.