March 2024, Barrington Stoke, 136 pages, Paperback, Review copy
Summary from Barrington Stoke
Ruby Brookes and her best friend Deva have won free places at the Ash Tree Foundation Performing Arts Camp over the summer, but only if their school grades seriously improve. So when Deva suddenly starts getting high marks in all their subjects, leaving Ruby behind, she is confused and jealous.
Until she finds out Deva's success is down to EchoStar, a new app that's helping her get ahead.
Ruby is desperate to start using it too, but there is much more to EchoStar than she has imagined. Because EchoStar is always watching and listening …
Nayu's thoughts
I am not super fond of AI technology. Mostly it isn't needed, don't get me started on AI stealing artwork from original artists. I do not have any form of AI actively in my life that I know about, but I know how popular the machines are that can perform internet searches, play specific songs, add items to grocery lists and the list goes on. I was extremely intrigued by Echostar's premise and was heartily glad of an afternoon to read it as I couldn't put it down.
I could understand Ruby's jealousy, why she didn't want to put the hard work in to improve her grades, and why she sneakily downloaded Echostar (and got her friend in trouble at the same time). I didn't like Ruby's actions, I could feel the danger of the app as she used it. Just how well Echostar knew Ruby was scary, and the mastermind behind it...well I feel Ruby will never be safe despite how it ended. There's always that unknown what if Echostar still kept tabs on her without her knowing?
By the time Ruby realised it was a very bad app she couldn't delete it from her life, even though she tried. There was no benefit from using it, the depths of trouble Ruby was getting into risked more than not going to drama camp. It certainly had me eager for the next book, AdelAIDE. Ruby learnt major life lessons, as did her family, and the repercussions of her choices I feel will last a lifetime.
Find out more on Melinda's website.
Suggested read
Other fun thrillers include Burn Out by Robert Swindells (Young Adult, Reading Age 8 years +, Dyslexia friendly, 9/10E)
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