
Reach for this book when your teenager is beginning to question the ethics of digital privacy, the influence of social media, or how much control they truly have over their own identity and body. It is an essential read for families navigating a world where data is a currency and neurodivergent voices are often spoken for rather than listened to. The story follows Paige, an autistic teen who discovers her parents allowed a tech company to implant a mood-altering chip in her brain without her consent. As Paige goes on a mission to find other affected teens, the book explores heavy themes of medical ethics, bodily autonomy, and the betrayal of trust by those meant to protect us. It is a gripping science fiction thriller that empowers young readers to advocate for their own boundaries and rights in a high-tech society.
Characters are pursued by a powerful corporation and face threats to their safety.
Themes of betrayal and the trauma of being treated like a medical project rather than a person.
The book deals directly and secularly with medical ethics and parental betrayal. The approach is realistic regarding the feelings of violation, though the setting is near-future sci-fi. The resolution is empowering and hopeful, emphasizing agency and community action.
A middle or high schooler who feels misunderstood by authority figures or is highly interested in digital ethics and stories about bodily autonomy.
Parents should be prepared to discuss the ethics of medical interventions and the importance of bodily autonomy, particularly in the context of neurodivergence. Preview the scenes where Paige realizes her parents' 'good intentions' caused her immense trauma. A parent might see their child reacting strongly to a lack of privacy (like a phone being checked) or expressing a deep distrust of medical or school interventions.
Younger teens will focus on the 'spy' and 'hacker' adventure elements. Older teens will grasp the nuanced critiques of surveillance capitalism and the nuance of the 'cure' narrative. DIFERENTIATOR: Unlike many sci-fi books, this centers an autistic protagonist's perspective on consent and the physical right to one's own neurological profile, rather than focusing solely on the technology itself. """
Paige, an autistic teenager, discovers through a leaked email that she has been a secret subject in a medical study. Her parents consented to a brain implant that monitors her and chemically manipulates her emotions. Horrified by the invasion of privacy, Paige tracks down other participants to stop a corporate merger that would sell their neural data to a massive social media network.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Your experience helps other parents find the right book.
Sign in to write a review