MG Review: Jinxed
Jinxed by Amy McCulloch (Sourcebooks Young Readers, 336p., ages 8-12, 9781492683742)
Set in a world where smartphones have evolved into "cute and interactive" cyber companions called bakus, Jinxed is a thrilling, techno-savvy series opener starring an appealing, self-motivated "total nerd" who finds her life's focus called into question.
Twelve-year-old Lacey Chu badly wants to be accepted into her dream school, Profectus Academy of Science and Technology. Once there, she knows she'll get a "level three spaniel" baku and be fast-tracked to work for Moncha Corp., "the largest tech firm in North America." Lacey wants to be a companioneer so she can "design new animals" and work on old ones, just like her idol, Moncha founder Monica Chan. But Lacey's dreams are dashed when Profectus rejects her. While searching in a ravine for her friend's lost baku, Lacey comes across "a crumpled pile of black metal"--a very expensive, but nearly destroyed cat baku. Soon after Lacey "leashes" Jinx, a message arrives welcoming her to Profectus. Lacey secretly restores the baku in time for school, where she wins a coveted spot on the competitive baku battle team. But Jinx isn't like the other bakus, and Lacey's attempts to keep a low profile while she figures out what's happening keep going awry.
Amy McCulloch (The Potion Diaries) ratchets up the tension, with bitter rivalries forming among the baku-battling students, along with ever-growing questions surrounding Jinx's creator and Lacey's acceptance into Profectus. Twists, turns and a touch of espionage, along with shades of Philip Pullman's daemons and Hogwarts' quidditch matches, make Jinxed a real winner. --Lynn Becker, blogger and host of Book Talk, a monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI.
Discover: Twelve-year-old Lacey Chu dreams of working for the high-tech Moncha Corp., but complications abound as she begins attending its training school, Profectus Academy.
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