Teen readers were enchanted with Harry Potter, they've had the wool pulled over their eyes by Artemis Fowl, and they've been wooed by Twilight's Edward Cullen. Publishers, booksellers, and readers everywhere are wondering what the next big thing is going to be. I want this on the record -...
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Teen readers were enchanted with Harry Potter, they've had the wool pulled over their eyes by Artemis Fowl, and they've been wooed by Twilight's Edward Cullen. Publishers, booksellers, and readers everywhere are wondering what the next big thing is going to be. I want this on the record - my money is on Agent Six of Hearts.
An experimental genetically engineered soldier in a dark future, 16 year-old Agent Six is now working against his creators with a group of vigilantes known only as "the Deck". Despite having alienated all his co-workers with his humorless arrogance, he's doing well - until he meets a clone of himself, apparently working for the other side.
The plot, while intricate and original, isn't going to be what gets readers hooked on The Lab. It's the action scenes that make it stand out - fast and furious, with flying kicks, cars careening off cliffs, and bullets buzzing through the air. Jack Heath has clearly seen all the best action movies made over the last three decades, and decided to top them all. I detected traces of The Matrix, Aliens, and even Die Hard along the way.
Despite this, there are some surprisingly noble values concealed in the story. Six is always willing to give up his own life to save others, and he never kills anyone, not even the bad guys. Heath could have fallen into the trap of leaving this unexplained, but he doesn't - Six's motives are explored gradually and with surprising subtlety.
The Lab was published in Heath's native Australia when he was only 19 - he's now 22, and supposedly has three more books to his name. I'd be astonished if they don't end up on bookshelves over here very soon, taking teen readers' breath away.
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