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Stone Rider

Stone Rider Book Cover Stone Rider
David Hofmeyr
Juvenile Fiction
Delacorte Press
2015-07-14
336

In the vein of the cult classic Mad Max series, crossed with Cormac McCarthy's The Road and S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders, this inventive debut novel blends adrenaline-fueled action with an improbable yet tender romance to offer a rich and vivid portrayal of misfits and loners forced together in their struggle for a better life.

Adam Stone wants freedom and peace. He wants a chance to escape Blackwater, the dust-bowl desert town he grew up in. Most of all, he wants the beautiful Sadie Blood. Alongside Sadie and the dangerous outsider Kane, Adam will ride the Blackwater Trail in a brutal race that will test them all, body and soul. Only the strongest will survive.

The prize? A one-way ticket to Sky-Base and unimaginable luxury.

And for a chance at this new life, Adam will risk everything.

 

Review:

“Stone Rider” is an excellent book that can fit into many genres at one time.  It’s like a western met a dystopian and then decided to create a West Side Storyesque production.  I’ve never read anything like it.

The characters are all interesting and surprising.  At the beginning they may appear to be stereotypical, but as the story goes on their depth is revealed.  However, that is not to say that they are extremely well-developed.  The book is written like the old westerns.  You learn what you need to, when you need to, and the rest of the book is devoted to the action.  This could be seen as a flaw, but I appreciate that the book is designed to be as sleek as the “bykes” used in the race around which the plot centers.

The flow of the book is amazing.  The beginning is a little slow, but only by comparison to the rest of it.  That is because Part I takes the time to set up pretty much all you will learn about the world.  Once you begin Part II it becomes something of a marathon read.  There is never time to take your breath.  Do not begin it if you have something else to do in the next few hours.  There is quite a bit of violence, but that is to be expected in a mostly lawless society.

In short, “Stone Rider” is a fun and exciting read.  In spite of the streamlined storytelling, there are many challenging words to help expand vocabulary for younger readers.  Since this a book well-suited for reluctant readers, that is a huge plus.  Highly recommended for any upper middle-grade reader through to adults.

This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Content Warning:

Language, Brief Sexual Situations, Violence