Slated by Teri Terry

“Kyla’s memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.

She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?”—Goodreads.com

Slated by Teri Terry opens up with our MC Kyla waking up from a nightmare that has been plaguing her. She has been in the hospital for some time now, trying to recuperate from the Slating process. In this dystopian world, kids ranging a certain age that commit a crime against the country are slated; erased and given a second chance. I have to admit that the premise is enticing; however, the delivery leaves something to be missed.

Kyla is the MC and narrator, which means that we know as much as she does and since she has been erased, she doesn’t know much. For a third of the novel we follow Kyla through the journey of relearning things, understanding the world around her and also trying to fit in. We also are prevey to the fact that Kyla is not like a normal Slater. All that have been slated have a Levo device. This device is described like a watch that monitors moods based on a scale of 10. If a slated person becomes sad or angry their Levo readings go down. Anywhere past 3 is bad. The Slater will pass out and eventually could die if not treated immediately. This is necessary for two reasons. One, the person will never be depressed and will hold on to a false sense of happiness and two, if the person wants to hurt someone they just can’t.

Kyla is not affected the same way. When she gets angry her Levo maintains a normal balance, when she is scared it goes down. There are other things that are pointed out that are different between the Slaters and her. The rest of the 2/3^rd of the novel consist of figuring out who Kyla was, why kids are disappearing and what is really behind this new government movement. Through circumstances Kyla discovers her true identity, she also discovers that unslated and harmless peers of her are being taken way by Lorders (Law and Order people), what for? As soon as she and Ben (another slated) begin to investigate certain questions spring into mind. What did Kyla do or Ben for that matter to become slated, were they really terrorists? Her “mother” is the daughter of the man that later began this initiative in the government, how does that connect in the present day, after her son was killed in a terrorist bombing? Was her son really killed in that bombing? Who in the world is Kyla’s “dad,” does he know more than meets the eye? There are similarly confusing questions that arise throughout the novel like these; however, nothing is revealed at the end. I’m okay without the reveal but really I need to know who the hell Hatten is and need to find out the rest of Kyla’s story! I dare say I cannot wait to follow Kyla in the next book in order to find Ben, poor Ben.

3 out of 5 stars, thanks NetGalley!