The Six

April 1, 2015
"That's what I love about VR programs-how you can use them to build a virtual world that's way better than ordinary reality," says Adam, whose muscular dystrophy gives him a good reason to escape his body. Soon, however, virtual reality becomes reality. When Sigma, a malevolent artificial intelligence, infects military equipment, the United States Army recruits Adam and five other terminally ill teens for the Pioneer Project: the transfer of their minds into robots and weapons. Alpert's exploration of neuromorphic electronics raises interesting questions about ethics, technology, and human nature, but the book's excessive exposition makes the possibilities more vivid than their executions. Except for Adam's poignant rebirth as "a low-maintenance robot instead of a high-maintenance human, "the teens' personalities are more "accessed" than developed. Third-person chapters written as military memos, logs, or transcripts reveal key plot points so briefly that their cumulative impact is camouflaged. The Pioneers' sudden circumvention of a programming obstacle is almost too useful, creating a literal deus ex machina. Sigma is a frustrating villain; his explanation of his motives seems to cancel them out, and his appearance in the epilogue creates a twist too abrupt to be logical. However, a haunting ending scene will leave readers pondering the line between progress and loss. A thought-provoking clash between humanity and machinery, not without a few bugs. (author's note) (Science fiction. 12-16)

May 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-Six dying teens' brains are uploaded into the most technologically advanced robots ever created by man and become a team of unruly superheroes who are the only hope for destroying a rogue Artificial Intelligence hell-bent on the destruction of all humanity. Meet the Six, a group of young adults given a second lease on life. Led by the violent ex-gang member, Zia, and computer prodigy Adam, who happens to be the son of the tech-genius who is leading the entire operation, the group has less than a month to learn how to fight together using their new robot bodies. The rogue AI program, named Sigma, was also created by Adam's father-and now only Adam and his team can stop it. The best feature of this sci-fi novel is that the author does not portray the scientists as the bad guys. In fact, advanced science and technology is on the side of good-it is needed to save the lives of millions of people. Among a wealth of dystopias and sci-fi novels in which the scientists and the government are the enemy, this standpoint is refreshing and exciting. VERDICT A well-researched, hardcore science-fiction joyride, great for fans of first-person shooter video games like Halo and Destiny. Highly recommended.-Eden Grey, Kenton County Public Library, KY

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 15, 2015
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* You have a terminal illness with the end in sight, and you're given the opportunity to live (almost) forever. That life, however, will be as an AI (artificial intelligence). Oh, you'll have your memories and emotions, courtesy of a complicated brain-to-circuit transfer, but you'll be a part of a military experimentone that was designed by your father. Adam Armstrong struggles with muscular dystrophy and has six months to live. The timing for the transfer is perfect because Sigmathe AI program his father createdhas achieved Singularity status (i.e., eclipsed human intelligence); escaped its original confinement; overtaken a Russian military base; and is more powerful than anything on earth. Adam, along with five other exceptional-but-dying teens, sacrifices his body and uploads his brain to become a Pioneer, an integral part of the cyberweapons program designed to stop Sigma from taking over the world and eradicating humankind. The Six are introduced as terminally ill teens, but there's plenty of high-speed action in which they engage. Their physical disabilities and limitations through disease are forgotten as the teens' hearts, minds, and personalities shine through, even though their bodies are now steel data containers. Even with lengthy training sequences and an abundance of tech talk, questions of principle, power, and possibility keep this look at our modern, hardwired existence fresh and fascinating.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)