Guardian - Couverture souple

London, Alex

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0147509815 ISBN 13 : 9780147509819

Editeur : Speak, 2015

A propos du livre

Extrait :

1

At night, they disposed of the bodies. There was no ceremony, no ritual, no remembrance.

“They’re human,” some argued.

“They were human,” said others. “Now they’re meat.”

“We have to study the infection,” said the doctor.

“We have to contain it,” said the counselor and gave her orders. “Burn the bodies.”

A work detail was tasked with the burning. One by one, in the dead of night, green uniforms with white masks hauled corpses to the pile. The corpses were webbed with black veins, their entire network of blood vessels visible through the pale skin. Dried blood obscured their faces and each had a single hole in the temple by the eyes, where the killing bolt went in. They were put down like livestock, burned like sacrifices.

As the bodies crackled, the doctor watched the flames, her face half in shadow, half dancing in firelight. “I believe there is a cure for this,” she said.

The counselor, standing beside her, nodded, but did not turn to look her way. “Your cure is worse than the disease.”

“You believe that?”

“It’s the truth. Your way is treason.”

“You’re in denial,” the doctor said. “This is going to get worse if we don’t stop it.”

“It’s a new world, Doctor,” the counselor replied. “We can’t turn back the clock.”

“Even to save people’s lives?”

“These”—the counselor gestured at the bodies—“are not people.”

“If it spreads?”

“Is it spreading?”

The doctor watched the young members of the work detail tossing the bodies on the pyre. They moved with the assurance of youth, the kind of attitude that allowed them to stare infection and death in the face and believe it would never touch them. “I don’t know.”

“It is your job to know.”

“I can hardly understand it. The blood turns against the body. Itching, burning. Then, expulsion. Half of them bleed out.”

“And the other half?”

The doctor clenched her jaw. “They haven’t bled out yet.”

“They are in pain?”

“They can’t communicate, but we have to restrain them to keep them from scratching their skin off with their fingernails.” The doctor sighed. “So, yes, they are in pain.”

“Put them out of their misery,” the counselor ordered.

“But, we can still learn—”

“Those are the orders.” The counselor walked away, two green uniforms trailing her into the jungle. The doctor took off her white smock, pulled the blue gloves from her hands with a loud synthetic snap, and stood before the flames. She watched her latest failed experiments turn to smoke and ash in the bonfire, every bit of blood boiled away, with all the information it might have contained.

She had ideas, dangerous to share; but if she didn’t find a way, she feared, this sickness would go further than any of them could imagine. She would record a message in case she failed. She hoped that someone would still be alive to receive it.

Revue de presse :

Praise for Guardian:

"Corrupt powers, budding romance, an epidemic and grisly action synthesize to sate sci-fi fans." —Kirkus Reviews
 
"Proxy fans will be satisfied with the constant action and the conclusion to Syd’s story." —SLJ

"Nonstop action and breakneck pace characterize this exceptional thriller...thought-provoking and breathtaking." —VOYA
Praise for Proxy:

“Looking for an awesome YA summer read? Look no further than Alex London’s Proxy.” —EW.com

"Put down what you're doing and read this book. Right now. The complex characters, intricate world, and blistering pace are off-the-charts amazing. I fell in love with this story from the first sentence to the final, epic page. London is a force to be reckoned with." —Marie Lu, author of the Legend trilogy
  
"Whipping Boy + Blade Runner with a sprinkling of The Hunger Games (plus, a dash of A Tale of Two Cities) = a treat for teen SF fans." —Kirkus Reviews

“A fast-paced dystopian novel which should appeal to readers of the Hunger Games.” —VOYA

"Alex London is one of the most multi-dimensional writers out there. Proxy blew me away. It's deep, thrilling, thought-provoking, and at times simultaneously maddening and uplifting. I need to have more of Syd and Knox. Proxy is one stunning read!" —Andrew Smith, author of WINGER and GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE

“Gripping.” —Examiner.com

“Proxy moves blindingly fast through a world of danger gone viral. It's science-fiction on a joy ride full of deceit and imagination.” —Deseret News
 
“A big twist and heroic ending will leave readers eager for more” —Shelf Awareness
 
“Offering intriguing moral dilemmas amid breakneck action...The matter-of-fact presence of a gay lead [Syd] in an action driven story is welcome and overdue.” —Publishers Weekly
 
“An action-packed thrill ride.” —SLJ

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Speak
• Date d'édition: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0147509815
• ISBN 13: 9780147509819
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 368