One of the joys of reviewing books is being introduced to authors one had not read before, and this is certainly the case with Echo Freer and her latest Young Adult book, Toxic Treacle.Set in a future world, where mothers rule and men are "breeders", pre-breeder Monkey is just a few weeks away from his 16th birthday. A member of one of the many gangs that ramage throughout his town, he and his best friend, Tragic, look forward to the time when they will be chosen as a mate.
Both have been exposed to the strict rules of T.R.E.A.C.L.E: Training and Resources for Educating Adolescent Children in a Loving Environment but Tragic has begun to question the teaching and what the future holds for him and Monkey.
Then, two days before his graduation, Tragic disappears leaving Monkey perplexed and worried. Confiding in Angel, the girl of his dreams, Monkey gradually realises that everything is not as it seems. There are alternative ways of viewing their society but this knowledge spells danger and intrigue and Monkey has no way of knowing whom to trust ...
Echo Freer has created a sinister world that is both absorbing and terrifying! Toxic Treacle holds up a mirror to contemporary society and reflects how life could be...
It took me about a chapter before I was completely hooked. Toxic Treacle is a real page-turning thriller written for young adults but bound to be appreciated by older readers as well!
PWT rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Published by G-Press Fiction, an imprint of Golden Guides Press, Toxic Treacle: No. 1
is available from Amazon.
