Averee
Published on 20. April 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
144 pages
978-1-949518-12-2 (ISBN)
Description
A world where social rank rules and your status sets
your inevitable course in life - sound familiar? Just imagine if it was all
controlled by an app! In Averee's world, the usual trials of making your way
into adulthood come with the added stress of Ranked, a ubiquitous and
all-knowing tech innovation that awards you points for socially acceptable
behavior and takes them away when you don't conform. It seems fun enough at
first, but it becomes much more than a game when Averee's rank suddenly drops
overnight. Now she's getting hassled at school, blocked from her favorite
restaurants, and her mom is out of a job.
Luckily for our hero, she has Zoe - a
bottom-ranked BFF - whose open disdain for all things Ranked makes her the
perfect accomplice on what's about to be the heist of the century: they're
staging a raid on the app's corporate HQ to set things right and its
spokesperson, the virtual popstar Pretty Kitty, is in their sights. With
Averee's crush Luke in tow, these friends are in way over their heads and
they're about to learn that the "right" they're fighting for may be
on a global scale.
AVEREE is one average
girl's mission through a world of near-future tech to take back control of her
life, in a fun philosophical adventure!
your inevitable course in life - sound familiar? Just imagine if it was all
controlled by an app! In Averee's world, the usual trials of making your way
into adulthood come with the added stress of Ranked, a ubiquitous and
all-knowing tech innovation that awards you points for socially acceptable
behavior and takes them away when you don't conform. It seems fun enough at
first, but it becomes much more than a game when Averee's rank suddenly drops
overnight. Now she's getting hassled at school, blocked from her favorite
restaurants, and her mom is out of a job.
Luckily for our hero, she has Zoe - a
bottom-ranked BFF - whose open disdain for all things Ranked makes her the
perfect accomplice on what's about to be the heist of the century: they're
staging a raid on the app's corporate HQ to set things right and its
spokesperson, the virtual popstar Pretty Kitty, is in their sights. With
Averee's crush Luke in tow, these friends are in way over their heads and
they're about to learn that the "right" they're fighting for may be
on a global scale.
AVEREE is one average
girl's mission through a world of near-future tech to take back control of her
life, in a fun philosophical adventure!
Reviews / Votes
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL -- Gr 7 Up-Phillips (HarleyQuinn, Butcher of Paris) and Johnson (Batman: Black and White) have
created a Black Mirror-esque world where the app Ranked uses computer algorithms
to score every citizen on popularity and social standing. Those with high ranks
enjoy life to the fullest, while those who don't score as well find it difficult
to obtain employment, entertainment, or even friends. High schooler Averee reaps
the benefits of her family's good fortune until their rank suddenly plummets.
After Averee experiences how the other half lives, she, her friend Zoe, and her
crush Luke resolve to find and talk to PrettyKitty, the green-haired, cat
ear-wearing, adorable Ranked spokesperson. As they learn more about the app's
nefarious machinations, however, the teens realize that they must end it for
good. The plot moves quickly, carried by engaging, dynamic characters; Averee
and Zoe's relationship becomes complicated as Averee accuses her friend, who's
long been skeptical of Ranked, of secretly bringing Averee's family's rank down.
The dramatic, realistic art is fantastic, with vivid coloring and details that
bring to life a seemingly beautiful world whose dark side is slowly revealed.
Averee and Zoe are Asian, while Luke is white. VERDICT Though fans of
speculative tales in the vein of Black Mirror will appreciate this one, so will
anyone who loves friendship stories, such as Faith Erin Hicks's One Year at
Ellsmere. A good entry point for those unfamiliar with comics,
too.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Target group
Young adult
Reading Age: From 13 to 17 years
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
272 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-949518-12-2 (9781949518122)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification