Review: Human .4 (Mike Lancaster)

Title: Human .4

Author: Mike Lancaster

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Pages: 231

Rating: 3 out of 5

Challenges: 

FTC Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my school library

Summary (from the inside flap of the book): Kyle Straker volunteered to be hypnotized at the annual community talent show, expecting the same old lame amateur acts. But when he wakes up, his world will never be the same. Televisions and computers no longer work, but a strange language streams across their screens. Everyone's behaving oddly, It's as if Kyle doesn't exist. Is this nightmare a result of the hypnosis? Will Kyle wake up with a snap of fingers to roars of laughter? Or is this something much more sinister? The book is narrated on a set of found cassette tapes at an unspecified point in the future.

Review: I really liked the description of this book, I mean, can you imagine volunteering to be hypnotized and then discovering that something wild and crazy and scary happened while you were under? Totally frightening and a great premise. However, that great premise just wasn't well fleshed out in this book.

• Characters--I just didn't feel like any of them were developed enough for me to care a great deal about them. I do like that the four people who were hypnotized area a variety of people: the older male postman; the older female housewife; a teenage male and a teenage female. But, that's about all we know about them. I did like the voice of the narrator, it was simple and straight forward
• Plot--The plot has a good premise, but like the characters, it isn't developed. I felt a bit like I was reading a beginner's book. I kept wanting more. More details, more sophistication, just... more.