Set in a dystopian future, Mech Brigade tells the story of thirteen year old Miles who lives with his mum in a high-rise world where deadly alien Spinners threaten everything. On his birthday, Miles decides to join the military, hoping to fight the war against the Spinners, and also discover what happened to his father, the legendary Professor Riley who has been MIA since Miles was only a few months ths old. Training is brutal but Miles is tough and determined, however, the longer he is there, the more he begins to think that all is not what it may seem. But is he prepared for what he is about to discover?
I love an MG sci-fi book and Jamie proved his sci-fi writing status with his Skywake trilogy which is hugely popular in school, and Mech Brigade most definitely cements Jamie's sci-fi writing credibility.
Mech Brigade feels grittier and darker, and I liked that. This is a world where Earth is under permanent threat, as is the rest of the universe; life is no picnic for Miles and his mum, and there seems to be no end in sight. On top of that, Miles quickly discovers that the war against Spinners is far worse than anybody has been portraying. As a character, he's tough and absolutely determined to find out what happened to his father, a man he has put on a pedestal.
The book is fast-paced and a gripping read that will entice readers from the very beginning. What I particularly like is the fact that, as the plot unfolds, there are questions that will be raised for readers: questions about ethics, morals and what we would do in the same situations. I'd love to read this book aloud to a class to see what different opinions people would have.
I already know that Mech Brigade is going to be a huge hit at school, for when it arrived on my desk it caused an instant frenzy of children desperate to borrow it -there is already a waiting list!
Mech Brigade is out now and I know I won't be the only person desperate to know if there is more to come from Miles and Ironclad (a brilliant character, by the way!).
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