I’m just going to say it. Bluescreen is the best science fiction book that I’ve read since Ready Player One.
But don't just take my word for it. Here are the top five reasons why you should check it out.
5. Diversity! It has a diverse cast and delves deeply into Mexican culture. Marisa Carneseca, the main character, often gives out information about what her life is like. The details range from the humorous, such as Marisa cursing in Spanish when she gets really angry, to the intelligent, where we see Marisa brushing off stereotypes. Bluescreen takes place in a futuristic version of Los Angeles; the reader get to see an in-depth look at what life might be like for people of color in the future.
4. Awesome female characters! Continuing with the diversity, almost all of the characters in Bluescreen are kick-butt female characters! They’re smart, interesting, and have a range of interests. It’s important to have well-rounded characters in young adult literature and Dan Wells does an effective job. Plus, you like Legend Of Korra? Remember Ikki? Marisa’s sister is pretty similar to her. The two characters are both talkative, positive, and goofy.
3. Creative technology! The ‘djinni’ is something that you can plug into your head. Through it, you can surf the web for twenty-four hours a day if you want to. I think that it’s really unique, especially the way that Los Angeles changes in order to adapt to it. Almost every chapter features a bounty of inventions.
2. Video games and virtual reality! For those of you who enjoy video games, the main characters are all part of an extensive virtual-reality game. Truth be told, I don’t really know a lot about video games, but I think it’s a first-person-shooter game. You can customize your avatar to pretty much anything you want. This is actually what reminded me of Ready Player One in the first place.
1. No love triangle! Technically, Bluescreen is a dystopian novel (hey, it’s in Los Angeles), but it avoids most of the pitfalls that they fall into. There is no love triangle to be found, no revolution, no small band of rebels trying to stop a vague authority with a capitalized name, and absolutely no irritating ‘best friend is secretly in love with the main character’ plot.
Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or the Harry Potter books.
