Ben Oliver

First sentence: Emerson Ness had not been scared in a very long time. Now she was terrified.

Premise/plot: YA dystopia is not as prevalent [abundant] as it used to be ten years ago. The Kill Factor IS YA dystopia with a unique premise. Fifty contestants for a brand new television game show that are facing varying sentences for crimes they've committed. They will face challenges from the Producer [the powers that be] and one another. The winner will essentially be acquitted and have the charges dropped. The losers, well, the losers will face life-time sentences. Signing the contract to participate in the game show has huge risks and low odds of success. Yet for those who feel helpless and hopeless, a little hope is better than none. Emerson Ness, the narrator, has been charged with arson and murder. (I'm not certain at all what degree for the murder charge. I don't think the judicial process had gotten far enough along for official charges to have been made.) Her social-media obsessed dad is at first pushing for her to compete. Her fame could lead to his fame. She is conflicted. But ultimately she chooses to be a contestant so the book would be longer than two chapters.

The book is action-packed with definitely more emphasis on premise and plot than characterization. But Emerson Ness definitely is developed as a character.

My thoughts: I found this a compelling read. I was a big fan of the YA dystopia trend. I'd be happy to see a few published each year. This one definitely has some similarities to The Hunger Games, but also a little darker.… (more)

In a book that is darker and even a bit grimmer than the Hunger Games, Emerson, who isn't completely certain whether she's a killer, is caught in a classic Hobson's Choice/rock and a hard place bind. Agree to go on a reality show where she'll have a one in 50 chance of getting free, or a 49 in 50 chance that she'll be in solitary confinement for the rest of her life. She's willing to take that slim chance in hopes the credits she'll earn through a twisted online popularity stream will end up being worth enough so her brilliant, but hearing impaired little brother can have a safe and productive life.
No sooner does she agree and board a huge ship with the other contestants, all criminal teens as desperate as she is, then the rules begin to change. On a small island that keeps rotating on command of the show host, the teens are faced with numerous challenges that are both deadly and bizarre. Friendships form, people betray each other, and what's really behind the show is pretty shocking. I found it a fast and mostly satisfying read.… (more)