Disruption by Jessica Shirvington

Disruption Disruption Book One
Written by Jessica Shirvington
Science Fiction, Dystopian, Romance
Published April 1st 2014
400 Pages
Purchased
Published by Harper Collins Australia
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★★★★★

What if a microchip could identify your perfect match?

What if it could be used against you and the ones you love?

Eight years ago, Mercer Corporation's M Bands became mandatory. An evolution of the smartphone, the bracelets promised an easier life. Instead, they have come to control it. Two years ago, Maggie Stevens watched helplessly as one of the people she loves most was taken from her, shattering her world as she knew it. Now, Maggie is ready. And Quentin Merce, heir to the M Corp empire. has become key to Maggie’s plan. But as the pieces of her dangerous design fall into place, could Quentin’s involvement destroy everything she's fought for?

In a world full of broken promises, the ones Maggie must keep could be the most heartbreaking.

It's been two years for eighteen year old Maggie Stevens since her father was taken from her and imprisoned, and she'll do anything to find him. Nine years ago, it was decided that citizens would be required to wear an M Band, a simple device fitted to your wrist that ensures the government has access to your health rating, who a potential partner may be and if you register as a Negative, lesser citizens who are seen to be on the verge of being nothing more than a disturbance. So how did a kind and gentle man such as Maggie's father, a model citizen, register a series of Negatives?

Maggie is deeply entrenched into the seedy underworld of illegal bands, and accessing the tunnels that run under the cities. While the M Corporation educates the community on the rehabilitation of the Negative citizens, supposedly being treated in sprawling self sufficient farms, Maggie knows the truth. The unwanted population are taken prisoner and held in underground societies known as Pods, where hundreds, if not thousands, live in poverty and never to see the light of day again. Maggie suspects her father is one of the prisoners, but she'll need the heir to the M Corporation empire, fellow student Quentin Mercer's help.

With hacker and M Corporation employee Gus in her debt, Maggie sees to it that Quentin knows first hand what it feels like to be a Negative, ensuring that the wealthy and handsome eighteen year old's status will get her what she needs to find her father before Cleaning Day, when she may lose him forever. In exchange for her silence and aiding to mask Quentin's rating, Maggie wants access to his father's files, meanwhile keeping up the ruse that the two are now somewhat of a couple. But Maggie begins to realise that there is far more to Quentin than the Mercer family name, and his horror of the control and oppression hidden from his society.

Kelly's Thoughts

Disruption was brilliant. Following the story of Maggie, who'll stop at nothing to free her father from injustice by bribing and blackmailing those around her, a mission she's been working towards since her father was taken two years prior. Quentin plays a pivotal role in gaining access to the Mercer run pods, where Maggie believes her father is being kept. The only way she can recruit Quentin, is to offer to manipulate the eighteen year old into believing he too is a Negative, which would all but destroy his life, his family and find himself being detained. Throughout the storyline, we see Maggie begin to struggle with her deception as she begins to see that there is more to the heir of the M Corporation.

Maggie is incredibly sassy, tough and street smart. I loved her interactions with Gus, a technical expert which she is also blackmailing. He loathes her and longs for her demise, but as non compliant as he claims to be, he's somewhat of a trusted friend. If only Maggie could see how important Gus is. Quentin is an incredibly likable character, down to earth, passionate and although he doesn't realise hes being manipulated, he's incredibly trusting considering he feels he has nothing left to fight for. As the two teens explore the world that Quentin's father has created, the horrors and unjust treatment of those who Quentin believe were once in his position, brings the two closer together, learning to lean on one another. That ending? When it seems all is lost, a glimmer of hope left me wanting, no needing, more.

Not only is Disruption superbly written, but the storyline is explosive, the characters engaging, underhanded but still incredibly charming. This is my first Jessica Shirvington read, and it was phenomenal. I love my dystopian young adult and Disruption is one of the best I've read.