A teenage runaway. His mother’s last words to him in a letter: “Find me. Save me.” An amusement park powered by AI. A dangerous collective of individuals intent on stealing the park’s technology by any means necessary. Prepare to dive into the futuristic YA novel, Spark by Pat Daily, with science fiction undertones. At this futuristic park, Will Kwan relives memories from his childhood and discovers more than he could have ever expected.
When you initially see the cover of Spark the first thing that catches your eye is a young man wearing futuristic-style eye gear. He’s wearing a red jacket, with a white shirt underneath. He has orange hair, and his face gives the impression of his youth. It appears that he might have some acne blemishes as well as some dirt on his face.
Behind him is a faded image of a woman with long hair looking in his direction. Around and behind this male character are images that make readers think of circuits. Parts of a computer panel along with other computer elements in the background to help tie the theme into the AI element of the story.
Author Daily begins the story introducing readers to Will Kwan, the main character of Spark. Will is experiencing a nightmare. But this nightmare has roots. When Will is able to tear himself free from the nightmare, his current situation begins to move into focus for readers. He’s currently living with a foster family, but that…is about to come crashing down around him. Why? Because of his choice of “comfort” object that he’s seen carrying as he goes to the bathroom.
Granted, carrying around a nine-inch butcher knife isn’t going to do you any favors when you’re living with people who aren’t familiar with you. However, maybe his foster mother could have given him a chance to finish his explanation before screaming bloody murder and then calling the police on him? As you can imagine…Will runs. Honestly, who wouldn’t? He knows the truth of the situation, but the police? Well, they might not be so eager to listen to an explanation and…more importantly…believe what he’s telling them.
Spark puts readers in quite the moment with this opening chapter of the story. A young man having a nightmare, poor choice in “comfort objects,” and now, he’s gotta go on the run. The world is not the place that it used to be. Another war broke out and tore the world apart. Prejudice is rampant against those of Korean heritage, which, once again, does Will no favors. So, to avoid jail (or juvie) or being sent to another group home…what is Will to do? Chase a dream.
With a little help, he manages to gather a few things and go on the run. Will’s plan is to get out of Texas and to make it all the way to California, where the AI-run park SPARK is. Located in the Southern California Autonomous Zone, it operates under its own rules and regulations. Will has dreamed of returning there with his family, but now sees it as a chance at freedom and a future if he can just get there.
What he discovers when he gets there will lead him down a path that he would have never expected. It’s more than just memories that he’ll relive and revisit, but he’ll discover new friendships, find strength in himself, and secrets that the park has hidden all over the place. He’ll have some close calls in life-and-death situations, but it will all push him to discover an inner strength he never knew he had.
Spark is an intriguing novel that blends futuristic elements while still keeping this story rooted in enough realism for readers to grasp. As Spark unfolds, author Daily maps out the story to give readers just enough of an understanding concerning Will’s situation. Life has been a rollercoaster ride for him. Good times that then fell to bad times with the loss of one parent and him having to watch the mental decay of another. That can’t be an easy thing to endure for anyone, let alone a child who needs their parent present.
Then when he’s put into foster care, things don’t get any better. Of course, being seen with a giant knife is sure not do you any favors either. Good news is that he had some means of having some money, so when he goes on the run he’s not scraping the bottom of the barrel. As author Daily moves Spark forward, he maps out Will’s journey, but doesn’t get bogged down in the details. It’s safe to determine that the majority of the trip was relatively uneventful.
Once Will gets to SPARK that’s when things start to get really interesting. This theme park is run by an AI, but of course, there are humans helping to keep things running smoothly. SPARK is sure to “spark” the imagination of readers as it is laid out for them. Honestly, it will have readers wishing that SPARK was real so that they could visit it for themselves.
Author Daily includes a map of this fantastical theme park and it is quite the thing to behold. This virtual reality complex has something for everyone of all ages. But beneath the surface of SPARK is more than meets the eye. Author Daily gives readers our first insight into this when Will has a flashback of one of his first moments at SPARK when he was a little boy and both his parents were still alive.
As Spark unfolds, author Daily has a clock running. A countdown to an ucpoming attack. At first, this was a curiosity to us, but then, he introduces Ragnar Sarnak. Ragnar is a dangerous character, and has no qualms carrying out heinous deeds for money. After committing multiple acts of murder, he begins to prepare for his next job…an attack on SPARK. His employers are going to be some familiar names who have evolved over the years to better fit this new world order.
Spark is told from the third person POV. Author Daily shifts the story between Will Kwan and Ragnar Sarnak for the majority of the story. There are other side characters that author Daily allots the spotlight to give this story more depth and detail. One such character? ShaChri Patel or as you’ll come to know her – Feral Daughter.
Feral is a feisty character. She may take a bit to grow on readers due to her personality, but she’s a nice balance to Will’s naivety. The children (or teens) in Spark bring a sense of innocence while you have the darker side that is brought by Ragnar and a SPARK employee with an ax to grind against those of the Korean race. The way the two sides mix together create a dynamic blend to the story and really elevate the drama when chaos rains down near the end.
The pacing of Spark is just enough to keep readers glued to the pages without making the overall storyline feel rushed. Author Daily weaves in a hint of mystery with the cryptic “Find me. Save me.” that was part of Will’s mother’s final letter to him. The question of “what did she mean” will drive readers to discover answers, especially when you learn the truth about what happened to his mother.
The drama in Spark is layered and detailed. Don’t worry it’s not overdone. It’s just enough to pull you to the edge of your seat in the right places and allow you to relax as needed. The characters are written as realistic. Readers will enjoy the character development and growth that takes place with the younger characters throughout Spark. You’ll discover the secrets of SPARK and more about the people and AIs that run it.
There is much to discover in Spark (both the story and the theme park). For those wondering if there is violence and foul language the answer is this – There is no foul language, but there is some mild violence. It’s there in specific scenes, but there is nothing gratuitous. Especially in light of the fact that the target audience is young adult readers. Author Daily does an excellent job staying on target.
When Spark draws to a conclusion readers can make a choice. The story closes in a way that readers can choose to stop there and be satisfied with the story. For readers who want more, Spark leaves the door open for more. Which is good since this is the first book in the Spark Chronicles series. We know that for us, we’re eager to continue the story and see what comes next. Why? Simple. Things have changed at SPARK, and while some changes can be undone…some cannot.
If you’re someone looking for your next near future science fiction novel then you’re not going to want to miss out on author Pat Daily’s Spark. Ideal for younger readers or those who just enjoy a thrilling drama that will keep you page-turning to find out how things go for the characters. Spark is a must-read and you’re not going to want to pass this book up.
Pros:
- Engaging storyline
- Dynamic cast of characters
- Good amount of balance
- Ideal for it’s target audience
Cons:
- None of note
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