Lucerin: Identity by Dan Corns
| Lucerin: Identity by Dan Corns | |
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| Category: Teens | |
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Reviewer: Louise Jones
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| Summary: Aiden discovers that his dreams have the power to unlock special abilities, but he soon attracts unwanted attention from the head a secret organization, keen to exploit them for his own ends. | |
| Buy? yes | Borrow? yes |
| Pages: 238 | Date: October 2015 |
| Publisher: Pioneer Teens | |
| ISBN: 9780955078088 | |
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Aiden Chase seems, on the face of it, to be a normal teenage schoolboy facing real-world issues like bullies, homework and girls. He has no idea that he has Lucerin blood; the key to unlocking uncanny abilities like stopping time and even materialising solid items from thin air. This legacy has made Aiden very desirable to one person in particular: Lukas Voorman. Voorman is head of a group of powerful Lucerin who 'pull the strings' behind the world scenes. Initially a force for peace, the Lucerin mission has been slowly corrupted in the last few years. Could a boy like Aiden have the power to change all of that and bring harmony to the Lucerin once more?
Lucerin: Identity is Dan Corn's début novel and is aimed at a young teen audience. The book is full of non-stop action and exciting drama that will be sure to appeal to the target market. Our young hero, Aiden, is someone that most older children will be able to identify with, as he is a likeable character thrown headlong into an extraordinary situation.
The fact that the story was set in Wolverhampton was particularly appealing to me. It was refreshing to see the West Midlands as the centre of the action for once, rather than the usual settings like London or New York.
I must admit that the plot initially felt very similar to ones we've all seen before and sometimes read like the 'I Spy Book of Tropes'. Unsuspecting hero? Tick. Damsel in distress? Tick. Evil head of shadowy organization? Tick. This was further exacerbated by the fact that most of the main characters lacked depth. For example, Fabian, Aiden's best friend, is a stereotypical sidekick. He has no back-story and all that we know about him is that he is popular with the girls and is physically strong. The same is true for Aiden's love interest, Lauren, a cardboard-cut-out girlfriend with no real personality of her own. On the other hand, some of the minor characters, like Rosa and Ernest had depth of character and interesting back-stories that provided motivation for their actions.
The unique plot point of the story was sadly underused. It was the idea that the Lucerin unlock their abilities by means of Lucid dreaming; that strange phase between sleep and wakefulness that allows the dreamer to take conscious control of the dream. This is, in itself, a fascinating premise and I would have liked whole chapters to have been dedicated to Aiden's dreams and how the unlocking his new abilities affected him. Unfortunately, this aspect was glossed over and I felt that the author missed a real opportunity here to utilise an intriguing plot device that would have added an extra dimension to the storytelling.
The book has all the raw ingredients for a blockbuster and manages to hit the mark more often than not with its intense action scenes and fast-paced dialogue. The plot was gripping and I was keen to see how things would work out for Aiden and his friends when facing near-impossible odds. Corns has set things up nicely for a sequel which hints at revealing Lauren's back story, so I'll be interested to see how she develops as a character in her own right. I also hope that the concept of Lucid dreaming and the development of Lucerin abilities is featured more in the second book, as it has the potential to become an exciting and popular series. Many thanks to the publishers for my review copy.
Fans of this book will also enjoy Crocodile Tears (Alex Rider) by Anthony Horowitz, another exciting tale of teenage heroes and wicked villains.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Lucerin: Identity by Dan Corns at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Lucerin: Identity by Dan Corns at Amazon.com.
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