4.5 Stars for Broken Slate by Kelly Jennings

Broken Slate

Author: Kelly Jennings

Genre:Science Fiction - mature YA/adult

Rating: 4.5 Stars

In Broken Slate, Martin realizes that although the consequences of disobedience are terrible, the consequences of obedience might be even worse.

 

Summary:

Taken from his family’s merchant ship at the age of fourteen, Martin Eduardo endured years in the brutal contract labor system on the planet Julian. Now a contract rebellion brews.

The precarious – and emotionally costly – safety Martin had found with his seventh contract holder is put at risk by another holder, Jeno Lord Harper, who seeks to use Martin for his own aims. Years in the system have demonstrated what happens to contracts who fight back; Martin knows resistance will prove dangerous.

As the contract labor uprising gains momentum, and as he grows more acquainted with those involved in the rebellion, Martin begins to suspect that, although the consequences of disobedience are grim – even fatal – the consequences of obedience might be worse.

Review:

On a planet where slavery is legal, violence and conflict are to be expected, and this is the world in which Martin lives – a slave, a “contract” as they are called – trying to survive to the next day, not an easy fit when you have no rights and punishment is everyday fare.

Martin is a great character. Brave but also driven by fear and a traumatic past, sensible but also quick to answer and get into trouble, he is vivid and real, as are the characters around him, not only the other slaves but also the masters and their children. Glimpses into Martin’s past through dreams and memories are intriguing and sound terrifying. I loved how bits and pieces of his past were revealed throughout the story. 

The author takes the time to explore the society and its norms and laws, its inner conflicts and prejudices. I loved how she gets into people’s heads and shows us how slavery can bend and crush people’s minds, making an uprising a faraway dream. Fear, hunger, pain – all are weapons wielded by the masters to keep the slaves in check until the day when they can’t stand it any longer. But this first book in a series mainly explores the ‘before’, the society before a revolution. It describes the humiliation and pain suffered by Martin and the conflict inside him, because he wants to break free but doesn’t believe he can. All this was masterfully done and I never doubted for a second that Martin was doing his best to survive and to find a better future.

However, I wasn’t overly fond of the ending. I felt it was rushed, many new characters are suddenly introduced and we lose the perfect connection to Martin we had throughout the novel. I understand the need to introduce Martin’s change and his new friends, but I think that should have taken place at the pace set out in the rest of the book, giving us the time to see this clearly and meet the new characters.

That was my only complaint. I honestly loved this book, I was glued to my ereader from page one to the end and didn’t want it to finish. In fact, as soon as it was over, I emailed the author to ask when the next book would be out. 

Broken Slate is a character-driven sci-fi, geared toward a mature young adult or adult public. Be warned: it contains mature themes, including slavery, rape, same sex relationships, adult situations and language, and several forms of physical and psychological violence. However, no sex is portrayed on page and its young protagonist, along with themes like coming of age, sexuality, bullying and reaction to violence, and problems with authority make it a good candidate for mature YA readers.

To sum up, I adored this book and highly recommend it to lovers of character-driven, compelling science fiction set in a richly described world.

Broken Slate is available at several vendors, both electronically and in print. All links available on the publisher’s page here:

Broken Slate 

 Find out more about the author on Goodreads Kelly Jennings and on her blog.