Jinxed

by Amy McCulloch

A little bit Golden Compass, a little bit Hunger Games, and all adventure' - Amie Kaufman, NYT bestselling author of ILLUMINAE

The brand-new series from Amy Alward, author of the magical POTION DIARIES adventures!

Lacey Chu has big dreams of becoming a companioneer for MONCHA, the largest tech firm in North America and the company behind the "baku" - a customisable smart pet that functions as a phone but makes the perfect companion too. When Lacey finds out she hasn't been accepted into Profectus - the elite academy for cutting edge tech - it seems her dreams are over. Worst of all, rather than getting to choose one of the advanced bakus, she’s stuck with a rubbish insect one.

Then, one night, Lacey comes across the remains of an advanced baku. Once it might’ve been in the shape of a cat but it’s now mangled and broken, no sign of electronic life behind its eyes. Days of work later and the baku opens its eyes. Lacey calls him Jinx – and Jinx opens up a world for her that she never even knew existed, including entry to the hallowed halls of Profecus. Slowly but surely, Jinx becomes more than just a baku to Lacey – he becomes her perfect companion. But what is Jinx, really? His abilities far surpass anything written into his code or built into his motherboard. He seems to be more than just a robotic pet. He seems ... real.

~ Paperback Princess Blurb ~

Jinxed by Amy McCulloch is a wonderfully creative YA sci-fi focusing on technological advancement, that, truth be told, doesn't seem so far into the future. An innovative, fast-paced plot, with just enough mystery, will have you devouring this book, like your dog devours a bone. A great introduction to Amy's work, and I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel.

Jinxed by Amy McCulloch is a unique YA Sci-Fi. The concept and foundation of it's plot is as innovative as the characters within it's pages. It's an addictive read, and from the moment you open the book, you are hooked, glued to it till the very end. It's a fantastic and enjoyable introduction to Amy's work, I can't wait to read more of McCulloch's work AND of course the sequel to Jinxed.

Set in the near future where bakus are needed to live life conveniently, like our smart phones of today. Bakus is the lovechild of tamagotchis and smart phones. It's used as a higher-tech smart phone AND made in the image of insects/animals/birds that also serves as a companion for it's owner.

Accompanying you to your happiest life ever

When Lacey Chu finds and restores a high level baku she finds herself wrongly accepted to the prestigious school Profectus Academy, the next step to securing her dream job as companioneer at Moncha, the creators of bakus. However, she soon finds out that her new baku, Jinx is unlike other bakus, he thinks for himself. Will she get to keep her Profectus Academy placement if they knew that her baku is actually not the one issued to her AND that he has a mind of his own? 

A fairytale, but not of princes and frogs, ballgowns and pumpkins, but of makers and metal, of wire and ingenuity and inspiration and creativity and invention. 

The world is so realistic, and to be honest, it doesn't seem that much further into the future from where we are in technology. The world creation was fantastic, I loved the different elements and explanation of how they got to where they are; it speaks of our world today, which is definitely interesting.

The characters were well written. Lacey along with Zora, her long-time best friend were definitely my favourite characters. I also loved how Amy allowed females to be the tech geeks. In this novel, the women was at the forefront of technological advancement! 

I want a career that sets my soul on fire, that fans the flames of passion that smoulder deep in my belly - that I guard with my hardness and intellect.

Lacey Chu is a strong protagonist who's swimming against the tide of not being born "privileged", yet she's smarter than most at Profectus, and despite all the things she had to endure to keep her place in the Academy, she didn't give up! Zora was the perfect backup, they are Batman and Robyn in the "tech" world; Lacey built and Zora coded. A match made in Moncha heaven. 

The crew that Lacey befriends at Profectus was also a great bunch of kids, and I love how they still did the right thing at the end, although they were somewhat unhappy with Lacey. I especially liked Ashley and Tobias, and can't wait to see where Tobias and Lacey's relationship goes.

It's a fast-paced novel without compromising the story. It read like a standalone novel, characters and world building had great foundations. I did not feel like it was an introduction to a new series...which is a good thing! It takes a good Author to satisfy readers, and still have them eagerly anticipating it's sequel. 

Amy's innovative plot, fast-paced and exciting writing, strong, likeable characters, a creative world with an equally creative history make this book a must read for lovers of futuristic and realistic technological sci-fi; with a hint of conspiracy theory and mystery added in for good measure.