Blackout
Nominated Young Jury Debut Prize 2020. The boy Rémi has always felt different from others. And then his house is destroyed.

What do you do when you get the chance to start over?
So many answers, so many questions, so much sadness. And then you also have to take exams. And deal with the fact that your friend has a new love. But then you discover what is at stake in the conflict between Zeger and Thot. And what role is at stake for you.
Rémi lives in a place full of magical technology. He is searching for the truth about himself and the world around him. He needs to take an exam. And try to get into the Council of the Creodrome. And then there are these strange messages. It's as if someone is handing him puzzle pieces. But who? And can he trust him or her?
More and more clearly, the future of the Creodrome is emerging. Inseparable from the future of Rémi. From now on, everything will be different.
ISBN:97894639667174 – NURÂ 285
Number of pages: 300
Publication date: March 2020
Lara Reims did it again! What a wonderful last part of this series this was. In the final volume you get all the answers to the questions that you as a reader and Rémi as the main character have been stuck with from book one.
Admittedly, the ending was not quite what I expected. I didn't know what I expected, but at least it surprised me, which is a positive thing. Some things I did see coming, especially since they were being worked toward from the first part.
Lara Reims has managed to string together a fairly complicated past and story into a trilogy with logical, sequential events. I find that very cleverly done. I'm not normally all about Science Fiction and technology, but Lara Reims certainly makes up for this with her writing style and three-dimensional characters. Unfortunately I cannot tell more without spoiling the first few books ;).
A worthy finale
The third and final part of this trilogy. In this book all the pieces fall into place. The story sucks you in and you can hardly stop reading. The trilogy as a whole is very well put together and everything adds up. As an adult reader, this story also makes you think about today's society and the obsession with perfectionism. Highly recommended. Lara Reims is a great author, her next project is a children's book so I am very curious.
The three volumes of this series, like many other books published by Hamley Books, appeared in a beautiful hardcover edition. The design is remarkably reflective of the fact that this is a series. In terms of color and illustrations, the three books fit together like a glove, making them a real eye-catcher on any bookcase. You will never get rid of this series!
As in the two previously published volumes (Upgrade and Black-Out), this time too the leading role is laid down for Rémi. A boy who seems to have found his new home in the Creodrome. An idealistic place full of state-of-the-art technology, smart robots and new medical gadgets. Rémi has lost a close friend and is struggling with his grief. He is also frequently confronted with his past again and in danger of losing Emma. Yet he is expected to pass his exam and his role in the Creadroom seems bigger than ever. Can he handle all the pressure?
This trilogy is seriously recommended and, as far as I am concerned, should be allowed to appear on the big screen. The series would also not be out of place as a TV series. However, it is advisable to read the three books in quick succession, starting from the first part. If you do not, it is still quite difficult to follow the story well and smoothly. Fortunately, both in part 2 and in this last part, the author occasionally looks back to the beginning of the story.
The author of this book series is Dutch-born Lara Reims. She traded our little chilly country for the capital of Romania. There in Bucharest, she wrote the fictional adventures about Rémi and his girlfriend Emma. Her books read easily. She has an evocative writing style. In addition, Lara seems to be able to tap from an infinite source of imagination which she knows how to work out in her stories.
In this final volume Home, the characters come out even better and everything falls into place. All in all, a more than successful trilogy! Home is a powerful conclusion to a spectacular Young Adult series. 4.5 stars.
Lara Reims writes overlooking Bucharest, where she went to live in 2019. Before that, she lived in Paris for many years. Ten years ago she moved from Amsterdam to France and then so to Romania, where she now lives, reads and writes.
This book was reviewed by several book bloggers. Here you can find the overview of all participants.
Would you like to discover more Hamley Books titles in the same genre? Happy reading!
Update 16/11: Stock of slightly damaged books REPLACED HIGHLY. Dismiss