Stone Rider - Hardcover

Hofmeyr, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385744730 ISBN 13: 9780385744737

Publisher: Delacorte Press, 2015

Synopsis

"Intense, original, compelling . . . bristles with attitude. So cool. Just read it."--Michael Grant, New York Times bestselling author

In the vein of the cult classic Mad Max series, crossed with Cormac McCarthy's The Road and S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders, this inventive debut novel blends adrenaline-fueled action with an improbable yet tender romance to offer a rich and vivid portrayal of misfits and loners forced together in their struggle for a better life.

Adam Stone wants freedom and peace. He wants a chance to escape Blackwater, the dust-bowl desert town he grew up in. Most of all, he wants the beautiful Sadie Blood. Alongside Sadie and the dangerous outsider Kane, Adam will ride the Blackwater Trail in a brutal race that will test them all, body and soul. Only the strongest will survive.

The prize? A one-way ticket to Sky-Base and unimaginable luxury.

And for a chance at this new life, Adam will risk everything.

More Praise for Stone Rider

“Hofmeyr constructs a bleak futuristic world and a landscape both sublime and unforgiving...[in his] novel about self-preservation and reclaiming one’s humanity amid brutality."-Publishers Weekly

"A dangerous race is run with everything on the line in this gritty dystopian thrill ride."--Kirkus Reviews

"Gritty nonstop action."-School Library Journal

"A truly gripping dystopian novel."-VOYA

About this title

About the Author

DAVID HOFMEYR was born in South Africa and lives in London and Paris. In 2012 he was a finalist in the SCBWI Undiscovered Voices competition and in 2013 he graduated with distinction from Bath Spa University with an MA in Writing for Young People. He works as a Planner for Ogilvy & Mather in the UK. Stone Rider is David Hofmeyr’s first novel. He also wrote the companion novel, Blood Rider.

Visit him online at davidhofmeyr.com. Follow David on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr.

Reviews

Gr 9 Up—Fifteen-year-old Adam Stone inherited his biomechanical bike from his brother, who inherited it from his father. His family has escaped working in the mines by riding the race circuit, providing entertainment for the Watchers. The Blackwater Trail will be his first race, and unlike most of the other racers who ride with fellow gang members, Adam plans to do it alone. It is a vicious race over treacherous terrain, riddled with deadly booby traps and fellow competitors who'll stop at nothing to be among the first three across the finish line. The grand prize is a one-way ticket to Sky Base, the only refuge from the toxic planet they call home. Second and third place win cash and points toward buying their way into the sky. Shortly into the race, Adam is joined by three unlikely allies, whose presence helps and hinders his progress. From the privileged Watchers, who place bets on race participants to the catchphrase spoken to start the race, "May you live to see the sky," there are numerous undeniable parallels to Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" (Scholastic). But there is also the feel of the old Westerns, but with bikes instead of horses, slingshots instead of guns, vigilante justice, and, of course, a beautiful girl. The gritty, nonstop action and violence will appeal especially to reluctant readers. VERDICT A dystopian title that is worth adding to already packed shelves.—Cary Frostick, formerly at Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Falls Church, VA

Edition details

• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0385744730
• ISBN 13: 9780385744737
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 336