Chris Sykes - Author

The Fifth: Indoctrinated City

When a fascist majority has control of Parliament, certain groups of people are considered illegal, from there we follow a family looking to escape the patrols, finding others in underground hideaways, where they can work to fight back. 'The Fifth’ by Chris Sykes  is a split narrative, focussing on siblings Jenny and Jack, separated early in the book, and their paths as part of rebel forces. The story is set in York, and as a northerner I liked to be able to follow the characters down recognisable streets made unfamiliar in the author’s world. I found that this book is well-written and, although it begins as a dystopian thriller, soon develops strong sci-fi elements that aren’t to be missed by science fiction fans. Dealing with a host of delicate subjects (with a trigger warning that also includes a message of hope at the start of the book which I appreciated) I feel that the author navigates this story well. It is very well-written and I was immersed in the character development of both Jenny and Jack, following on with Jenny’s missions and hoping for improvements for Jack. This story is action packed, with twists that I could never have predicted and I would recommend for readers in the older YA market. I was eager to find out exactly what was happening and wanted to read the book in one sitting. Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading Ambassador