Parents' Guide to

Scan

By Michael Berry, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Clever sci-fi thriller stresses do-it-yourself science.

Scan Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 16+

Based on 1 parent review

age 16+

too much

Too much vulgarity of language and sexuality for my 14 1/2 year old!

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

SCAN is a high-concept sci-fi thriller with some interestingly unique features. There have been plenty of alien-invasion books featuring extraterrestrials who look, act, and talk just like us earthlings, but by adding a MacGyver-ish do-it-yourself science spin to the tale, coauthors Walter Jury and S.E. Fine give their narrative some extra oomph. The action scenes are well choreographed, and there are a number of satisfying plot reversals. Tate's interactions with his estranged parents are well done, but his continuous insistence on how absolutely awesome his girlfriend is gets a little old after a while. This volume makes no excuses for ending on a cliffhanger, but it will leave most readers primed for the next installment.

One wonders why the language needs to be so rough; Scan contains more casual profanity than many adult science-fiction thrillers, and whatever it gains in edginess it loses in gracelessness.

Book Details

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