As a book that captured my interest from the moment I saw it from the cover and the title, I can happily say that this book lived up to my expectations! I love action sequences and fighting scenes in books, especially since many novels and books out there can never make sense of anything in their action scenes and it all rushes so fast. This book is the perfect blend of espionage and drama, never having to deal with those confusing plot twists or those scenes where everything is a blur.I love the character development on Six, being the best in the system and being the youngest at the same time. It has that typical prodigy feel where you expect the child to accomplish every mission, but you know in the back of your mind that they are still just a kid. He is an illegal experiment created by "The Lab" and has superhuman powers that make him deadly and invincible. The characters are well formed to fit Six and his environment where they have the exact personalities one would expect in a world crisis situation. Without giving away too much or any spoilers, I have to say that Kyntak completely throws off the story and creates a whole new crisis for Six. He is a boy that has acquired the same abilities as Six and raises questions as to how he acquired them and what he was made to do. Without the ending of the book I can only say one thing, read it. You're in for a ride. Six is different then the rest of the agents in The Deck. Not only is he super strong, he can heal faster than the average human, he has perfect vision, and he is lethal. More importantly, Six is only sixteen years old. What most people don't know about six, is that he was the product of an illegal experiment at the Lab, which burned down sixteen years ago. Furthermore, if anyone at the Deck found out that he isn't a true human being, he could be hunted and destroyed. In the world that Six lives in, two major corporations have overrun the government and everyone is under the every watchful eye of ChaoSonic. In other words, ChaoSonic requires every citizen to have an assigned ChaoSonic ID, which means they can track every more that person makes. There is no such thing as civil liberties and those with the most money have total power over everyone. In this world, any rich man or woman can create and destroy whoever they want because they have the funds that supply ChaoSonic. For those who desire to defy ChaoSonic form their own syndicates like the Deck. The Deck is is literally a rebellion of cards: the hearts are the enforcers, the Diamonds are the negotiators, and the Jokers are the information resources. The goal of the deck is to expose and neutralize any activity that threatens the innocent and absorbs any assets belonging to those who seek to hurt humankind. In this world, humanity has become an endangered species where technology and greed threaten its very existence. For Six, his goal is to do his job, and do it flawlessly, while staying under the radar from the Lab. However, after being summoned by the King of Hearts to investigate a location that could be housing an operation that terrifies Six--the Lab is back. Furthermore, when he meets Kyntax, Six's nightmares are about to come true.In this stunning debut, Jack Heath has given teen readers an adventure of a lifetime. Not only is our hero a superhuman, he is the hunter who is being hunted. In this world is a very scary reality where no one has control over their own lives or futures. Furthermore, the idea that greed is so powerful that those who possess the money have the freedom to do whatever they want is down right scary. As for Six, all I could think of, as I was reading this, is a mixture of The Terminator and Judge Dread. For those who aren't familiar with these movies, they are old school action flicks starring two of my favorite action stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Since he isn't a machine, or liquid metal, Six has human DNA that has been altered and mixed with specific genes that make him invincible and powerful. Furthermore, the opening Prologue, is not only creepy, but makes the reader think hard about the possibility of human experimentation. Although its never really stated that Six is a clone, but the idea of altering fetuses is not at all impossible. Clearly, Six was created to be the ultimate weapon, but, at the same time, those who "created" him, didn't count on the fact that Six is capable of thinking and feeling. Six may not be the most personable being on the planet, but he feels fear and loneliness, which convey that beneath all of the superpowers is a teen looking for his place in this world. For me, when we meet Syntak, I had this surge of hope that Six would not be alone in this world. However, I am not so sure of Syntak's motives, but I guess I will find out in the sequel, Remote Control.
What do You think about The Lab (2006)?
An easy read. I liked it, but it wasn't thrilling for me.
—sydni
Awesome booklost of actionthat about sums it up
—rgittens22
