Counterblow Clemency


Young Adult - Sci-Fi
154 Pages
Reviewed on 06/04/2024
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Author Biography

Naomi Shibles was raised in the Caribbean. Her memberships include the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Association of Writers & Writing Programs, and the Authors Guild. She lives in Charlotte with her family.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Counterblow Clemency is a YA science fiction thriller by Naomi Shibles. Set in the year 2117 in Promo City, the story follows Bjorn Bear, a sixteen-year-old teenager born into an affluent family. After inadvertently destroying his parents' wine collection, Bjorn is thrown out of the Bear Estate alongside his friends, Doodle and Murgatroyd. But soon, he is shot at by strangers hell-bent on killing him and finds himself on the run with his two friends. A crucial mistake by Murgatroyd almost gets them killed by the crime boss, Lolly Normandy. As Lolly's men hunt for them, Bjorn learns that he, like Murgatroyd, is an Atlas, and the person who wants him dead has a turbulent history with him. Additionally, his mother's life is also in danger. Will Bjorn be able to save himself and his friends?

Fast-paced and action-packed, Counterblow Clemency is an adrenaline-pumping thriller that never lets its foot off the gas. Naomi Shibles wastes no time in putting the reader into the midst of the action, and, from the first page to the last, it's a wild rollercoaster of a ride you don't want to end. The setting of Promo City feels futuristic, with some unique features that bring an authentic flavor to the world, be it the addition of genetically engineered mini-hippos, the Spark devices, or the machinations of the B.A.B.E. laboratory. The dynamic between the three friends and Carter Lock is genuine and was one of the primary highlights for me. I also immensely enjoyed the back-and-forth between Bjorn and Murgatroyd. In conclusion, if young adult dystopian stories are your jam, you won't regret reading this one!