Description
Six teenagers. An empty shopping centre. No Wi-Fi. And … a baby? Acclaimed author Tegan Bennett Daylight’s first novel for young adults reconceives Lord of the Flies for Gen Z.
A group of teenagers alone in an empty shopping centre, with everything they could possibly want ... and a baby?
With no phones, no internet and no way out, Shannon and five other trapped teens are completely disconnected from the outside world ... and their online lives. It’s hard to say whether they’ll be driven to delinquency, or – even worse – forced to make friends irl. Will the limitless bubble tea, Maccas and new sneakers be enough to keep the six teens satisfied until they can find a way out, or is this the start of something much more sinister?
In Royals, her new novel for young people, acclaimed author Tegan Bennett Daylight upends Lord of the Flies to find out what really happens when there are no adults in the room.
Review
What would you do if you were in a shopping centre, flicking on your phone, when suddenly everyone seems to have vanished? You try to leave, but the doors won’t open. And worse, it seems like everyone that you can see outside the doors, going about their day, are completely oblivious to your pleas for help…
Shannon is flicking on her phone in a shopping centre corridor when this happens to her. Exploring the shopping centre, she discovers that she is stuck there with a small group of teenagers, a 12-year old and a baby. With their phones all stuck on 5.17pm, and no internet or phone reception, they seem to have been completely cut off from the outside world. It’s almost like they’ve stopped existing…
It's terrifying at first - but they do have access to unlimited Maccas, bubble tea, sushi, and all of the shoes and clothes and jewellery and make up they could ever have imagined. It’s a consumer paradise.
But with nothing to do, and a baby to look after, will the novelty of unlimited consumption wear off?
And how will they cope being trapped together with no phones, no distractions, and no one else to rely on?
This is a fascinating, modern take on Lord of the Flies. Exploring themes of consumerism, isolation, disability, trauma, racism, mental health, the goodness of human nature, and how people deal with challenging times (and how they can pull together). Featuring a cast of eclectic and different characters who are suddenly thrust together and isolated from the world, this is a great read for those in the middle secondary years.
Reviewed by Kate
