Review: iBoy - Kevin Brooks

Before the attack, sixteen-year-old Tom Harvey was just an ordinary boy. But now fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain and it's having an extraordinary effect ... Because now Tom has powers - the ability to know and see more than he could ever imagine. And with incredible power comes knowledge - and a choice. Seek revenge on the violent gangs that rule his estate and assaulted his friend Lucy, or keep quiet? Tom has control when everything else is out of control. But it's a dangerous price to pay. And the consequences are terrifying.

Tom is a normal kid living on a rough estate in London with his Gran. Gangs pretty much rule the estate, with members of different gangs constantly fighting each other. On his way home from school one day, Tom hears his name being called from a window on the top floor of his block of flats - the floor his friend Lucy lives on. He looks up to see something falling towards him and the next thing he know he's waking up in the hospital with bits of iPhone in his head. Unknown to the doctors, the fragments have fused with Tom's brain and now he can do pretty much anything a smartphone can. He can text, make phone calls, browse the internet - all in his mind. After finding out that Lucy was being assaulted by a gang in her own home at the time he was hit by the phone, Tom sets about getting revenge with the aid of his new powers.

Before reading iBoy, I hadn't read anything by Kevin Brooks, although I'd heard many good things about his books. Now I wish I had picked up one sooner. I really liked the writing style and the 'science bits' and tech jargon really appealed to my geeky nature. Like in most 'boys' books, Brooks focuses more on the action and plot than the descriptives which suits me perfectly.

The main characters in the book are well developed and realistic and the dialogue between them is witty without being over the top. Some of the things Tom's Gran says particularly amused me, probably because she's not a stereotypical grandmother.

iBoy is more suitable for older readers due to the language and aspects of the plot. I would recommend it to any one who likes books with plenty of action and a superhero element as well as a tense, exciting plot.