Project A.I.D.E.N. by Lindsey Frydman - OPTIONAL

Project A.I.D.E.N. by Lindsey Frydman, 166 pages. Entangled Publishing, 2022. $5.

Language: R (98 swears, 20 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Aiden (18yo) can’t remember anything before the accident, but he can remember everything he has heard and seen since then, among other enhanced abilities. But now the people who have been rehabilitating Aiden since the accident decide to eliminate him, so Aiden runs away – right into a car. Elena (17yo) thought she had enough to worry about with convincing her dad to let her be a mechanic, and then she hit a boy with her precious car.

Aiden and Elena’s story is set in a futuristic America with hints of better technology, but, for the most part, the scifi stuff is a side note to two teenagers on the run. There are several inconsistencies throughout the story, but they don’t get in the way of the story if readers don’t want them to. Uncovering the truth of Project A.I.D.E.N. with the main characters is lively, even if the execution of the story could use some polishing.

Aiden is depicted on the cover as white, and there is nothing in the text to contradict that. Elena is described as having “porcelain skin.” The mature content rating is for mentions of marijuana and underage drinking, innuendo, and an intense make out scene. The violence rating is for gun use and mentions of murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen