Today sees the release of C.K. Miller’s cyberpunk/biopunk YA thriller, Freerunner. Centering around a young protagonist who competes at futuristic parkour as a ‘natural’, his life takes a turn when the enhancing technology his father created starts to go wrong.

Synopsis –

Freerunning is my edge.

I sprint rooftops, fly gaps, and own drops that make normal people freeze. But no matter how hard I push, there’s always someone better.

Because of the NeoGen bracers—viral tech that rewires your body to move faster, hit harder, see in the dark, even look filter-perfect. Everyone who matters has one.

Except me, Flip Carson.

Here’s the part that makes no sense: my dad invented the bracers… and he refuses to let me anywhere near one.

I guess breaking into his secure lab is easier than trying to convince him.

But the moment I strap it on, I understand why my dad never wanted me near one. I start seeing things no one else reacts to… creatures built from my worst fears, the bring-your-worst-phobia-to-life kind, hunting me.

And the corporation twisting me dad’s arm will do anything to keep the truth buried.

Now I’m not just running to belong.

I’m running to stay free.

Because if the bracers can turn fear into monsters, what happens when the whole world plugs in?

‘Flip’ Carson competes as a freerunner, on a competitive and technologically advanced parkour circuit. The other competitors use genetic enhancers, NeoGen Bracers, to improve their physical prowess, and Flip, competing as the only ‘natural’, without the use of a Bracer, struggles to keep up despite his natural talent. His father is the inventor of the technology, working towards designing a bracer that can enable Flip’s wheelchair-bound sister to live a regular life.

When his father suddenly announces the bracer project is shutting down, however, Flip can’t accept that he is giving up on Flip’s sister, and he breaks into his father’s office to steal the most advanced versions of the devices. It soon becomes apparent, however, that a wider conspiracy is at foot, and Flip uses the devices to enhance his physical abilities in order to escape. Doing so puts him at great physical and psychological risk, but he must put fear aside and unravel the conspiracy.

Freerunner is a very direct, by-the-numbers YA thriller. Flip, the protagonist, must put his skills to use for good, whilst overcoming his own fears. At odds with a powerful corporation intent on his capture, he must keep moving, picking up companions along the way. His best friend assists remotely using a drone, and Flip meets his love interest along the way, who can lead him to the key to fixing the situation. Then comes the ‘mentor’ figure, who is reluctant to help at first, and put themselves in harm’s way, but ultimately is willing to risk their own well-being for the greater good.

The story moves along at a fast clip, has plenty of action, and appropriately for the sport at the centre of Flip’s world, there is constant motion. This means the novel is always entertaining, progresses efficiently, with very little downtime. This was probably a wise move on the part of the author, as if you spend too long thinking about the practicalities of the technology at the heart of the story, it feels almost more like magic than science. No attempt is made to explain how the bracers work, other than the vague notion that it can enhance any aspect of your body and mind. The different options include enhanced speed and strength, intelligence, even thicker skin to withstand damage. It’s a fun idea, one that maybe could have been used to greater effect if it had been used more to show contrasting abilities opposing each other, for example speed versus strength, but ultimately by the story’s finale, the combatants are all just generally ‘enhanced’.

The lack of explanation for how the technology works doesn’t need to be a problem, that’s going to depend on how much science you want in your science fiction. If you’re just looking for a standard, effective YA action romp, with teamwork and morals triumphing over the overtly evil baddie, then the book is perfect. It has everything you’d want from YA dystopia – romance, hero’s journey, overcoming weakness and becoming comfortable in your own shoes. It’s a clean, fairly bloodless teen-friendly story, though it doesn’t shy away from stakes and death completely. If you’re looking for cyberpunk that’s a bit more grey and messy, though, it isn’t going to be for you.

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