Mapmaker

Gr 8 Up—This dystopian novel touches upon the development of digital mapping as a way to track and control humans. Seventeen-year-old Tanya Barrett has always had a knack for cartography, a skill she shared with her father who died while on a work-related expedition. She takes an internship with her father's cofounded digital mapping company, MapOut, at the insistence of Harrison, her dad's former business partner. Upon her arrival at MapOut, she is greeted by Harrison and his son Connor. With Connor's help, Tanya uncovers clues to her father's death; the duo also stumbles upon some disturbing secrets about MapOut. Connor disappears after leaving a short, cryptic text message. Before she can comprehend the situation, Tanya is drugged and kidnapped. Although the novel starts out slowly, the action picks up with an intense bang. Plot twists will leave readers quickly turning the pages, wanting to find some kind of resolution for the protagonist. The end is left open for a second book. Fans of Michelle Gagnon's Don't Turn Around (HarperCollins, 2012) will enjoy this work for its exploration of the dangers of a technology-connected world.