Hybrids, by David Thorpe

Hybrids, by David Thorpe

"A stunningly clever novel" - The Times
"Powerful and compelling" - Red House Books

"Essential reading for the cyberspace generation"

Winner of the HarperCollins-Saga Magazine Childrens Novelist competition and the 2008 Lewisham Schools Book Award

Are you...

A slave to your computer?
Welded to your mobile phone?
Joined at the hip to your iPod?

Maybe, one day, you will be...

Johnny and Kestrella are hybrids, victims of 'Creep', a virus which causes sufferers to merge with frequently-used items of technology.

As hysteria grips the nation, they live in fear of being rounded up and sent to the mysterious Centre for Genetic Rehabilitation, never to be seen again...

Hybrids is a novel for anyone aged 10 upwards

A compelling, thought-provoking and contemporary sci-fi thriller.

Conceived as book 1 of a series, it won the HarperCollins-Saga Magazine 2006 Childrens Novelist competition, "to find the next JK Rowling".

The judges said:

"Wonderfully original"
"Totally fresh & exciting"
"Vivid & unputdownable"
"Page turning"

Orange Prize-winning author Helen Dunmore said:
"It shows the reader our world in a different light and, like all the good, seminal writers of sci-fi, it takes the new technology and pushes it further and faster than is actually happening ... just as the great writers like John Wyndham did with Day of the Triffids and HG Wells with the War of the worlds etc."

"The central premise is that humans begin to bond with the pieces of technology that they use most. This hybrid virus - Creep - can give a girl a mobile for an arm, or a boy a computer monitor for a face.

"Like all pandemics, it creates hysteria. David Thorpe has imagined his world through and through, with its Gene Police, its Centre for Genetic Rehabilitation, and its feral, desperate kids who have hybridised and want to stay out of the clutches of the authorities. The question of what it is to be human isn’t asked directly, but the whole book implicitly deals with it."

Extracts from reviews

Orange-prize winning author Helen Dunmore: "The writing is sharp, the dialogue good, and the action pacey and page-turning. But there's a real depth to this story, too. Like all good fiction it makes the reader see the world in a different light."
The judges added: "This wonderfully original and compelling story is told in the alternating voices of the two young teenage protagonists in a totally fresh and exciting way. The reader is instantly drawn into a world which is current but not quite; which is real but only just; which is horribly close to our fears of what is happening and may happen in future. Exciting, page-turning, vivid and unputdownable, Hybrids and David Thorpe will I am sure be a real winner."
The Times: "A stunningly clever novel. Hybrids will get boys (and girls) talking and thinking about a brave new world without technological stimuli."
James Lovegrove, Financial Times: "There is vigour and validity in Hybrids... a commendable first novel."
Donal Cumiskey, Inis; Childrens Books Ireland: "A fast-paced plot, good dialogue and engaging characters. Thorpe injects a seriously Orwellian feel...Readers aged 13+ should enjoy an exciting read with substance from this great debut."
Collins Educational, Book of the Month: "Perfect for teaching at Year 7 and above! Essential reading for the cyberpace generation. A powerful and compelling story which raises relevant issues for the next generation and is sure to spark debate amongst your students."
Verity Newman, WATERSTONE'S BRENTWOOD 5 out of 5: "I'm not really a big reader of science fiction so I was initially convinced I wouldn't like this but how wrong could I be! Hybrids is a terrifyingly realistic and contemporary novel ... an absolute must read."
John Lloyd, WATERSTONE'S BATH: "David Thorpe’s debut has the verve of Orwell’s ‘1984’ and Camus’s ‘The Plague’ conveying a dramatic apocalyptic foresight.... Depicting a gruesome confusion so imaginatively, David Thorpe has surely marked a place amongst promising and highly intelligent writers."
Anthony Brown, Starburst 351 (the only review to get 4 stars that issue): "Hybrids may have the length and style of a Young Adult book, and two teenage heroes to go with them, but Thorpe doesn't pull punches with the satirical ideas he packs in. Thorpe approaches distinctly adult ideas in an approachable hero-led way... Over the mere 296 large print pages, Thorpe packs in an immense number of ideas, shaking up the situations in surprising ways time and time again."
Claire Main, Doodled Books: "David Thorpe has huge potential".
Reading Matters: "Brilliant. I loved it. And I can tell you for sure that you won't guess how this one ends. Highly recommended."
Red House Reader Reviewer Aaron Marchant (Age 12): "I thought that this book was a materpiece. The book is fast paced, and it interacts perfectly with the modern world. I recommend it to everybody. It is a five-star book!"
Red House Books: "Powerful and compelling."
Richard Hawkins, ScFiUK.com: "an eerie contemporary tale on the fusion of man and machine... An enjoyable debut novel, a good introduction to SF which leans towards younger readers who haven’to read the genre."
Write Away: "The writing in Thorpe's debut is tight, and the dialogue convincing. David Thorpe is a good writer, and the book is both easy to read and pleasingly open ended."
frombumptogrump.co.uk: "When our teenage reviewer took this into a school as part of a lesson showing what you read at home, the book drew an appreciative crowd and was the star of the show. Not a bad reaction for a first novel! David Thorpe has cleverly tapped into the teenage psyche with awesome precision. Oh, this is clever stuff and you will just love it! Bring it on!"
The Bookbag: "It's a real page-turner and my sons and I - even my younger son, the notorious reluctant reader - fairly galloped through it in our rush to find out what happened at the end. There were lots and lots of things I enjoyed about it."
Kez (Amazon.co.uk): 5 stars "had to say how wonderful I thought it was. Sci Fi/Fantasy tends to leave me cold; but 'Hybrids' had me from the end of the first chapter. David Thorpe grabs your attention with a refreshingly punchy style...and won't let it go. 'Hybrids' ignites the imagination, raises questions and makes you see the 21st century in a new - often eerie, often amusing -light. It's an intelligent, fabulously structured novel; with multifaceted characters that are completely tangible. I eagerly await the second in the trilogy!"
J Teague (Amazon.co.uk): 5 stars: "the points made by the story are made succinctly and clearly yet without appearing preachy or repetitive, a rarity in literature in general let alone a book aimed at young people. This will definitely appeal to all ages as it manages to combine a love story with a political parallel with such impressive ease. With the current state of world affairs this book couldn't be better timed. Bring on the sequel."
CY ezine, Book of the Month: "Seriously spooky."
Michele, Scholar's Blog: Quotes Helen Dunmore's comments and adds: "A view I can endorse whole-heartedly." And by email adds: "It's a terrific and fascinating book."
VK' 07-28-2007, on http://forums.bleachexile.com/archive/index.php/t-3768.html - "i just read a book by david thorpe called hybrids which is excellent."
Scholastic Autumn 2007 Highlights SECONDARY FAIRS: "this powerful, compelling tale asks searching questions about what it means to be human. • A dystopic, imaginative sci-fi chiller about our human reliance on technology • Explores the boundaries of what it means to be human • Asks important moral and philosophical questions about rights and responsibilities. This book will provoke lots of thought and debate • Timely and important as we enter an age of robotics, nanotechnology and genetic modification."
Connaugh Fenner by email: "My name is Connaugh and I've just finished reading Hybrids. I have to compliment you on this novel. I loved it."
Felipe Cunha, Brazilian artist, by email: "The word I could find to describe it is: Astonishing. Awesome work, man. It made my year."
Adam Horovitz, poet: "Finished Hybrids on the train to Chester on Saturday and was delighted with it. A satisfyingly surprising cliffhanger ending, a lot of meaty detail, a swift but worthwhile read - I am still chuckling at the idea of a prime minister so hooked up to the communication industry that he is locked away. Now, of course, I want to know what happens next... Liked it so much I gave my copy away to the first person I saw in Chester who I thought would like it."
Copper Penny (on Amazon) – 5 stars "Brilliant page turner. This is a gripping and edgy story that leaves the reader questioning the future for ourselves and our relationship with machines. I was entranced by the romantic plot that wraps around you in its complexity drawing you into political and social issues. A wonderful book - I would highly recommend it."
School librarians in Lewisham and their students who voted it for the second annual Lewisham School Book Award: "Thank you for writing such a thought-provoking and thrilling book."
Bookseller's Choice, The Bookseller - "What singles out Hybrids is its well-crafted characters and finely spun tension. It's an impressive debut and clearly demonstrates why it beat nearly 900 other manuscripts to win a HarperCollins/Saga magazine writing competition. I certainly look forward to seeing what other ideas David Thorpe has to explore in the future."
Books for Keeps - "Thorpe creates an inventive dystopian world."

ISBN 0 00 724784 2 | £5.99

Buy it!

Buy Hybrids here

Download the first two chapters (PDF, 100kB).

Hybrids comic preview

A few reviews:

For more information contact:

Catherine Holmes, Press officer, tel. (+44)(0)20 8307 4453
Alison Ruane, Head of Marketing, tel. (+44)(0)20 8307 4380

Podcast

Before it was announced that Hybrids had won the Saga/HarperCollins competition, some young friends wanted to turn it into a podcast. Maybe one day this will see the light of day...

The actors:

Kestrella Chu is read by Izzy Rabey:
Izzy Rabey, playing Kestrella Chu

Johnny Online is read by Peter Horne:
Peter Horne, playing Johnny Online

Dion Thorpe, the producer:
Dion Thorpe, Hybrids podcast producer