Velocity by Chris Wooding

Pages: 325

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Post-apocalyptic action/adventure

Notes for Parents: Violence and scenes of graphic violence, drinking, corruption.

The Back Cover

Cassica and Shiara are best friends. They couldn’t be more different, but their differences work to their advantage—especially when they’re racing. Cassica is fearless and decisive, making her the perfect driver for daring, photo-finish victories. Shiara is fiercely intelligent, able to build cars out of scrap and formulate gutsy strategies from the passenger seat.

Now they’ve set their sights on the Widowmaker: the biggest, deadliest race of the year, a three-day off-road rally through bombed-out cities and irradiated wastelands. The winners get a pass to a life of luxury and fame. The losers, more often than not, die in fiery explosions. And even if Cassica and Shiara survive to cross the finish line, their friendship might be roadkill along the way.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The story is described as the author’s “blistering vision of the future” where he “re-imagines NASCAR by way of Mad Max and The Hunger Games.”

What’s good?

Copious amounts of race action, scary creatures, and suspenseful moments thrust this post-apocalyptic adventure into overdrive. The main characters—Cassica, the ambitious, daredevil driver, and Shiara, the reserved, genius mechanic—are well-drawn, with strong personality traits that develop throughout the story. Their friendship is a key theme that becomes tumultuous as their situation becomes dire. The pace is fast and furious, the plot is simple but exciting, and the end is very satisfying.

Best Part: The end.

What isn’t good?

I was confused by the premise that Shiara can’t open her own shop because she’s a woman, but she’s completely accepted as a racer. Or the rule that says you can’t use weapons against the other competitors but you can still kill them. Lots of small but significant inconsistencies bothered me throughout the story. And I loved the ending, but I totally saw it coming.

Worst part: Editing mistakes.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☻☻ (3/5)

This story was dark, violent, and fast-moving, but the small contradictions and general predictability were distracting. The writing was a bit weak and the world-building could have been stronger, but regardless, it was exciting, easy to read, and I enjoyed it. If you find the book’s description enticing, then go for it.

Wooding, Chris. Velocity. London, UK: Scholastic, 2015.