Revolution 19

Newcomer Rosenblum provides another take on a dystopian future as he expands on an idea provided by writer- directors James Wong (Final Destination) and Howard Gordon (24), who are developing this Alloy Entertainment property as a movie. On an Earth in which a robot uprising in 2051 was successful, small communities of free humans still exist in the wild more than a decade later. Teenage siblings Nick, Cass, and Kevin barely escape when robots destroy their settlement. Determined to find and free their missing friends and family, the trio infiltrate one of the robot-controlled cities, where they discover what it’s like to live under the totalitarian thumb of the artificial oppressors, make new allies, and inadvertently become the face of a new rebellion. The concept is sound—think Terminator meets The Matrix meets The Tripods—but while a fast pace is typically a good thing, the story sometimes slingshots from one segment of plot to the next without taking the time to fully develop them. Nevertheless, it’s a strong start to what looks to be an exciting series. Ages 13–up. (Jan.)