The Word (ePub)

One idea can jinx a whole country in less than a lifetime....

I've never been on an aeroplane before. Mam said that when she was a kid, everyone had been on one. Hundreds used to fly off to the other side of the world, just because. But that was before the rest of the world turned on us. Grew jealous of our proud history. But we would stand tall: that was why we had been given the Word. Reverence for it grew out of the soil. We had our borders fortified, and the Word was growing. Four gifted children in one generation! And now there were five.

Rhydian is one of five teenagers born into his generation with the Word - a preternatural power that enables them to compel other people to obey. Along with his best friend Jonno, almost-grown-up Rachel, and Cadi, he is studied and experimented on in a facility called the Centre. When they learn that the Centre's purpose is to turn them into weapons of war, the teens go on the run.

How did this brutal fortress Britain emerge? Here, babies are stolen from mothers whose identities are stripped away at will. Protesting crowds are mesmerised, and children who disobey are killed in cold blood.

Exploring themes of coercive control, disinformation and fundamentalism, The Word shows how kindness can emerge when we resist power, practise resistance, and show vulnerability. Combining speculative elements and emotional truths, it is essentially a coming-of-age story, in which brave young individuals fight to keep hold of who they are in a dehumanising world.