Paige Not Found
By Jen Wilde
Publisher: Scholastic Press (April
16, 2024)
Publisher’s Blurb:
A
thrilling adventure story that examines consent and privacy in a way that books
have not had to before this generation where everything is online.
Nothing about us, without us.
When Paige learns that her parents enrolled her in an autism study without telling her, her world turns upside down. Suddenly she isn't sure if she can trust the two people she loves most. A chip was implanted in her brain that sends them information about her mood, brain activity, and location. It can even boost the chemicals that keep her calm or make her happy. So Paige has to wonder... can she even trust her own mind?
Now the company that created her chip is days away from merging with the most popular social network in the world. And they are known for selling people’s private information to the highest bidder.
Paige knows there is
only one thing she can do. Armed with the names and addresses of the other kids
involved in the study, she must track them down and tell them the truth, so
they can put a stop to the merger and get the chips removed for good.
My thoughts:
This middle-grade novel focuses on Paige,
a girl with autism, her neurotypical best friend Mara, and the people they meet
as they try to do battle with an Elon Musk-type baddie who thinks neurodivergent
people need to be fixed.
Along the way, they make friends with other children with autism: Kelsey, who hates that her influencer mom posts Kelsey’s meltdowns for her followers to see. Marcus, who is nonverbal, and his protective big sister Gabby.
Paige feels like her parents just want her to be “normal”, and when she finds out they had an experimental device implanted in her brain (they told her she was getting her tonsils out), she is angry that they can’t accept her for how she is. Even worse, the company that created the implant is about to enter an agreement with a Facebook-like entity, which means all the information about what goes on in the brains of Paige and other test subjects is about to go public.
Rather than accept that fate, the kids fight back. And here’s the good thing: the way they do it is actually pretty realistic.
Of course, there are problems along the way. There is the usual middle school trope of having a best friend become friends with someone else. Here it is further complicated by Paige’s realization that she is nonbinary and is attracted to Mara.
Things are wrapped up with a pretty satisfying conclusion.
Overall, I found the narrative easy
to follow. Paige’s conflicts were realistic, even though the underlying premise
was maybe a bit out there. Descriptions of Paige’s personal challenges with
autism, emotions, stimming, and anxiety were realistic, but, from the acknowledgements,
I gather that the author, to, has autism.
I loved this representation of the idea that those who are neurodivergent do not need to be “fixed” and that their voices matter in how they treated.
Possible Objectionable Material:
Anxiety meltdowns, hiding things from
parents, lots of videogaming, sneaking around. Paige, while a “girl”, feels
nonbinary and is attracted to another girl.
Who Might Like This Book:
Those who like coming of age,
neurodivergent characters, beating big corporations.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing and ARC for my honest review.
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