What better book to banish that back-to-school feeling than with a book in which a group of teenagers decide to skip school, taking a hostage and hiding out in an abandoned warehouse to boot? Full of contemporary themes and a twist of darkness, Concentr8 is the newest book from the Carnegie-shortlisted author of The Wall so it promises to be an intriguing read with plenty to discuss. You can find out more about it and how to get your copy below.
Concentr8
In a future London, Concentr8 is a prescription drug intended to help kids with ADHD. Soon every troubled teen is on it. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Keep the undesirable elements in line. Keep people like us safe from people like them. What’s good for society is good for everyone. Troy, Femi, Lee, Karen and Blaze have been taking Concentr8 as long as they can remember. They’re not exactly a gang, but Blaze is their leader, and Troy has always been his quiet, watchful sidekick - the only one Blaze really trusts. They’re not looking for trouble, but one hot summer day, when riots break out across the city, they find it.
What makes five kids pick a man seemingly at random – a nobody, he works in the housing department, doesn’t even have a good phone – hold a knife to his side, take him to a warehouse and chain him to a radiator? They’ve got a hostage, but don’t really know what they want, or why they’ve done it. And across the course of six tense days, with a journalist, a floppy-haired mayor, a police negotiator, and the sinister face of the pharmaceutical industry, they – and we – begin to understand why…
This is a book about what how we label children. It’s about how kids get lost and failed by the system. It’s about how politicians manipulate them.
Read the first chapter here and then claim your copy!
How to enter
Ten teen readers, a copy of this gripping book could be yours! Just enter this prize draw by emailing childrens.books@theguardian.com with the following details: your name, your age, your address, your parent or guardian’s name, your parent or guardian’s telephone number.
Entrants must be between 13 and 17 years of age. After the draw closes at midnight on Wednesday 16 September 2015 we will pick 10 winners at random, who will each receive a copy of Concentr8.
Terms and conditions
1. The competition to win a copy of Concentr8 by William Sutcliffe (“the Competition”) is open to children between 13 and 17 years of age who are UK residents, excluding employees or agents of Guardian News & Media Limited (“GNM”), its group companies or their family members, or anyone else connected with the Competition. We reserve the right to ask for proof of age of entrants to the Competition.
2. To enter the Competition you must complete this competition page. If you are under the age of 16, you must also include the name, contact telephone number and email address of your parent or guardian. We reserve the right to ask for parent’s or guardian’s consent. We will use this information only in relation to the Competition and we will not keep it for longer than necessary.
3. If you are under 16 please check that your parent or guardian is happy for you enter the Competition based on these terms and conditions.
4. If you have any questions about how to enter the Competition, please email us at childrens.books@theguardian.com with “teen book club competition: query” in the subject line.
5. Submitting an entry to the Competition is confirmation of acceptance of these terms and conditions.
6. Only one entry is permitted per person. Entries on behalf of another person (except those made by a parent or guardian in accordance with clause 2 above) will not be accepted and joint entries are not allowed.
7. The closing date and time of the Competition is midnight on Wednesday 16 September 2015. Entries received after the closing date and time will not be included in the prize draw.
8. There will be one prize and ten winners chosen at random from all eligible entries.
9. The prize is a copy of the book Concentr8 by William Sutcliffe.
10. The winners will be notified by email within 28 days of the closing date. If the winner and his or her parent cannot be reached or fail to acknowledge such notification within seven days, GNM will re-draw and select a new winner of the prize (and the same acceptance period will apply). If a winner rejects his or her prize, then the winner’s prize will be forfeited and GNM shall be entitled to select another winner.
11. The prize will be sent to the winners by 20 October 2015.
12. The prize is non-exchangeable, non-transferable, and is not redeemable for cash or other prizes.
13. GNM reserves the right to change the prize at its discretion or to offer an alternative of similar value in the event the original prize offered is not available.
14. The winners may be required to take part in promotional activity including the use of his or her photograph in connection with publicity about the prize.
15. GNM requires the consent in writing (which may include email) of the parent or guardian of the winner if he or she is under 16 years of age in order to publish the winner’s name, age and town or city of residence on guardian.co.uk. If GNM does not receive such written consent from the parent or guardian of the winner then we may award the prize to another entry.
16. We take no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed, misdirected or incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason. Proof of delivery of entry is not proof of receipt.
17. No purchase is necessary.
18. Nothing in these terms and conditions shall exclude liability for death, personal injury or fraud, as a result of negligence.
19. Any personal data submitted by the entrant will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and GNM’s privacy policy.
20. GNM reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, this Competition with or without prior notice due to reasons outside its control (including, without limitation, in the case of anticipated, suspected or actual fraud). The decision of GNM in all matters under its control is final and binding.
21. GNM shall not be liable for any failure to comply with its obligations where the failure is caused by something outside its reasonable control. Such circumstances shall include, but not be limited to, weather conditions, fire, flood, hurricane, strike, industrial dispute, war, hostilities, political unrest, riots, civil commotion, accidents, supervening legislation or any other circumstances amounting to force majeure.
22. Details of the winners can be obtained by sending a stamped addressed envelope to the following address: Children’s book site, Guardian News & Media Limited, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU.
23. The promoter of the Competition is GNM whose address is Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU.
24. The Competition will be governed by and interpreted according to English law and the English courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction to deal with any disputes arising in connection with it.
