94. The Industry by Rose Foster

The Industry by Rose Foster
Published April 2012 Harper Collins

From the publisher:

Kirra Hayward is an ordinary sixteen year old - smarter than most, but otherwise completely anonymous. When she stumbles across an unusual puzzle on the Internet and manages to solve it, she has no idea of what she's letting herself in for. Kidnapped by a shadowy organisation known only as The Industry, Kirra soon discovers how valuable her code-breaking skills are. And when she stubbornly refuses to help them, they decide to break her ... by any means at their disposal. Kirra knows that to protect herself, she must trust no one, not even her fellow prisoner, Milo. But as time goes by she realises he might be the only person she can rely on ..


This is a fast paced book from the outset.  One minute Kirra is a smart loner who solved a mystery puzzle on the Internet, and the next she is kidnapped from the street on her way home, flown to the other side of the world, and kept prisoner in a cold cement cell.

Kirra is one of only a handful of people in the world who can solve the Spencer System code.  She doesn't even know how she does it, she just can.  This code is being used for many high security locations in the world, from businesses to prisons.  There are villainous groups out there that want these codes...which means they want Kirra.


Kidnapped on her way from school one day Kirra finds herself locked in a cell, with no idea why.  All she did was solve a myseriousd puzzle on the Internet.  Reluctant to help the people who have kidnapped her, she is tortured into doing what hey want...cracking the codes.  When they bring in a new prisoner, Milo, her time in the cell becomes slightly less terrible. He too has the ability to crack the code.

Eventually Kirra is rescued, but she has to leave Milo only to find that her rescuer is still a bad guy, just a different bad guy.   Kirra is then taken on a trip to Spain where she learns more and more about this underworld that she has involuntarily become a part of.  The only way she can save Milo, is to help...and helping them is wrong...

This book is a little bit Cherub and a little bit HIVE, in that all three books look at organisations that use and train children to work for them.  When she visits The Marquison Training Intensive, Kirra learns that there are kids out there who actually want to part of this villainous underworld.  Kirra has to start thinking about a new kind of life, because it may never be safe for her, or her family to see them again.

This is the first book in what will be a series, and like a lot of series this book really just sets everything in place.   It manages to get you involved enough in the story, and leave enough unanswered questions, that you will want to read the next one.  This is a good strong action packed book that will appeal to girls who like reading Alex Rider, Cherub, HIVE, but are looking for a female lead character.

Who will like this book: Girls age 14+
Read it if you like: Gallagher Girls seroes by Ally Carter