The idea of this book is interesting but I didn’t really enjoy it. The idea is that young people are all given a drug to keep them passive. I feel it is slightly harmful in premise to those who take medication for ADHD as it implies control.
I found it hard to get to grips with the ideas around why they take someone hostage. I feel concerned about the point being made and the questions it raises over medication for ADHD.

A bit long and took me a while to read, but an interesting concept. Wasn't written in a style I particularly liked.

Received ARC and found it very difficult to actually get into this book. It has been started many times and eventually I decided that enough was enough. I did not enjoy it and found it disturbing and boring at times

'Concentr8' is a very thought-provoking, even going so far as to say 'thought-challenging' book! William Sutcliffe's intention is clearly to make his readers consider the medicating of youths with ADHD in order to improve behaviour. For me personally, this is a very sensitive subject; I have two teens with ADHD, one is medicated, the other is not; one can have quite severe behavioural difficulties which threaten the safety of himself and others, difficulties he is aware of and which cause him extreme distress when he realises the extent of his actions, the other is more even-tempered and manages his symptoms very successfully with sport, activity, good food and self-reflection.
As with all cases of ADHD and other conditions, the treatment is very individual and I'm wary of anyone who blanket recommends or criticises a single treatment; however, at the same time we must always be mindful of our reasons for a particular treatment and highlighting an extreme situation as in 'Concetr8' ensures that we don't all become too complacent.
An interesting read.

British dystopia often seems to have a grittier feel to it than its American counterparts, in this case it almost feels as though you are reading more of a real life issues book. Concentr8 poses an interesting question, what happens whe you medicate huge swathes of the teenage population to try and control them and then you take the drugs away? Told from multiple points of view the book explores the lives of the teenagers and those that would seek to control them with starkly drawn realistic characters.

I remember when I was in primary school that something of a ADHD-craze hit the Netherlands. Across the country more and more boys, especially, were diagnosed with ADHD and medicated to control their behaviour. I also remember my parents thinking this increased diagnosing of children younger than ten wasn't a good idea. So when I saw a novel addressing this very topic, I knew I wanted to read it. And I was immensely and positively surprised by Sutcliffe's novel.

One of the things I liked about Concentr8 is that it's a novel that is not just a story, but also aims to be a lesson. Not in an overly pedantic way, but in an attempt to raise awareness for a topic that is clearly close to the author's heart. The way we treat the children in our societies is crucial and yet often neglected. Whether it's the continuously growing pressure on children to succeed in standardised tests or neglecting to take their concerns seriously, it is not necessarily an easy world for children, let alone for those living in war zones. I am always happy to see fiction novels pick up such controversial yet important topics and Sutcliffe's approaches his with the seriousness it deserves. Between chapters he quotes research on ADHD and his narrative also makes it clear he did a lot of research for this book. Of course he has his own opinion on the matter, but he doesn't force it down the reader's throat.

The novel is split up into different parts, one for each day of the hostage crisis. These parts are then set up into different chapters, each narrated by a different character, either a member of Blaze's gang or another one of the relevant characters. Initially this takes some getting used to and it can be occasionally confusing, but Sutcliffe does his best to give each character a different voice and make the transitions feel relevant. Each character has their own tale to tell, their own version of events, and it is by bringing these all together that Sutcliffe is truly able to make his point. Halfway through the novel I realised I really couldn't relate to any of the characters in the book, except perhaps for the journalist, but this one realisation was followed by another. Although Literature with a capital L likes to write about "the underdog", the poor orphan in the workhouse or the immigrants searching for work during the Great Depression, they are seemingly always imbued with an innate goodness and purity that ennobles them but belies the true consequences of growing up without options, without possibilities. Sutcliffe's teenagers are perhaps not very likeable, but they are human and real. It is a credit to this book that actually none of the characters are very likeable and yet you still want to hear their stories.

Concentr8 is a mix between different genres. On the one hand it's a dystopian novel about how we treat our children in a distant future, on the other hand it is a YA novel about children growing up in a world that doesn't care for them. It's also social commentary and, to a certain extent, science fiction. This mix is quite heady and probably not for everyone. I struggled through the first few chapters as Sutcliffe attempted to capture the voice of London teenagers, occasionally writing without punctuation and using slang. But once I got into it, I found that Concentr8 really worked for me. There was an insolence in how the novel addressed readers like me: relatively well-settled in life and having never had to deal with poverty or class. It doesn't make reading Concentr8 fun, but it does make it relevant. Sutcliffe doesn't give you a clear cut answer and doesn't even attempt to end with a classic happy ending, but it will leave you with a great set of questions to consider.


Despite struggling at the beginning, I ended up being really touched by Sutcliffe's Concentr8. He gives a voice here to teenagers who aren't often heard, highlighting a problem we prefer to forget about. Although it may be a struggle, I'd recommend this to those interested in YA fiction and social commentary.

DNF

I’m afraid I have lost interest in this book since the time I was asked to view it, and then added it to my bookshelf. The book sounds great but right now, it’s not the type of book I would enjoy reading I believe.

I read the first chapter and the tension is definitely built up to a great extent (though i would have liked the character’s POV to have his name more because I forgot who was speaking a few pages in). The setting was great, and I was interested in knowing why the riots were happening. Maybe I will eventually return to this book and provide a better review.

Concentr8 was chaotic from the start. I was so confused because this book didn't turn out to be what I expected. I was intrigued by the concept of ADHD and a pill meant for sufferers, but it went from okay to a whole 'nother level of dystopia, real quick. The characters were also completely unrelatable and the plot failed to hook me.

DNF @ 43%