ADMINS

Teens who’ve just learned they’re in a computer simulation must evade forces trying to delete them in Horn’s debut YA SF novel.

New Jersey high-school sophomore Joey and his friend / romantic interest Lana survive a devastating car accident. They know that they had been coming home from a party, but they don’t remember the accident itself. Joey’s older brother Chris, who was the driver, and Chris’ girlfriend Sierra, another passenger, are seemingly dead. Joey and Lana, while trekking through the woods looking for cell service, come across an old cabin with a bizarre floating green light that draws in both teens. Back on the road, while the dazed duo waits for an ambulance, Chris and Sierra miraculously return to life after Joey and Lana touch them. Perhaps that green light gave Joey and Lana a power—which might also explain why, later on, people’s personalities seem to change with one of their touches. All four high schoolers return to the cabin, only to be met by a stranger who claims that he’s a “Guardian” and that the teens are “Sims” in a computer program. It sounds far-fetched, but after Chris and Sierra make contact with the green light, all four find they have “Admin power” and are able to materialize objects by merely thinking about them. (Along the way, they discover a handful of other special abilities, a weapon or two, and quirky techniques for hiding, many of which, not surprisingly, resemble elements from video games.) Unfortunately, the Guardians, as well as higher authority “Admins,” are fully aware of what’s happening and chase these Sims down for deletion. It gets even worse when Admins decide to shut down the entire program, which will effectively end the teens’ reality. Joey and the rest may be shocked to realize that the world they’ve always known is “fake,” but it’s still a world they’ll fight to protect.

Horn’s riveting SF story boasts a well-developed cast—the relationship between the brothers, for example, has long been strained, as the more popular Chris either bullies or outright ignores Joey. Sierra, who has lost her mother and endures an indifferent father, hates Lana for her “perfect” house and family. All of these character dynamics give rise to various questions regarding the simulation, such as: Why would a computer programmer burden Sierra with such an unhappy life? There are likewise lingering questions about what’s being simulated, as certain feelings (like love) certainly seem real. Tension surges as the narrative progresses—one of the four teens uses Admin power to do something they normally wouldn’t dream of and stirs up immeasurable trouble in their “quaint” city, intensifying the Admins and Guardians’ determination to stop the teens and the necessity for Joey and the others to defend themselves. Alternating narrative perspectives (including that of one of the baddies) stoke an unwavering momentum, even as the teens strategize or struggle with adequately describing their unbelievable predicament. The author rounds out the novel with a few unpredictable turns and an ending that provides closure while leaving enough open for a sequel or a spinoff.

An entertaining SF yarn and impressive, absorbing character study.