For the first half of this futuristic reimagining of The Scarlet Pimpernel, I was mentally preparing a three (or less) star review, thinking that the concept was clever but two high school students were never going to match the pace, or the romance, of Sir Percy Blakeney and his brilliant wife Marguerite. The first person narration didn't help, in that I don't think the chapters alternating between the hero and the heroine really sounded any different, and I hate that.

But then Sarah Fine's original characters and story just gelled with Orczy's classic somehow, the pace picked up, I started to care, and I really enjoyed the world-building (especially the AI cars - very Knight Rider!) Set in a dystopian future, the aristocrats of the Pimpernel's eighteenth century France have been replaced with technocrats - not so much born into wealth and privilege as the mega rich creators of the companies controlling the future of technology. Percy Blake, the son of two tech wizards who were brutally murdered, is one such beneficiary of the age of bionics. Opposing the mega money and machinery of the new age is President Wynn Sallese and his administration, who have got into power on the promise of people first - no more computers taking over jobs, or toys for the rich. Sallese's teen mouthpiece is Marguerite Singer, a seventeen year old girl whose father killed himself after his teaching job was taken over by a computer program called Aristotle. Marguerite believes in the egalitarian vision of the new regime, and uses social media to spread the word - but is she being manipulated by her idols?

When Marguerite is sent to a wealthy school in DC, a technocrat enclave which is 'all shine, all sparkle, floating on a constructed cloud of seamless technology and unimaginable wealth', she butts heads with the rich students, but soon there is more for her to fight than just bitchy comments in the classroom. When technocrats and their families start disappearing, Marguerite starts to suspect that maybe the new administration isn't the bright new world she was promised after all. Technology needs to start fighting back - and Percy Blake, of the sharp fashion sense and painted nails, is prepared for battle.

After a shaky start, I loved the story, especially Percy - less Pimpernel than Batman meets Ironman, he is wonderfully charming and morphs into the perfect hero. Marguerite, although her betrayal makes slightly more sense than in the original novel (she is only seventeen), takes longer to warm to - her character just felt forced. But I would love to read more about the 'Shine' dystopia, particularly the cannies, or AI robots. Great stuff, and a worthy interpretation of The Scarlet Pimpernel for teens. ( )