When one of your favorite authors recommends you pick up a book, you generally do. So when Eric Smith, author of Don’t Read the Comments and You Can Go Your Own Way, recommended me Tracked, I knew I had to read it. Keep reading for my full thoughts in this book review.
Summary
On corporately controlled Castra, rally racing is a high-stakes game that seventeen-year-old Phoebe Van Zant knows all too well. Phee’s legendary racer father disappeared mysteriously, but that hasn’t stopped her from speeding headlong into trouble. When she and her best friend, Bear, attract the attention of Charles Benroyal, they are blackmailed into racing for Benroyal Corp, a company that represents everything Phee detests. Worse, Phee risks losing Bear as she falls for Cash, her charming new teammate. But when she discovers that Benroyal is controlling more than a corporation, Phee realizes she has a much bigger role in Castra’s future than she could ever have imagined. It’s up to Phee to take Benroyal down. But even with the help of her team, can a street-rat destroy an empire?
Review
Tracked is part racing book part conspiracy. There’s a heavy current of racing which is the first to pique your interest. Part of this illegal street racing world, Phee is caught and forced to re-evaluate her future. Blackmailed into racing for a renowned racing corporation, Phee only begins to unravel and uncover the depths of their corruption. It’s a world of pulling strings, manufactures charges, and slippery palms. But who can she trust as she is forced to put her life, and those of her loved ones, at risk?
In this new racing world, Phee has to figure out who is pulling the strings and why. There’s a bit of a Hunger Games vibe to Phee’s struggles with the corporation in the juxtaposition with her and the racing. And immense power differentials are 100% something those two books share. Overall, there were a few elements that became easily predictable, but I enjoyed the action and this SF world. It brought back my nostalgia! It has a very classic SF feel to the world in a nostalgia early to mid 2000’s vibe. But it makes it a very good introduction to SF worlds and elements as well.
(Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. For more information you can look at the Policy page. If you’re uncomfortable with that, know you can look up the book on any of the sites below to avoid the link)
Find Tracked on Goodreads, Storygraph & Amazon. This seems out of print, so your best bet is probably an e-book.