Feature Book of the Week: SYLO by D. J. MacHale

Monday, August 24, 2015



FEATURE BOOK OF THE WEEK
SYLO
BY 
D. J. MACHALE



High-school freshman Tucker Pierce lives on isolated Pemberwick Island, just off the coast of Maine. He has the requisite wiseacre best friend, Quinn, and is crushing on two unobtainable girls, Tori and Olivia. But when a series of sudden and mysterious deaths, including one of Tucker’s classmates, throws everything he knows into turmoil, it leaves him with no idea where to turn or who to trust. Tucker’s conversational, first-person point-of-view draws the reader in as SYLO, a military operation endorsed by the president, takes over the island. It quickly becomes apparent that SYLO forces will stop at nothing to see that everyone stays put. But then Tucker witnesses several cold-blooded killings, and he and his friends are determined to escape to the mainland. Once there, they find more questions than answers, and the story ends with a wide-open cliff-hanger and no resolution whatsoever. With this extremely high-octane story that’s the equivalent to a summer movie blockbuster (enough explosions and firepower to put Michael Bay to shame), MacHale kicks off an apocalyptic trilogy sure to leave readers demanding the next installment.


HotArchAUTHOR POST

When I was young (er), we didn’t have the same wealth of wonderful novel-length fiction written for us the way young readers do today.  Yes there was some.  Narnia comes to mind.  Lord of the Rings, too.  Going back further there was The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew.  Or you could go WAY back to find Tom Swift.  Still, hefty fiction for young readers was few and far between.  Today, young readers have far more to choose from.  Thanks mostly to Harry Potter. 
My standard joke is that when I was a kid, since there wasn’t much to choose from, my taste in reading went from Dr. Seuss…straight to Dr. No. (James Bond).  My two favorite authors were Ian Fleming, who wrote the James Bond novels; and Alistair McLean, who wrote adventure novels.  Fleming’s novels were usually about some ingenious bad-guy who hatches an incredibly complicated and clever evil plot.  It was up to the good guy (James Bond) to solve the mystery and stop him.  The McLean novels, on the other hand, were usually about a team of people who were thrust together to go on a dangerous mission.  His stories were as much about the character conflicts between the team members as they were about the missions themselves.  I read all of their books, and still have some in my library today.
The SYLO Chronicles (starting with the first book, SYLO) is my attempt to write one of these stories.  What I did was combine some of the best story elements that were frequently used by my two favorite authors.  In SYLO you will read about a mysterious plot being carried about by ingenious bad guys…much like a Fleming novel.  The trick with SYLO is to figure out who the bad guys really are!  It’s up to the good guys to figure out what this plot is, and hopefully stop it.  You’ll also have the added challenge of trying to figure out who the good guys are too!  In classic Alistair McLean fashion, a team is assembled, or in this case thrown together, and the question becomes whether or not they’ll be able to solve the mystery without killing each other first.
My hope is that readers will get the same kind of enjoyment from The SYLO Chronicles as I did from reading books like Moonraker and Where Eagles Dare.  That’s a tall order, but it’s a mission I have chosen to accept.  Hopefully I will survive. 
Let the Book Battle begin!

D.J. MacHale

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

D.J. MacHale is a writer, director, executive producer and creator of several popular television series and movies.  As an author, his ten-volume book series:  PENDRAGON: JOURNAL OF AN ADVENTURE THROUGH TIME AND SPACE became a New York Times #1 bestseller.

He was raised in Greenwich, CT and graduated from Greenwich High School. While in school, he had several jobs including collecting eggs at a poultry farm, engraving trophies and washing dishes in a steakhouse…in between playing football and running track. D.J. attended New York University where he received a BFA in film production.
His filmmaking career began in New York where he worked as a freelance writer/director making corporate videos and television commercials. He also taught photography and film production.

D.J. broke into the entertainment business by writing several ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIALS. As co-creator of the popular Nickelodeon series: ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?, he produced all 91 episodes over 8 years.  D.J. also wrote and directed the movie TOWER OF TERROR for ABC’s WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY which starred Kirsten Dunst and Steve Guttenberg. The Showtime series CHRIS CROSS was co-created, written and produced by D.J. It received the CableAce award for Best Youth Series.

D.J. co-created and produced the Discovery Kids/NBC television series FLIGHT 29 DOWN.  He wrote every episode and directed several. His work on FLIGHT 29 DOWN earned him the Writers Guild of America award for Outstanding Children’s Script and a Directors Guild of America award nomination.

Other notable writing credits include the ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIAL titled SEASONAL DIFFERENCES; the pilot for the long-running PBS/CBS series GHOSTWRITER; and the HBO series ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN, BOY DETECTIVE for which he received a CableAce nomination for writing.

Also in print, D.J. co-wrote the book THE TALE OF THE NIGHTLY NEIGHBORS, based on his own teleplay and penned the poetic adaptation of the classic Norwegian folk tale EAST OF THE SUN AND WEST OF THE MOON.  His most recently completed work is the spooky MORPHEUS ROAD trilogy; and a whimsical picture book THE MONSTER PRINCESS.

SYLO is D.J.’s third middle grade/YA book series. It too will be a trilogy.

D.J. lives in Southern California with his wife Evangeline and daughter Keaton. They are avid backpackers, scuba divers and skiers. Rounding out the household are two elderly goldfish, a spoiled golden retriever named Casey and a Kitten, Kaboodle. 

To learn more about D.J. MacHale's books visit his website.



D.J. MacHale is a writer, director, executive producer and creator of several popular television series and movies.  As an author, his ten-volume book series:  PENDRAGON: JOURNAL OF AN ADVENTURE THROUGH TIME AND SPACE became a New York Times #1 bestseller.
He was raised in Greenwich, CT and graduated from Greenwich High School. While in school, he had several jobs including collecting eggs at a poultry farm, engraving trophies and washing dishes in a steakhouse…in between playing football and running track. D.J. attended New York University where he received a BFA in film production.
His filmmaking career began in New York where he worked as a freelance writer/director making corporate videos and television commercials. He also taught photography and film production.
D.J. broke into the entertainment business by writing several ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIALS. As co-creator of the popular Nickelodeon series: ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?, he produced all 91 episodes over 8 years.  D.J. also wrote and directed the movie TOWER OF TERROR for ABC’s WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY which starred Kirsten Dunst and Steve Guttenberg. The Showtime series CHRIS CROSS was co-created, written and produced by D.J. It received the CableAce award for Best Youth Series.
D.J. co-created and produced the Discovery Kids/NBC television series FLIGHT 29 DOWN.  He wrote every episode and directed several. His work on FLIGHT 29 DOWN earned him the Writers Guild of America award for Outstanding Children’s Script and a Directors Guild of America award nomination.
Other notable writing credits include the ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIAL titled SEASONAL DIFFERENCES; the pilot for the long-running PBS/CBS series GHOSTWRITER; and the HBO series ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN, BOY DETECTIVE for which he received a CableAce nomination for writing.
Also in print, D.J. co-wrote the book THE TALE OF THE NIGHTLY NEIGHBORS, based on his own teleplay and penned the poetic adaptation of the classic Norwegian folk tale EAST OF THE SUN AND WEST OF THE MOON.  His most recently completed work is the spooky MORPHEUS ROAD trilogy; and a whimsical picture book THE MONSTER PRINCESS.
SYLO is D.J.’s third middle grade/YA book series. It too will be a trilogy.
D.J. lives in Southern California with his wife Evangeline and daughter Keaton. They are avid backpackers, scuba divers and skiers. Rounding out the household are two elderly goldfish, a spoiled golden retriever named Casey and a Kitten, Kaboodle.
- See more at: http://djmachalebooks.com/the-author/#sthash.5uinGEvj.dpuf
D.J. MacHale is a writer, director, executive producer and creator of several popular television series and movies.  As an author, his ten-volume book series:  PENDRAGON: JOURNAL OF AN ADVENTURE THROUGH TIME AND SPACE became a New York Times #1 bestseller.
He was raised in Greenwich, CT and graduated from Greenwich High School. While in school, he had several jobs including collecting eggs at a poultry farm, engraving trophies and washing dishes in a steakhouse…in between playing football and running track. D.J. attended New York University where he received a BFA in film production.
His filmmaking career began in New York where he worked as a freelance writer/director making corporate videos and television commercials. He also taught photography and film production.
D.J. broke into the entertainment business by writing several ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIALS. As co-creator of the popular Nickelodeon series: ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?, he produced all 91 episodes over 8 years.  D.J. also wrote and directed the movie TOWER OF TERROR for ABC’s WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY which starred Kirsten Dunst and Steve Guttenberg. The Showtime series CHRIS CROSS was co-created, written and produced by D.J. It received the CableAce award for Best Youth Series.
D.J. co-created and produced the Discovery Kids/NBC television series FLIGHT 29 DOWN.  He wrote every episode and directed several. His work on FLIGHT 29 DOWN earned him the Writers Guild of America award for Outstanding Children’s Script and a Directors Guild of America award nomination.
Other notable writing credits include the ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIAL titled SEASONAL DIFFERENCES; the pilot for the long-running PBS/CBS series GHOSTWRITER; and the HBO series ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN, BOY DETECTIVE for which he received a CableAce nomination for writing.
Also in print, D.J. co-wrote the book THE TALE OF THE NIGHTLY NEIGHBORS, based on his own teleplay and penned the poetic adaptation of the classic Norwegian folk tale EAST OF THE SUN AND WEST OF THE MOON.  His most recently completed work is the spooky MORPHEUS ROAD trilogy; and a whimsical picture book THE MONSTER PRINCESS.
SYLO is D.J.’s third middle grade/YA book series. It too will be a trilogy.
D.J. lives in Southern California with his wife Evangeline and daughter Keaton. They are avid backpackers, scuba divers and skiers. Rounding out the household are two elderly goldfish, a spoiled golden retriever named Casey and a Kitten, Kaboodle.
- See more at: http://djmachalebooks.com/the-author/#sthash.5uinGEvj.dpuf
D.J. MacHale is a writer, director, executive producer and creator of several popular television series and movies.  As an author, his ten-volume book series:  PENDRAGON: JOURNAL OF AN ADVENTURE THROUGH TIME AND SPACE became a New York Times #1 bestseller.
He was raised in Greenwich, CT and graduated from Greenwich High School. While in school, he had several jobs including collecting eggs at a poultry farm, engraving trophies and washing dishes in a steakhouse…in between playing football and running track. D.J. attended New York University where he received a BFA in film production.
His filmmaking career began in New York where he worked as a freelance writer/director making corporate videos and television commercials. He also taught photography and film production.
D.J. broke into the entertainment business by writing several ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIALS. As co-creator of the popular Nickelodeon series: ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?, he produced all 91 episodes over 8 years.  D.J. also wrote and directed the movie TOWER OF TERROR for ABC’s WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY which starred Kirsten Dunst and Steve Guttenberg. The Showtime series CHRIS CROSS was co-created, written and produced by D.J. It received the CableAce award for Best Youth Series.
D.J. co-created and produced the Discovery Kids/NBC television series FLIGHT 29 DOWN.  He wrote every episode and directed several. His work on FLIGHT 29 DOWN earned him the Writers Guild of America award for Outstanding Children’s Script and a Directors Guild of America award nomination.
Other notable writing credits include the ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIAL titled SEASONAL DIFFERENCES; the pilot for the long-running PBS/CBS series GHOSTWRITER; and the HBO series ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN, BOY DETECTIVE for which he received a CableAce nomination for writing.
Also in print, D.J. co-wrote the book THE TALE OF THE NIGHTLY NEIGHBORS, based on his own teleplay and penned the poetic adaptation of the classic Norwegian folk tale EAST OF THE SUN AND WEST OF THE MOON.  His most recently completed work is the spooky MORPHEUS ROAD trilogy; and a whimsical picture book THE MONSTER PRINCESS.
SYLO is D.J.’s third middle grade/YA book series. It too will be a trilogy.
D.J. lives in Southern California with his wife Evangeline and daughter Keaton. They are avid backpackers, scuba divers and skiers. Rounding out the household are two elderly goldfish, a spoiled golden retriever named Casey and a Kitten, Kaboodle.
- See more at: http://djmachalebooks.com/the-author/#sthash.5uinGEvj.dpuf
D.J. MacHale is a writer, director, executive producer and creator of several popular television series and movies.  As an author, his ten-volume book series:  PENDRAGON: JOURNAL OF AN ADVENTURE THROUGH TIME AND SPACE became a New York Times #1 bestseller.
He was raised in Greenwich, CT and graduated from Greenwich High School. While in school, he had several jobs including collecting eggs at a poultry farm, engraving trophies and washing dishes in a steakhouse…in between playing football and running track. D.J. attended New York University where he received a BFA in film production.
His filmmaking career began in New York where he worked as a freelance writer/director making corporate videos and television commercials. He also taught photography and film production.
D.J. broke into the entertainment business by writing several ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIALS. As co-creator of the popular Nickelodeon series: ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?, he produced all 91 episodes over 8 years.  D.J. also wrote and directed the movie TOWER OF TERROR for ABC’s WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY which starred Kirsten Dunst and Steve Guttenberg. The Showtime series CHRIS CROSS was co-created, written and produced by D.J. It received the CableAce award for Best Youth Series.
D.J. co-created and produced the Discovery Kids/NBC television series FLIGHT 29 DOWN.  He wrote every episode and directed several. His work on FLIGHT 29 DOWN earned him the Writers Guild of America award for Outstanding Children’s Script and a Directors Guild of America award nomination.
Other notable writing credits include the ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIAL titled SEASONAL DIFFERENCES; the pilot for the long-running PBS/CBS series GHOSTWRITER; and the HBO series ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN, BOY DETECTIVE for which he received a CableAce nomination for writing.
Also in print, D.J. co-wrote the book THE TALE OF THE NIGHTLY NEIGHBORS, based on his own teleplay and penned the poetic adaptation of the classic Norwegian folk tale EAST OF THE SUN AND WEST OF THE MOON.  His most recently completed work is the spooky MORPHEUS ROAD trilogy; and a whimsical picture book THE MONSTER PRINCESS.
SYLO is D.J.’s third middle grade/YA book series. It too will be a trilogy.
D.J. lives in Southern California with his wife Evangeline and daughter Keaton. They are avid backpackers, scuba divers and skiers. Rounding out the household are two elderly goldfish, a spoiled golden retriever named Casey and a Kitten, Kaboodle.
- See more at: http://djmachalebooks.com/the-author/#sthash.5uinGEvj.dpuf

15 Delicious Comments:

Anonymous said...

I loved how the author made you keep reading by throwing in crazy curveballs. I couldn't put the book down, and I am super excited to read Storm!
St. Clare of Assisi school!

Quentin said...

SYLO sounds like a great book. I would read this book because it sounds like a thrilling adventure and mystery. I like how the friends try their best to get to the mainland. ~Quentin, Lift for Life Academy

Kameron said...

I can connect to what you said because I liked Dr. Seuss, too. I might want to read some of the other books you read as a kid like Dr. No. I would also like to try scuba diving. ~ Kameron, Lift for Life Academy

talia said...

I would like to read this book because I really like mysterious books, and it says he saw a lot of murders happen. The description says he is trying to escape to the mainland. He doesn't know who to turn to or talk to. That's why I want to read it. ~Talia, Lift for Life Academy

Aanihya said...

I'm not really interested in the killing part of the book, but I think everything else is good with me because I love mystery. I read Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew myself. ~Aanihya, Lift for Life Academy

Gabi said...

I would like to read your books because it sounds like a mystery and maybe a little romance. Also, to be honest, I don't really like to read, but your book sounds so interesting. The way you put two of your favorite authors together is so awesome. ~Gabi, Lift for Life Academy

Amarion said...

SYLO makes me want to read it because it sounds like Hunger Games. I think SYLO is like an evil organization. Tucker Pierce is probably like a boy Katniss Everdeen. ~Amarion, Lift for Life Academy

Aliyah said...

SYLO is a book that I would read. It sounds full of mystery that'll make my heart skip. I don't read a lot of mystery and suspense, but by the way it's described it sounds like it's gonna keep me on the edge of my seat and really grab my attention, and that's what I love about a book like this. ~Aliyah, Lift for Life Academy

Shamia said...

This books sounds interesting. I haven't read a page yet, but the suspense is already killing me. I truly want to know whom and why did they commit several cold blooded killings. Also, why they haven't tried to kill the main character yet. I think SYLO will be a real page turner. ~Shamia, Lift for Life Academy

Shannon Steimel said...

I bet all of your experience writing scripts really helped you write this book. Having to think in scenes and have maximum action to keep the audience on the edge of their seats seems like the perfect recipe for a book like this. Thanks for sharing how you took two of your favorite authors and combined their styles. I always love to hear the backstory on how a book was written. ~Mrs. Shannon Steimel, Lift for Life Academy

Anonymous said...

This book sounds like a thriller! Can`t wait to read it. - St. Gabriel the Archangel School

Kelly said...

I thought that Sylo was action packed and always kept the story moving. I really enjoyed when they went under the boat and then fell on top of the people behind them. Kelly - Hixson Middle School.1

Kelly Collins said...

SYLO has been one of the best books I've read so far it's action packed and keeps you turning pages until it's over. Although I don't usually don't like cliff hangers I had heard so much about this one I gave in and my decision payed off.

-Kelly Collins Hixon Middle School

Anonymous said...

I am currently in the middle of reading it, and by far it is one of the best books i have ever read. At first it seemed really boring and i dint know about reading it. Now that i am reading it, it is a really good book. I can't wait until i finish. Hazelwood West Middle School

Caroline At Hixson said...

SYLO by D J MacHale was a great read! SYLO was really metaphorical to me. The way i read between the lines it seemed to talk about how the choices you make can strongly change your life. But, nicely blanketing the moral was a action-packed adventure leaving me to the end wondering if they would all make it out alive. I literally could not put down the story and was up all night reading it! SYLO is definitely one of my new favorite books and I look forward to the sequel!
-Caroline from Hixson :)

 
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