Thanks so much to Christine Morrell and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

In this sci-fi middle grade thriller, a twisting storyline follows sixth-graders Trex, a boy who had half of his brain replaced with bionic material, and Mellie, an amateur sleuth, as they attempt to uncover a neighborhood stalker, and unintentionally discover secrets about themselves in the process. The various perspectives throughout the book, along with the story sparking with plot twists, made for a truly engaging novel! I loved how Trex and Mellie were such believable characters, and both made mistakes typical of any sixth grader craving acceptance.

Christine Morrell wrote Trex beautifully. No character was perfect, and throughout the novel I was struck by how the thin line between antagonist and protagonist blurred - no one can be all good or all evil. Trex was a thriller, a fast paced, satisfying read that I am thankful to have received.

Trex has a strange name and more than a small problem with static electricity. In fact, it sometimes shoots out of his fingers. When he and his mom move to Hopewell, they think it's going to be like any of the dozen other moves.

His past is shrouded in more mystery than he's aware of, and it's more terrible than any of them could imagine. He may have gone much longer without learning about it, but no one was prepared for the unhappy combination of a middle-school recluse detective, a prowler, a small crowd of mean kids, and an evil billionaire.

Once the story gains momentum, readers will not want to put this book down until multiple mysteries are solved, and the action comes to breathless stop!

This book was fun, and the plot got more complicated as time went on. One character needs anxiety treatment--an important subject--that is handled well. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries, reluctant heroes, and thwarting evil geniuses.

4/5
(Be aware that each chapter is from the point of view of a different character!)

Thanks to Delacorte Press, Random House Children's Books, and NetGalley for the preview of this ebook; the review is voluntary.

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In this character-driven sci-fi thriller, a boy with a bionic brain teams up with a shy aspiring-detective to investigate a neighborhood prowler and the mysterious company that is chasing him.

This extraordinary middle-grade sci-fi thriller is a page-turner from beginning to end. Though action and danger sometimes rise to the forefront, Morrell never neglects the character depth that drives the story and uses the sci-fi adventure as a vehicle to explore mental health issues and bullying. With a message of "you are not broken," she creates a therapy-positive storyline for her character with an anxiety disorder and addresses the issue of mental health medication with sensitivity and nuance. I stayed up way too late reading this one because I couldn't put it down! I highly recommend it to middle grade fans of sci-fi and/or thrillers and to book clubs.

This is a unique story that middle schoolers will enjoy. The technology elements will interest young tech lovers and the character of Mellie will resonate with kids who struggle to fit in. I can’t wait to purchase this for our school library..

An exciting young adult novel about a introverted boy who's learning to control his powers and fit in. The characters were engaging and the plot moved fast, but was also well developed. I discussed the book with some of my 8th graders and had one read a couple of pages and they loved it.

Review by my 10 year old daughter:

TREX
10/5 Unicorns

Trex is about a boy who just wants to be normal. But there is something about him that isn’t quite normal… Years ago, Trex was in a major accident. The doctors had to replace half of his brain tissue with electronic parts. There are upsides, but also downsides. Trex is followed by The Company everywhere, they are trying to experiment on his brain. Worse, Trex had to be homeschooled for most of his life, until his mom finally lets him go to normal school. Join Trex as he makes friends, and enemies. But there is evil lurking. The Company is after Trex, and wants to take him away. He needs to make friends with Mellie “The Mouse” and once he has, he needs to discover The Company’s true motive…

Great book, the plot is interesting and heart warming. I love Mellie, she is witty and clever and is certainly not going to let anyone boss her around! Definitely recommend this book!

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The enigmatic and quirky characters--a boy whose fingers spark with lightning, a recluse who watches over the town from her hilltop house, and the mysterious Brick--who alternately narrate TREX make it compulsively readable as the pieces of the story slowly start to fit together toward the explosive conclusion. I also loved how the author incorporated her own experiences to tell a story where an introvert can be the hero.

This book is about a boy named Trex who has an experimental, synthetic brain that keeps him alive but has the side effects of making him shock everyone he touches and being unable to feel pain. As he struggles to hide his secret in a new town he befriends a girl named Mellie, who has secrets of her own. This is an exciting sci-fi adventure great for 5th to 7th graders.

I absolutely loved this book. Christyne Morrell is becoming a favorite author of mine, even though her last novel was nothing like Trex. I read this book over the course of five days, and it did leave me with a feeling of that I wished I could stay with these characters. Mellie was so real and it was no wonder having read the author's note as well.. She is the one I will miss the most, having lived a similar experience myself as a kid who preferred to be alone with my books.
I adored the alternating points of view and fast paced nature of the story that told us so much, but was a quick and satisfying read. I could see 5th-7th grade enjoying this most. Relatable and realistic characters with a mysterious and fast paced story. What's not to love?

I was given the opportunity to read an ARC of TREX by Chrystine Morrell from NetGalley. Trex is not your normal kid. He uses rubber blankets and has blue lightning that shoots from his fingers. Mellie is not your normal kid either. She is an introverted sleuth who prefers to spend her time observing others and learning their secrets. When Mellie observes Trex in the garden below her house and Trex has his first day in a public-school, neither thought they’d be connected to each other.

Trex represents kids trying to fit into the standards of middle school while struggling to accept themselves for who they are. Mellie represents the taboo topic of mental health in middle schools. Their seemingly different lives are what bring two unlikely kids together in friendship. Together, Trex and Millie seek to solve the mystery of a neighborhood prowler and make shocking discoveries about themselves in the process. Most importantly, both kids discover that neither of them are broken in the way they currently are, good will win out over evil, and the love of your parents and your friends is a powerful tool.

I loved the pacing of this story. Many middle grades books are formulaic in their plot lines and development. Really, most middle grades books are formulaic in their character development. I feel that Morrell did a good job of balancing the expected with the unexpected in each of these aspects. Moreover, the references to Miles Morales and other current pop culture make this book one that will be higher interest to middle grades students. I will be purchasing this book upon its’ publication for our school library and my personal library.

I'll be honest in saying I wasn't sure as an adult I was going to like "Trek". Even still, I could see the draw for middle grade readers. However, I did not expect the twist that shows up mid book. It. Stunned. Me. And then I was hooked. After that I couldn't put the book down and furiously read till the end. This is a great book.
It's told from three perspectives: Trex, Mellie, and Brick. It's a coming of age book, a mystery, and just a fun story. I highly recommend not just to middle schoolers (who are the age range) but even to adults.

Trex is a mix of mystery, action, adventure, and science fiction--all topped with a dose of real-world reality when it comes to some of the things that middle schoolers struggle with. The format is alternating first person chapters by Trex (electric kid extraordinaire who wants to by ordinary), Millie (outcast and introvert who wants to be a detective), and a mysterious third party whose identity is not revealed until quite late in the book with a deft twist of the plot. This is a blazing quick read with brief chapters and rapid-fire action.

There were a couple of small hints at a larger scientific connection between the catalytic accident of the past and the current occurrences of dry lightning, but this was never really developed within the story, which could have been interesting. There was an unexpected focus on some mental health issues that was particularly well-done--showing that being different and having struggles does not mean a person is broken; this message never went into the preachy zone and flowed naturally.

Overall, this is just a fun, action-filled sci-fi adventure that is recommended for both male and female readers.