Zero Override

by Steve Blackman

Interest age: 9 to 14
Reading age: 9+

Published by Scholastic, 2026

  • Adventure
  • Coming-of-age
  • Science fiction
  • Thriller

About this book

In the not-too-distant future, in the server room of the First National Bank, Zero and his hacker team are making a few adjustments to the systems. And no one will know they were ever there. 

They don’t want the money for themselves, or not much of it anyway. It will go to people and projects that really need it - a sort of modern-day equivalent to Robin Hood.  

Although only 13, Zero is one of the best; trained from a young age when he and his sister were rescued by a dissident group after the death of their parents.  

In his world, AI is everywhere so, when mysterious malware starts to infect and disable every intelligent machine in the country, including the one keeping his sister alive, Zero is in a race against time to find and destroy the virus.    

Taut, adrenalin-fuelled escapades make this nail-biting, sci-fi thriller a genuine page-turner which poses a question about what it means to be human in a world of intelligent machines. 

A thought-provoking and fascinating read perfect for gamers, coders and thrill-seekers that will spark conversations about AI and how we want it to be used.

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