Meet Kirthi and her caterpillar.
Pokémon meets Animorphs in this futuristic adventure story for ages 12-14.
Kirthi Bhattacharjee-Lashkar has finally turned thirteen, which means she’s old enough take on the Challenge. In this three-year competition, Challengers try to earn 40,000 marks by overcoming pre-set obstacles (called Trials) or defeating other Challengers in battle. As part of the Challenge, Kirthi gets to team up with a Symbios – an alien that has taken on an animal shape by absorbing its DNA. However, all her caterpillar Symbios wants to do is eat and sleep.
This is a bit of a problem. As a Challenger, you gain your Symbios’ animal abilities by mind-melding with it, sharing all your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. But how can you get along with someone when you disagree about everything?
Added to that, tensions are beginning to simmer across both the Antarctican and Australian continents. Governments are struggling to maintain the status quo while corporations push the limits of technological innovation. Soon, Kirthi and her friends find themselves dragged into this web of intrigue. But can they stop humanity from plummeting into a Fourth Apocalypse of its own making?
Book 1: Challenge Run Start
- Completed at 72k words
- Currently querying agents
Book 2: The House of Folly
- 2nd draft at 89k words
Book 3: Glacier
- In progress at 5k words