Set in Toronto, Jinxed is a fun and exciting story that plays on our smartphone addictions and the potential dangers of AI technology, as well as the idea that advanced tech can be used as a force for good for companionship, navigation or in healthcare, for example. Not only does she suddenly receive an acceptance letter to Profectus, but she also begins to discover that the baku – who she calls Jinx – is much more than meets the eye unlike other bakus, he seems to have a mind of his own, and he’s about to cause more than a little trouble for his new owner. Weeks later, the miraculously mended baku comes to life and Lacey’s world instantly changes.

When Lacey accidentally comes across the remains of an advanced but near-on-destroyed baku in the shape of a cat, she takes it home and sets about trying to fix it. An acceptance into the academy would have enabled Lacey to choose an advanced baku, but instead she’s stuck with a lowly insect – a sign of not only her family’s status but of her personal failure. However, her long-held hopes are dashed when she gets a rejection letter from the elite tech academy Profectus – her one shot at making her aspirations come true. But Jinx is different than any other baku she's ever seen.He seems real.Īs Lacey settles into life at school, competing with the best students in a battle of the bakus that tests her abilities, she learns that Jinx is part of a dangerous secret.“What if our smartphones were more than just slabs of metal and glass in our pockets? What if they were actual creatures that could keep you company as well as keep you connected?” That’s the unique and inventive idea at the centre of Amy McCulloch’s latest YA novel, Jinxed – a story that transports readers to a technologically advanced near-future where people own innovative digital pet robot companions called bakus.įifteen-year-old Lacey Chu has always dreamt of becoming a companioneer for MONCHA, the pioneering tech firm behind the baku creation.

After she repairs it, the cat-shaped baku she calls Jinx opens its eyes and somehow gets her into her dream school. One night, Lacey comes across the broken form of a highly advanced baku. But when Lacey is rejected by the elite academy that promises that future, she's crushed. Lacey Chu has always dreamed of working as an engineer for MONCHA, the biggest tech firm in the world and the company behind the 'baku'?a customizable 'pet' with all the capabilities of a smartphone. The Golden Compass for the digital age! When a coding star enters an elite technology academy, she discovers a world of competition, intrigue, and family secrets?plus a robotic companion that isn't what it seems. In order to save audiobooks to your Wish List you must be signed in to your account.

Jinxed by amy mcculloch summary