Teen, Inc.

By Stefan Petrucha

Book Overview

Legally, a corporation is a person, so why shouldn't they be able to adopt a child? Fourteen year old Jaiden's family is a corporation and his home is an office building. When his parents are killed... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802796508
• ISBN13: 9780802796509
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Walker Childrens
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.2" x 1.0" x 6.1"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

One of the most entertaining stories about the evils of corporate thought

Tales of corporate greed, callousness and insensitivity are a fundamental part of our modern literature, both fiction and non-fiction. This book presents an unusual and entertaining twist on that tale. Jaiden Beale was orphaned shortly after birth when a valve manufactured by NECorp failed, causing his parent's house to explode. As compensation, he was awarded forty million dollars and adopted by the company. He lives at corporate headquarters and the officers of the company manage his life. However, quite naturally, he wants to be a normal child, he wants to live in a house, interact with kids his age and go to a public school. The company allows him to attend a public school, but his initial interactions are somewhat awkward. Nancy is a corporate executive who agrees to play the role of his mother when Jaiden invites his female lab partner Jenny over. In order to complete the facade, they pretend that a house used for corporate visitation is where Jaiden lives. Of course, this is a disaster. Things continue to go poorly as Jaiden learns that NECorp is polluting the area with mercury, all the while claiming that they have reduced the levels. Jenny's father is investigating the area for pollutants, trying to prove that NECorp is a fraud. Fortunately, Jaiden makes friends with Nate, a schoolmate who knows a great deal about technology. Jaiden, Nate and Jenny work together to penetrate the corporate secrecy and expose the malfeasance of NECorp to the world. While some of the actions of the corporate people are exaggerated, not by so much that it is implausible. It is one of the most entertaining stories about the evils of corporate thought that I have ever encountered.

Where is Hogwart's when you need it?

Jaiden Beale became an orphan at a very early age, so early that his parents had yet to give him a name. The company that was responsible for his parents' deaths, NECorp, did a very noble, or wacky, thing. They adopted Jaiden. Well, he had yet to be called Jaiden, but NECorp hired an expensive branding firm to come up with the name. The last name turned out to be more difficult, so NECorp executives decided that Jaiden should keep his parents' last name. Perhaps Jaiden would have been better off had he been a wizard and could go to a school named Hogwart's. Jaiden's life was more than a bit unusual. Steering committees, focus groups, and executives guided his activities. He lived in an office in NECorp's world headquarters. Jaiden tried to make the office look like a room, but it still looked like an office. Jaiden's life was relatively stable until Jaiden became a teenager, and then things became difficult. It all started when Jaiden was called to a meeting. Jaiden thought the meeting was going to be one of the usual subjects; homework or staying in his room after hours. When the big screen came on, Jaiden freaked. There in huge letters was the title of the presentation, Jaiden Beale Dating Options 1Q. Little did the executives of NECorp realize what they started with their presentation. Jaiden was already interested in one of his classmates. Her name was Jenny Tate. Of course, Jaiden had yet to ever talk to Jenny and the way things were looking, he might never talk to her. Then there was the biology project. By some miracle, Jaiden and Jenny were chosen to be a team. Jaiden and Jenny's lives were about to become really exciting. Jenny's father is one of the founders of JenCare, a remediation company. He is convinced that NECorp LiteSpring plant is polluting the water table around the plant with mercury. Of course, Jaiden had already seen the reports that the LiteSpring plant was using a new process that actually reduced the mercury coming from the plant. Then again, perhaps NECorp was not telling everything they knew. Jaiden and Jenny soon find themselves in the midst of company politics. Rather than becoming a pawn in a public relations campaign, Jaiden decides it is time to learn the facts and to stand up for himself. What Jaiden, Jenny and Jaiden's best friend Nate fail to appreciate is the lengths that some executives are willing to go to protect NECorp and their jobs. This story was a quick and enjoyable read. Stefan's story-telling style captured me immediately, and I discovered that I could not put this book down. Stefan's story is creative, the writing is clear and crisp, and the characters are engaging. I was unable to predict the exciting and plausible ending to this story. I was pleasantly surprised that Stefan's writing style reminded me a lot of another of my favorite authors, Robert A. Heinlein. The story is not science fiction, but I enjoyed Jaiden's observations and explanations throughout the s

Big brother is babysitting

It all started with a faulty valve. This valve was manufactured by the SafeWarm company, whose manager quadrupled production at the expense of quality control. Two people died as a result of the faulty valve that came from the firm that quadrupled its production at the expense of quality control. Those two people had just been blessed with a baby boy, who stands to inherit their 40 million dollar wrongful death settlement on his 25th birthday. The parent company of SafeWarm legally adopted the boy to give their case a little positive spin, and there begins the tale of Jaiden Beale, the boy raised by NECorp. It's hard enough growing up with two parents looking out for you, so imagine poor Jaiden who's every life decision had to be pondered, debated and discussed by a committee. He lives in a converted office that still looks like an office, he eats at the cafeteria, and his only escape is when he's at school. Of course his going to public school was a widely debated topic, and only agreed upon after analysis showed conclusively that he was below the curve for social interaction. The penultimate straw comes when Jaiden is summoned to a meeting to discuss his dating options, especially as the list of candidates didn't include the one girl that he was interested in. An ill-fated study date leads Jaiden to a shocking discovery, which puts him in the position of having to choose between his gut-feeling and the only family he can call his own. An intriguing concept that chronicles the life of a boy who took his first steps on corridors of wealth and power, and who is forced to make one of the biggest decisions of his life. Fast and funny, with a killer ending, you'll probably want to read this in one sitting. Recommended for pre-teenagers and people who still think like pre-teenagers. Rated: 4.5 stars Amanda Richards, December 30, 2007

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Jaiden Beale has never had a normal life or a normal family. Well, he had a mom and a dad -- that is until they were caught in an explosion at their home while heating up some milk, due to a wrongfully made gas valve by Safe Warm. NECorp, who was indirectly responsible for his parents' deaths, thought it would be right to raise Jaiden themselves, and to make sure that nothing bad happens to the company's money or reputation. So now, not only is Jaiden's family a corporation, but also his home. All he has ever wanted was for everything to be normal. But that doesn't really happen when you don't get to make all of your own decisions. The decision making belongs to NECorp and the time that runs Jaiden's life. Everything is decided through meetings and discussions and organized to where everyone knows Jaiden's business. He can't even find the perfect girl to date without Team Jaiden making slideshows and gathering all the information they can about possible candidates and the ones he should date. When he does find the perfect girl, Jenny, his first date (well, study date) goes terrible wrong, since some of the corporation's lawyers think it's best for Jenny to sign some pre-nups that are more like waivers. So what does Jaiden do when he can't stand how everything is working out? He runs away. Unfortunately, he doesn't run too far. That is until he finds secrets that could ruin his family and possibly be the missing puzzle piece for his freedom and his chance at leading a normal life. Will Jaiden use these secrets to take down the only family he's ever known? Or will he come to terms and finally understand that this family of his is what he needs the most? Satisfying, unique, and very charming, TEEN, INC. is one of the very few novels in its genre that stands out the most. Jaiden is the one character that everyone will fall in love with, and NECorp is one family you don't want to mess with. Readers will have mixed responses on whether they would want to have a life like Jaiden's. Sure, having others make decisions may seem nice, but not all the time. And having any sort of family is the greatest, even if yours may be a corporation. Stefan Petrucha stirs up a novel that makes readers want seconds, and more after that. Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

A great read!

When Teen, Inc. arrived, I thought I would just read the first chapter before handing it over to my daughter. Instead, I read it in one sitting! It's a great read for adults, as well as for teens and tweens. Funny, honest and heartwarming - Jaiden is a new American hero and I look forward to more of his adventures. Can't wait for the movie!