Stop!
Pierdomenico Baccalario, Andrea Tullio Canobbio
The Counter World
Adventure
Sci-Fi
How far can you go to do the right thing?
An early summer morning. A world full of technology. A botanical garden about to be demolished to make room for a new multi-purpose center. And a girl willing to do whatever it takes to save her little corner of paradise…
It’s an early summer morning, and Sara is anxious. No—more than anxious. She’s about to explode. Her favorite place, the botanical garden where she’s taken refuge since she was a child, is going to be destroyed to make way for a multifunctional complex. Determined to save it at all costs, Sara starts researching on her iScroll and comes into contact with a secret environmentalist group. She receives a psy-pod—a sharp implant that slides under her skin—and a new identity: Neuron N6012.
Thanks to the psy-pod’s visual projections, the members of NeuroNet appear to her in identical uniforms and with unrecognizable faces. But they’re just like her: young people with the same ideals, the same rage—channeled into increasingly bold and aggressive missions. Guided by the persuasive voice of Medulla, Sara is convinced she’s doing the right thing. But is she really?
- A powerful and timely adventure, where science fiction feels very close to the reality of our world today.
- The novel was born from Ce l’hai una storia, a writing contest for under-18s to select the best idea for a book—won by Martina Greenich.
- A deep reflection on the environment, identity, and manipulation, challenging young readers with a crucial question: how far can you go to do the right thing?
Publisher:
Mondadori
Target:
10+
Year:
2019
Author
Jacopo Olivieri
Jacopo Olivieri was born in Verona in 1966. He spent his childhood between the countryside just outside the city and Ivory Coast, thanks to his father’s work (who was an architect and set designer). Since he was a child, he had a passion for reading and drawing, and he nurtured interests that are still reflected in his books: the imaginary in general, ancient legends, prehistoric animals, museums, monster stories, and exploring abandoned and mysterious places.
After finishing classical high school and a brief attempt at Natural Sciences at the University of Bologna, he pursued his first career as a comic book author. At the same time, he spent decades working in theater (set design, costumes) both in his home country and abroad and experimenting as an illustrator wherever he could (carton packaging, Swatch shops, educational publishing, records, toys…).
His life took a turn when he had the adventure of meeting Pierdomenico Baccalario, who proposed that he write books for children and young readers. Since then, he has published with Italy's major publishing houses, as well as a few abroad.
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