Control Alter Delete

By Author / Illustrator

K. L. Kettle

Genre

Suspense & Thrillers

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Little Tiger Press

ISBN

9781788951234

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

05-02-2026

Synopsis

What would you choose - a beautiful untrue life, or a broken true one? Hal is living a fairy tale - almost. Thanks to tech genius Francis Knox and her company's pioneering work building the perfect World 2.0, the universe is available at a swipe, and Hal has everything she wants; except for her family, which fell apart after her dad's disappearance years ago. And except, perhaps, winning the notoriously competitive Knox Cup. That's a dream even World 2.0 can't fulfil, not when Hal doesn't have the funds to enter.

Then, out of the blue, Hal's guardian challenges her to prove herself, arranging for Hal to compete. It's an opportunity she can't waste. If she wins, she'll meet Francis Knox herself - then all of Hal's deepest, secret wishes might really come true. But as the competition progresses, Hal discovers decay hidden beneath the world's perfect veneer - and, as the cracks begin to grow, she is forced to make a choice about what it is she truly wants.

HUNGER GAMES meets BLACK MIRROR - a speculative YA thriller, tackling themes of technology and power dynamics, for fans of Malorie Blackman, Louise O'Neill, READY PLAYER ONE and THE UPPER WORLD.

Reviews

Jacqueline

Hal lives in the perfect world of 2.0, the world created by Francis Knox. She has everything she could want, except none of it is real. Then she gets the chance to enter the Knox Cup and become the ultimate champion of the gaming world. But this is a place where nothing is quite as it seems and Hal begins to lose track of what is real and what is part of the game.

I have to confess to not understanding large chunks of this book as the world of gaming is completely alien to me. That said, Control Alter Delete is very exciting and kept my attention despite this. Hal is an interesting character and I had so many questions about how she lived in the real world, whilst seeming to neglect herself in order to carry on playing. I also found it hits a nerve with the inability to distinguish between what is real or not. I read a news article recently where a man had forgotten the woman he was talking to was actually AI.

The story is very violent in places which is why I put it as 14+, but I can see science fiction enthusiasts enjoying it. It is somehow very timely when there is so much discussion about AI taking over; this story is not exactly a warning, but more of a lesson.

432 pages / Reviewed by Jacqueline Harris