A teenaged boy gifted with incredible power and a dangerous secret searches for his lost brother in a war-torn world. At seventeen years old, Alex has kept a low profile for most of his life. He and his brother, Levi, had always been isolated from the outside world by their mother, and for good reason. If their superhuman abilities became known to the wrong people, especially the United World and Peace Federation, their family's lives would be in peril. A night of bad judgment for Alex five years earlier had proved that all too true when his brother goes missing and his mother ends up dead. Alex has been searching for Levi ever since. It has been nearly two decades since the End-War Ceasefire. No longer serving their original purpose, the Juggernauts-soldiers who had undergone genetic enhancement-are being hunted and executed the Federation's new world government. Betrayed by the very people who made them and declared dangerous relics of war, a handful of Juggernauts, led by the infamous Jack Reid, have been revolting against the government's genocide of their kind and fighting for their freedom. Meanwhile, the Federation has been secretly searching for the location of a Titan, a perfect human developed with strength and power far surpassing the Juggernauts' and now considered to be an imminent danger. Long thought fictional wartime propaganda, the race is on when Jack discovers that Titans are not only real, but the Peace Federation has already captured one of two ever produced and is quickly homing in on the second. All too aware of how useful an ally a Titan could be--and how dangerous an enemy--Jack is determined to locate the human weapon before the Federation. After Alex's search for his brother lands him in hot water with Chicago PD, a fortunate encounter with Jack earns him an escape from the city. Surprised that the Juggernauts are nothing like the villains they had been portrayed to be, Alex begins to open up for the first time since losing his family. Just as his search for Levi reaches a dead end, he is kidnapped by a power-hungry politician who believes Alex is the missing Titan. Alex is given an ultimatum: help the politician in his rise to power and, in return, be reunited with his brother, or let Jack and the Juggernauts fall to the Federation. The small group of Juggernaut outcasts, and especially Jack, have become like a family to Alex, after having none for so many years. But with the promise of finally being able to find Levi with the politician's help, he is forced to make an impossible decision, one that will have dire consequences-for himself and the world.
Author Tom Stein was recognized as having a keen talent for writing early on in his life. He's been inventing stories since he was a child and, later in high school, won several prestigious Scholastic Gold Key Awards, which recognizes outstanding creative writing by a teen, and also a poetry award. He continued to hone his writing skills through college, journalism school, and law school, taking his time writing twenty-three drafts until perfecting his new sci-fi dystopian young adult novel, Titan.Tom believes a good story is one that has characters that are relatable and that the reader can truly empathize with. Whether it's heroes or villains, all great characters have aspects that humanize them. Most notably in his genre of sci-fi and fantasy, Tom feels that fiction gives the reader a world to escape to and the thrill of experiencing the impossible and the extraordinary. He hopes his young readers come away from his stories learning not to have other people's expectations rule them and to use their talents in the way that makes them most happy. With Titan, Tom hopes to convey that a family isn't based on blood; it's made up of the people who unconditionally love you just as you are. When he's not writing thrilling books for young adults, Tom enjoys playing guitar, taking photos, going on adventures (cycling, skiing, road trips), and exploring new places around the city with his fiancé. They live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with their German shepherd, Thor.
