Young Adult Book Reviews

Genre: Futuristic Fiction

In a post-apocalyptic Seattle, Fox and her sister, Rabbit, are trying to survive on the outskirts of the domed city. Everyone in the domed city has access to food and healthcare, in addition to protection from the volatile weather and deadly disease that is spreading from across the country. It’s hard to get inside, however, and Fox has tried to join a group working to get health supplies for those outside the dome. When her and Rabbit are sent on a mission to feign a medical issue in order to gain access to medicine they are required to provide a blood sample to get into the facility. Shortly afterward, Rabbit is whisked away by a select group of doctors and Fox is left to complete the mission. She gets back to the rally point before the storm hits, but Rabbit is nowhere to be found. After many hours, Fox realizes that something has happened and Rabbit is likely in trouble. Then, she sees Rabbit’s face on the tv as the new face of the upcoming vaccine that will supposedly save them all from a deadly spreading disease, but something feels off to Fox and she vows to get inside the dome to rescue her sister. The only way she can do that is by joining the trials to become a soldier. It is very grueling work, but she is determined to succeed and when she arrives at the trials she sees two of her friends have joined her as well. Can they all make it through the trials to become soldiers? Will they be able to find and (possibly) rescue Rabbit? Who is controlling all of the stringent government rules that leave many people without necessities? Do they know who is all on their side? What are they doing with Rabbit?

Fans of futuristic stories such as The Testing and Divergent will enjoy this title. The setting is unique, but described well so it’s easy to understand. The trials are exciting and dangerous and the longer they are there, the more they begin learning about what is going on inside the domes. There is still a lot they don’t know, however, and each time they try to find out more they are putting themselves in danger. There are several big twists in the story, but the last part is especially dramatic in more than one way. Fans will be clamoring for more in this exciting setting.