by Alexandra Bracken
I was happily surprised by this book. The description, while different, reminded me too much of hunger games. But while reading the book I never once thought they were similar. Most teen novels tend to be a bit simple in their writing style and world building. I have to say that I was highly impressed by the writing and the general narrative. The main character is extremely realistic. Sometimes the main character is weak, sometimes strong, sometimes irrational, sometimes clever, but it never seems wildly out of character. She's a complete person with a range of emotions and reactions. And while sometimes annoyed by her choices I can see where she is coming from and see myself possibly reacting the same way.
People waking up with powers isn't exactly an unusual plotline and the variations have run the gamut. However I find this story of how it happens, why it happens, and the resulting consequences engaging.
A plague ravages the U.S. only targeting children around age 10. The government seems to want to help. But they arent really interested in the children dying. Its the ones that survive that they worry about. They round up the kids and send them to what they tell that parents are "rehabilitation camps". But really the children are just imprisoned. For many of the children that survived the plague developed powers. They are separated into categories based on their powers: blue for telekinesis, green for genius, yellow for electrical, orange for mind control and red.
**SPOILERS**
A girl named Ruby is sent to a camp at 10 years old. She survives there 6 years having tricked the examiner into thinking she is a green; really she is an orange. All of the oranges and reds have been sent away from her camp to an unknown fate. But the camp is on the verge of finding out there are two oranges that are hidden among the greens. A woman a part of the Children's League, who claim to be about rescuing the children, helps Ruby and the other orange escape from the camp. But Ruby feels something is wrong and runs away from them once on the outside. She runs into a group of teens who escaped a different camp on their own, a young yellow named Suzumi, and blues Liam and Chubs. They travel together trying to find the Slip Kid; an orange said to help other kids on the run trying to contact their families and live their lives free of the government imprisonment. When they finally find him he turns out to be the President's son, Clancy. The President of the government they are hiding from. The government has claimed his "rehabilitation" but really he has run away and leads the group of outcasts that have found their way to him. Ruby learns to take control of most of her powers under Clancy's tutelage. Ruby trusts him at first but he turns out to be a psychopath who has been manipulating her feelings and really wants to control the government. Liam and Ruby finally admit their feelings for each other. Liam, Chubs and Ruby escape but Chubs gets shot and Ruby finally looses it. She triggers an emergency beacon for the Childrens League to come get them. They take Chubs away so we are uncertain of his fate. Ruby agrees to help the League if they let Liam go. She knows he will never willingly leave her so she erases his memories of her. So we are set up for the next book wondering what will the Children's League force Ruby to do? What will happen to Liam and will Ruby find him again? Does Chubs survive? I look forward to seeing how this story plays out.
People waking up with powers isn't exactly an unusual plotline and the variations have run the gamut. However I find this story of how it happens, why it happens, and the resulting consequences engaging.
A plague ravages the U.S. only targeting children around age 10. The government seems to want to help. But they arent really interested in the children dying. Its the ones that survive that they worry about. They round up the kids and send them to what they tell that parents are "rehabilitation camps". But really the children are just imprisoned. For many of the children that survived the plague developed powers. They are separated into categories based on their powers: blue for telekinesis, green for genius, yellow for electrical, orange for mind control and red.
**SPOILERS**
A girl named Ruby is sent to a camp at 10 years old. She survives there 6 years having tricked the examiner into thinking she is a green; really she is an orange. All of the oranges and reds have been sent away from her camp to an unknown fate. But the camp is on the verge of finding out there are two oranges that are hidden among the greens. A woman a part of the Children's League, who claim to be about rescuing the children, helps Ruby and the other orange escape from the camp. But Ruby feels something is wrong and runs away from them once on the outside. She runs into a group of teens who escaped a different camp on their own, a young yellow named Suzumi, and blues Liam and Chubs. They travel together trying to find the Slip Kid; an orange said to help other kids on the run trying to contact their families and live their lives free of the government imprisonment. When they finally find him he turns out to be the President's son, Clancy. The President of the government they are hiding from. The government has claimed his "rehabilitation" but really he has run away and leads the group of outcasts that have found their way to him. Ruby learns to take control of most of her powers under Clancy's tutelage. Ruby trusts him at first but he turns out to be a psychopath who has been manipulating her feelings and really wants to control the government. Liam and Ruby finally admit their feelings for each other. Liam, Chubs and Ruby escape but Chubs gets shot and Ruby finally looses it. She triggers an emergency beacon for the Childrens League to come get them. They take Chubs away so we are uncertain of his fate. Ruby agrees to help the League if they let Liam go. She knows he will never willingly leave her so she erases his memories of her. So we are set up for the next book wondering what will the Children's League force Ruby to do? What will happen to Liam and will Ruby find him again? Does Chubs survive? I look forward to seeing how this story plays out.
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