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The City is divided. The bridges gated. In Southside, the hostiles live in squalor and desperation, waiting for a chance to overrun the residents of Cityside.
Nik is still in high school but is destined for a great career with the Internal Security and Intelligence Services, the brains behind the war. But when ISIS comes recruiting, everyone is shocked when he isn't chosen. There must be an explanation, but no one will talk about it. Then the school is bombed and the hostiles take the bridges. Buildings are burning, kids are dead, and the hostiles have kidnapped Sol. Now ISIS is hunting for Nik.
But Nik is on the run, with Sol's sister Fyffe and ISIS hot on their trail. They cross the bridge in search of Sol, and Nik finds answers to questions he had never dared to ask.
The Bridge is a gritty adventure set in a future world where fear of outsiders pervades everything. A heart-stopping novel about friendship, identity, and courage from an exciting new voice in young-adult fiction.
“War propels a boy from the privileged side of town across the bridge to the enemy, where he learns the real causes of the war and about his own history…. A suspenseful and entertaining debut.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“This grim first novel, set on a not-so-distant future Earth … packs a significant emotional wallop…. Higgins works hard to expose the religious and racial bigotry lurking behind so many military conflicts, and she is adept at showing that, frequently, neither side is without blame.”
– Publishers Weekly
“…the gritty, painfully tense passages describing the ways in which war affects children – teens in particular – are compelling and deftly written.”
—The Horn Book
“…truly an engrossing and compelling story…. Higgins’ depiction of a world gone mad on war and drunk on power and fear is on par with the best that dystopian literature has to offer…. The Bridge surpasses its contemporaries as it delves into areas rarely explored so convincingly by others in the genre … avid enthusiasts of dystopian literature … should not pass on The Bridge….”
—Highly Recommended, CM Magazine
“. . . Readers will easily see themselves in Nik, a young man unsure of his place and uncertain of who is in the right. The popularity of dystopias will ensure that this story has appeal, and it will also make readers think.”
– School Library Journal
Anonymous
Posted January 6, 2013
Some points:
a) the setting was cool and interesting, it was a dystopian society, two acttually that both relied on censoring information and indoctrination to control the people. It was militant on both sides and religious on both sides as well. The city was split by a river and it had bridges to either sides that no one crossed but no one tore down as well. Both the societies seemed equally brutal and responsible for the viloence and i think that was one of the author's points.
b) the charactors were all very human and down to earth. Nik, the main, was sensible and as the story progressed went from a smart school kid to an adult that refused to buy into the circulating propaganda and lies from both sides. Fyffe was a rich girl, who wasn't terribly interesting, but Nik's dedication to her and her younger brother, Sol, made both of them seem stronger. There was a romantic interest thingamabob between Nik and a girl from the "enemy" and she turned out pretty cool in a way that kinda snuck up on you. Besides these the adults were all well done as well and you felt yourself sympathyzing with both sides because of them.
c) the plot was nice as well. It wasnt completely rivetting but it didnt follow the stereotype of extremely predictable that the YA section seems to be filled with. I dont want to spoil it,but if you like a book with some twists and not a lot of focus on romance, this is a good one.
All in all,it was a good read for anyone who was a fan of hungergames or other dystopian/ postapocalytic novels.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 30, 2013
Isnt she related to the dude who wrote the enemy?
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.bdfcanhtho
Posted March 19, 2013
I liked this book. It is original book about justice being served in a hypothetical setting. I agree with a previous poster that if you liked Hunger Games, this will be a good read for you. I would recommend this book to young or old that likes to escape into a novel. It has split factions on both sides of the bridge and enough intrigue between all groups. The religious factions are generally up to not good. I recommend reading the editorial reviews above for a good idea about the settings and environments. They were helpful to me.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 23, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted November 6, 2012
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Overview
The City is divided. The bridges gated. In Southside, the hostiles live in squalor and desperation, waiting for a chance to overrun the residents of Cityside.
Nik is still in high school but is destined for a great career with the Internal Security and Intelligence Services, the brains behind the war. But when ISIS comes recruiting, everyone is shocked when he isn't chosen. There must be an explanation, but no one will talk about it. ...