2020-03-15
This stand-alone prequel provides a robust backstory for the dystopian world of the Slated trilogy.
In a chaotic post-Brexit Britain, political parties unite to form an authoritarian government to quell a youth rebellion. The new regime institutes draconian measures—curfew, imprisonment, and, shockingly, “the death penalty…for perpetrators of crimes of terror and treason.” Samantha Gregory, the vibrant 15-year-old daughter of the powerful Deputy Prime Minister, finds herself at the center of the violence and intrigue surrounding the government takeover. Strongly opposing her cold, distant father and the policies of his office, she gives her minders the slip and runs away to join other rebel youth of London in a peaceful protest. Daringly coming out in public as a rebel, Sam uses social media to publicize the cause and finds herself at the center of a full-blown riot. A final surprising plot twist promises another volume. This dark story of rebellious youth in Britain may resonate with teens trending toward activism. Sam and her upper-crust friends are crisply drawn, as is her budding lesbian relationship with her humble tutor, Ava, a scholarship student at her school. The central characters present white; a few secondary characters’ names suggest diversity. This accessible story provides a robust backstory for the dystopian world of the trilogy but will appeal even to those unfamiliar with the earlier books.
Readers will be left craving more. (Dystopian. 12-18)
