Reviews provided by Syndetics
Library Journal Review
In her debut novel (first in a proposed trilogy), Lu offers up two kick-ass 15-year-olds living in what is now the Republic of California. Day is a street kid causing numerous problems for the totalitarian government; June is a Republic prodigy with an uncanny skill for sniffing out miscreants. When their paths inevitably cross, June hates Day because she believes him responsible for her brother's death. When she learns the truth, she tries to save Day from execution by Republic officials who hide even more horrendous secrets. VERDICT Competent readers Steven Kaplan (Day) and Mariel Stern (June) do a solid job of keeping the suspense flowing. With an impending CBS Films movie already generating positive buzz, this book is certain to be popular.-Joseph L. Carlson, Vandenberg Air Force Base Lib., Lompoc, CA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publishers Weekly Review
Lu's debut is a stunner. Weaving the strands of SF dystopia, police procedural, and coming-of-age-with touches of superhero and wild frontier traditions-she fashions a narrative in which the action is kinetic and the emotional development is beautifully paced. June, a prodigy from the elite class of the disintegrating Republic, is being groomed for a military career when her brother, a captain, is murdered. June is quickly drafted into the team tracking his accused killer, a spectral and maddeningly persistent outlaw known as Day. June's life has been shaped by intellect, and to be driven by an emotion as ungovernable as grief makes her vulnerable in painful, dangerous ways. Day has known grief all of his life, but is no more immune to it than June is. The chase unfolds against a plague-infested Los Angeles of Gotham-like grit that Lu conjures with every nuance of smell, sound, and sight. First in a series, this story is utterly satisfying in its own right and raises hopes high for the sequels to come. Ages 12-up. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-Fans of dystopian stories will relish the first title (Putnam, 2011) in a planned trilogy by first-time author Marie Lu. June, 15, was born into a world of privilege. Los Angeles is the home of the Republic, a proud nation battling against scum from the Colonies. Devastating plagues have decimated the population, but the elite have little to fear. June is a prodigy, having achieved a perfect score on her Trial. After her beloved brother is killed by Day, the Republic's number one criminal, June is plucked for top military service to track Day down and bring him to justice. Fifteen-year-old Day was born into the slums of the Republic. After he failed his Trial, he managed to escape certain death and has lived on the edge, watching over his family from afar and doing all he can to upset the Republic elite. He cautiously befriends June but realizes too late his mistake. Narrators Mariel Stern and Steven Kaplan turn in vivid first-person performances, and the dual narration adds interest and keeps the story moving at a brisk pace. Lu has written an exciting first novel with a fascinating setting, intense characters, and non-stop action. Fans of Suzanne Collins's "Hunger Games" trilogy will welcome this thrilling new series and eagerly await the sequel scheduled for fall 2012 release.-Tricia Melgaard, formerly Broken Arrow Public Schools, Tulsa, OK (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* All right, it has a plague. And, yes, it's set in some semblance of America in the not-so-distant future. Yet even with all the hordes of dystopian novels out there, this one still manages to keep readers on the edge of their seats. But even the nonstop action would mean little without Lu's well-toned ability to write characters to care about. One is June, a daughter of the Republic. Her perfect scores at the Trial have insured a great future for her. Then there is Day. A hero to the street people, he fights injustice and keeps an eye on his brothers and mothers as they try to survive. Their narratives, told in alternating and distinctively voiced chapters, describe how circumstances bring them together. Day kills June's beloved soldier brother as he tries to get medicine for his own. With cold precision, June makes it her mission to exact revenge. What happens next, in macro terms, probably won't surprise, yet the delicious details keep pages turning to learn how it's all going to play out. Combine star-crossed lovers with the need to take down the Republic, and you've got the makings for a potent sequel.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
Horn Book Review
In the distant future, the western half of the United States has seceded and is ruled by an oppressive totalitarian regime. Fifteen-year-old Day is one of its most wanted criminals, but all he wants is to save and protect his friends and family. When he breaks into a hospital to steal medicine for his ailing younger brother, he's severely injured and nearly captured. Fifteen-year-old June is one of the Republic's brightest prodigies, but when her older brother is killed by Day during the hospital break-in, she vows to hunt him down and kill him. When their paths cross by chance, June is attracted to Day's good looks, charming personality, kindness, selflessness, and courage. She is torn when she discovers his true identity, and as she discovers the dark secrets of the Republic, she reconsiders her decision to turn him in. Working with rebels, June devises a daring and desperate plan to save Day from his impending execution by firing squad. This debut novel, the first in a planned trilogy, is written in alternating first-person present-tense narratives with lightning-fast pacing and nonstop action. The canvas of Lu's dystopian world is well suited for themes of power, corruption, inequality, and rebellion, while the personal dynamics are complicated by issues of trust, loyalty, betrayal, and romance. Sound familiar? It should; it's a perfect readalike for The Hunger Games. jonathan hunt (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Book Review
A gripping thriller in dystopic future Los Angeles.Fifteen-year-olds June and Day live completely different lives in the glorious Republic. June is rich and brilliant, the only candidate ever to get a perfect score in the Trials, and is destined for a glowing career in the military. She looks forward to the day when she can join up and fight the Republic's treacherous enemies east of the Dakotas. Day, on the other hand, is an anonymous street rat, a slum child who failed his own Trial. He's also the Republic's most wanted criminal, prone to stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. When tragedies strike both their families, the two brilliant teens are thrown into direct opposition. In alternating first-person narratives, Day and June experience coming-of-age adventures in the midst of spying, theft and daredevil combat. Their voices are distinct and richly drawn, from Day's self-deprecating affection for others to June's Holmesian attention to detail. All the flavor of a post-apocalyptic settingplagues, class warfare, maniacal soldiersescalates to greater complexity while leaving space for further worldbuilding in the sequel.This is no didactic near-future warning of present evils, but a cinematic adventure featuring endearing, compelling heroes. (Science fiction. 12-14)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.