Author: Jerri Chisholm
Genre: dystopia
Similar books: The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
The Seclusion by Jacqui Castle
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): In Compound Eleven, the hierarchy of the floors is everything.
My name is Eve Hamilton, and on my floor, we fight.
Which at least is better than the bottom floor, where they toil away in misery. Only the top floor has any ease in this harsh world; they rule from their gilded offices.
Because four generations ago, Earth was rendered uninhabitable—the sun too hot, the land too barren. Those who remained were forced underground. While not a perfect life down here, I’ve learned to survive as a fighter.
Except my latest match is different. Instead of someone from the circuit, my opponent is a mysterious boy from the top floor. And the look in his eyes tells me he’s different…maybe even kind.
Right before he kicks my ass.
Still, there’s something about him—something that says he could be my salvation...or my undoing. Because I’m no longer content to just survive in Eleven. Today, I'm ready to fight for more than my next meal: I'm fighting for my freedom. And this boy may just be the edge I've been waiting on.
My opinion: We've seen a scant few dystopian teen novels in recent years. It's a shame since they were some of my favorites. Now that we're seeing more of them again, they're more innovative. Authors are finding new approaches to these worlds. Consider the world of Compound Eleven: heavily stratified by economics, limited opportunities for those in the lowest levels, a leader interested only in his own comfort and power. This is a fairly standard set-up. And Eve is a fairly standard protagonist. She's a have-not who dreams of escape. But there are some variations. For instance, Eve is not one of the lowest tier. This is important so that she has something to lose beyond her physical being and allows us to see her as compassionate. The role of fighting in the culture is an interesting twist. This is a world where fighting skills might get you a guard job or just as easily a professional fighting gig. A more interesting twist is Eve's view of her world. She begins the book plotting her escape. Most dystopias have the hero coming to a gradual realization that has them leaving on a whim. Eve plots out every step of her escape. Instead of learning reasons to leave, she's making ties with people and finding reasons to stay. With additional reflections on guilt and responsibility, I find this one well worth the read.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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