Martin lives in a world of Stepfordian glory. All houses are the same, color coded and in neat little lines underneath a sky that is always blue. His neighborhood stays safe from Earth's noxious air by being always protected inside a dome. Every morning, the people in his community watch the TV to see their president and vote on important issues (the color of curtains) to help make his job easier. Babies literally arrive by stork and parents can select the model they want. School is... ok... school is the same, dull, monotonous, you get the picture. Martin is bored by this lifestyle and is constantly testing boundaries. Until one day his over-the-top smart sister is taken away. Then Marten decides he has to break through them altogether and risk going outside the safety of the dome-world he has always known. With his A.I. dog in tow, Martin becomes a fugitive in the hopes of rescuing his sister.

Eh. Anyone who reads my reviews (yeah, I know there aren't that many of you but still) knows how I feel about dystopia's. And series ones at that. But this one just really fell short for me. The premise is full of social commentary, which I don't mind at all as long as it's accompanied by an engrossing story. I felt like this book had a distinct lack of decent descriptions. Scenes move quickly in the beginning with little explanation of characters, their backgrounds, or their personalities. You never get a sense of who these people are. This was really frustrating because, especially when you are creating a dystopian society, yes some things can be vague, but the reader needs to be able to catch on and follow from there. Also, as you can tell from my review, this story was a little dull. It was the same kind of story you've read a hundred times with little to separate it from others of it's ilk. There were two moments I really loved about this book: The first is when Marten sees what it is really like outside for the first time ever. His glee is believable and engaging. The second is when Marten gets his first sunburn and thinks he is dying. Hilarious. Otherwise, a predictable book with a predictable segue into a (most likely) predictable sequal about bringing down the government and it's ridiculously controlling hierarchy. Not a terrible book. But nothing earth shattering here, either. ( )

It was unique overall, but nothing held my attention. I didn’t like it but I didn’t have any expectations of my own, so I wasn’t disappointed. AHS/EK

Inquisitive teen
fights authoritarian
mind-controlled lifestyle.

A futuristic pied piper. A model of genetically engendered children are too intelligent for the comfort of the community. The children are recalled as a defective product. Martin a model 14 too old to be recalled, vows to find his little sister and keep her safe. He must find a way out of the domed city and brave the poisonous waste outside. ( )

A powerful story about government gone awry in a desire to protect it's citizens. great for those who enjoyed The Giver. ( )