I read this as a child in the 1980s and some parts stuck with me vividly, like the story of surviving the initial aftermath of nuclear war in a cramped room. I remembered loving it and would have given it 5 stars at the time, as I loved apocalyptic fiction.
I tracked down a copy and re-read it as an adult. It's a little old-fashioned in its tone and much more fantastical than I remember (telekinesis, etc.). It's weirder than I remember and less enjoyable. I can't believe I was allowed to read something this disturbing as a 12 year old!

My new favourite book. Delightful characters, compelling plot.

Amelia and Ben (not their real names) are captive, human subjects for medical and scientific experimentation in a dystopian future where extreme science has gone underground. I selected this book from the enticing pitch, assuming it was young adult. It was shockingly graphic with at least one rape scene and numerous torture scenes that felt gratuitous after the first one or two. It was not to my taste, and I stopped reading halfway through. The book reads like an early draft of a good story idea. It lost momentum whenever the story strayed from the police procedure into the lengthy, world-building passages that were told to the reader rather than hinted at and shown through the plot. Thank you for the opportunity to review.