Wasteland by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan

I love the sale desk at Chapters. I am trying hard not to buy hardcover YA books anymore- they are just too expensive. But when they are in the sale rack for $5.99 I can't resist at all! I picked up Wasteland, along with several other books just before the summer and I am now working my way through them. It's my favourite genre of all- dystopian! Wasteland is set in the future, although you don't have any idea how far in the future it is, or where it is. Life is basically about survival. There is never enough food or water- any water you can find in the ground or falling from the sky is poisoned. Nobody lives past the age of 19. Ester wants nothing to do with how life is run in her community- she just wants to hang out with her best friend, even though she is a variant and is considered to be the enemy. The young man running the community is threatening to banish Ester if she doesn't start playing by the rules everyone else follows. But then a stranger comes into town and Ester realizes there might be hope for her, and her family. As Caleb and Ester learn more about the power struggle going on, they must risk everything to help their community. I didn't love this book, I found the plot a bit hard to follow and I didn't find that I understood all the different characters and their motivations. But, it is filled with action and adventure and I think many kids will enjoy it.