The Hunger Games without the stupid love triangle.This one was a page-turner. Took a few days to get into it, but then read 3/4 of it in one sitting.
The concept is interesting (won't spoil it too much), but what kept getting me is the characters. I don't think this author writes good characters. The people in the book just don't think or behave like I think normal people would...
I think I'll fail to explain it, but bear with me.... You've got 40-50 kids in a harsh, prison-type environment. They all have to work together to build their own civilization... with me so far? So, the new kid shows up, and NOBODY EVER TELLS HIM ANYTHING. No we're-all-in-this-together, or this-is-your-first-day-but-learn-how-to-toe-the-line... nope. Not even a this-will-be-your-job-get-used-to-it... You would think that these supposedly smart kids would value the additional help and ideas that new blood would bring to the community. Even in situations where a little exposition would have been perfectly normal, the author seems to extraordinary lengths to have nobody ever explain anything to the main character, ever. So if these kids are the cream-of-the-crop, best-of-the-best, kids-who-never-give-up-on-anything, they're the stupidest kids on the planet.
