The Prey

In actor and first-time novelist Isbell’s dystopian future, kids like Book are all too common—orphaned, congenitally deformed by nuclear fallout, and living in “resettlement camps” after EMPs rendered electronics useless. Book believes that life in Camp Liberty is still better than the lawless outside world until a runaway from another camp shows him the truth: he and his friends are society’s “Less Thans,” being raised for the rich and powerful to hunt for sport. As Book begins planning his escape, he meets Hope, a girl in a neighboring camp, who is an identical twin, the government’s perfect test subjects. The two protagonists work well together, though their romantic story line—including a halfhearted love triangle—is a bit forced. But the book plays to its strong suits, with plenty of peril (human and otherwise) and illuminating glimpses of the world outside the camps that allowed this system to thrive. First in a planned trilogy, the story delivers its message without moralizing and will keep readers rooting for Book and Hope. Ages 13–up. Agent: Victoria Sanders, Victoria Sanders & Associates. (Jan.)