The Chamber of Five

In this tense psychological thriller, Harmon (Brutal) explores the abuse of power and authority. At the Lambert School for the Gifted, the student body is run by the Youth Leadership Group, which is in turn ruled by the elite Chamber of Five. When junior Jason Weatherby is tapped to join the Chamber, it's an honor he doesn't want and an opportunity he isn't allowed to refuse. Emotionally blackmailed by the Chamber's tyrannical and manipulative leader, Carter Logan, and pressured by his own abusive congressman father, Jason reluctantly accepts, but only so he can change the system from within. His first task: destroy fellow student Thomas Singletary, a mysterious loner. Caught between the demands of a corrupt government and his own beliefs, Jason recruits allies, including Thomas. As tension mounts, violence is all but inevitable. With its intense, brittle atmosphere, this story is a narrative powder keg ready to explode. While the villains are a little cartoonish in their unrelenting nastiness, Jason's inherent optimism and decency make him a protagonist worth supporting. Dark at heart, there's light at the end of this tunnel. Ages 14%E2%80%93up. (June)