Icebreaker

Tanner (the Keepers trilogy) offers an unusual take on the post-apocalyptic genre with this chilly tale of life board a massive ship that has been traversing the frozen seas for three centuries, ever since the Anti-Machinist movement caused the collapse of society. Having long forgotten their original purpose, the residents of the icebreaker Oyster have separated into three tribes that exist in an uneasy state of low-level conflict. Bullied and shunned, 13-year-old Petrel belongs to no tribe, but when the Oyster finds a mysterious boy stranded on an iceberg, she helps to protect him; they become unlikely allies as the ship descends into chaos and open warfare. Tanner’s portrayal of a culture that has lost its way, as well as conflicts between science and faith, provides a complex, thought-provoking backdrop to Petrel’s tale of self-reliance and Fin’s crisis of loyalties. These interior journeys are just one part of a fast-paced adventure featuring talking rats, a rusting mazelike setting, and growing tension, which leaves things wide open for the next installment of the Hidden trilogy. Ages 9–12. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. (Aug.)