Review of The Cage by Megan Shepherd

Shepherd, Megan.  The Cage.  Balzer + Bray, 2015.  978-0-06-224305-8; 385p

Cora wakes up in the desert with no recollection of how she got there.  Her clothes and jewelry are gone, and she is wearing someone else’s dress.  The last thing she remembers is riding in the car with her brother, Charlie, to see their family in Virginia.  Dazed and confused, she begins trudging through the sand.

When she gets to a high point in the desert, she sees a farm, a winter tundra, an ocean bay, mountains, and a cityscape in the distance.  How can these environments exist right next to one another?   Cora meets four other kidnapped teens in a strange town with a mixture of cultures mingled together.  All throughout the habitats, there are black one-way windows—someone or something is watching her and the others.

A Caretaker, who supposedly watches over the teens, appears and tells them that they have been taken from Earth and placed in a type of zoo, provided with all the “comforts” of home.  They are told that there are only three rules they must follow.  First, in order to maintain their physical and mental strength, they must solve the enrichment puzzles scattered throughout the habitats.  Solved puzzles result in token rewards, which can be used to purchase items in the town.  The second rule is to maintain their health by eating the food provided for them, getting the proper amount of sleep each night, and cooperating in their mandatory health assessments.  Finally, the teens must engage in procreative activities by the time twenty-one days have passed.  To determine mates, the Caretaker has paired teens with one another via a constellation tattoo behind each one’s right ear.  If they do not comply with the rules, they will be removed or exterminated.

Cora and the others are shocked at their situation, especially by the rule three.  As they begin to trust one another, Cora desperately searches for a way to escape and get home.  However, trust soon turns to suspicion, jealousy, and a matter of life or death, as the Caretaker and the other Kindred who kidnapped them manipulate their lives.  Cora grows closer and closer to the Caretaker, but can she really trust him to help and protect them like he has promised?

What a terrific “Space Opera” Megan Shepherd has created with her new novel, the first in a new series of the same name!  The world building is superb—opposing habitats along side one another, archaic shops, a planet that is actually not a planet, but some asteroids.  The teens—a beautiful model, a nerd genius, a strong hulk, and the boy-next-door, seem like stereotypes, but, in reality, they are multi-dimensional characters, with much more personality than is what is originally revealed to the reader.  The layers are peeled away as the book progresses, producing unusual back-stories for each of the characters.  They all have secrets to hide and unusual quirks.  The forbidden love triangle that develops is shocking and intriguing.  Readers will be frustrated at the cliffhanger ending, but it is a series, after all, and the plot has to be set up for the next book.

The Cage will be released on May 26, 2015 and its sequel, as yet unnamed, in 2016.   Both science fiction and non-science fiction fans, alike, will enjoy The Cage.  I recommend it for middle school, high school, and public libraries and give it four out of five fleur de lis!

*Reviewer’s note:  The copy reviewed was an uncorrected proof received from the publisher at the 2015 TX Library Association Conference.

                               

Review of Rebel Heart (the sequel to Blood Red Road) by Moira Young

Young, Moira.  Rebel Heart.  Margaret K. Elderry Books, 2012.

In this second installment in The Dustland series, the evil Tonton, led by "The Pathfinder", have become even more brutal than before.  Families are being kidnapped, killed, and forced out of their homes to make room for "Stewards of the Earth" in New Eden.

 

Saba, Lugh, Emmi, and Tommo are heading West through the wastelands with its Wrecker debris, in search of "The Big Water", which is supposed to be a type of paradise.  Saba has been having hallucinations and dreams of people she has killed, and she and Lugh are having disagreements.  Saba wants to part ways with her family and friends and search for Jack, but Lugh thinks that Jack is trouble.

 

In the meantime, Jack is also heading West to meet Saba.  He stops at The Lost Cause, the tavern that Molly Pratt owns, to deliver a message.  Unfortunately for him, members of the Tonton show up while he is there.  Now Jack is missing and is presumed to have joined up with the Tonton.

 

If you are looking for action and adventure, this sequel is for you!  While I feel that Rebel Heart is not as good as its predecessor, Blood Red Road, it is still riveting and exciting!

 

Saba does not start out the story as a strong character, but she overcomes her weeknesses as the book progresses.  Jack is portrayed as a cold-blooded killer and must re-earn his way into Saba's good graces.  Lugh has so many problems, which is logical, bu it makes him appear stubborn and selfish at times.

 

New characters are introduced in this sequel.  My favorite is Dr. Salmo Slim, Traveling Physician and Surgeon, with his camel, The Grand Champeen of the Pillawalla Camel Race, who is pulling a broken down wagon supposedly filled with medicines and potions.  I also loved little Auriel Tai, the "Sky Speaker", who tries to heal Saba's dream demons and is wise beyond her years.  DeMalo plays a large part in the book and tries to appear caring and alluring to Saba, but he has ulterior motives!

 

Like Blood Red Road, this book uses intentional misspellings and no quotation marks in its dialogue.  There is a third installment, as yet unnamed, coming but not until 2014!

 

I recommend Rebel Heart for middle school, high school, and public libraries.

 

**Reviewer's Note:  The copy reviewed was a digital ARC received from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.