Imagine
a world so different to our own, yet so similar. This is the world for Quinn
and Bea, two of the inhabitants of The Pod, a massive domelike structure where
the air is clean and available to all, at a price.
Quinn
is a Premium and enjoys the luxuries of life as his father is an important
businessman. Bea is at the other end of the social scale, an Auxiliary, and her
family can barely make their air rent.
Outside
of the Pod there is the Outlands, where there is nothing except old houses,
left over from where the lucky few fled to the Pod. This barren, treeless,
lifeless world is home to a few crazy isolationists, struggling to survive.
The
Pod is far from a paradise and the Resistance is attempting to solve the air
crisis by regrowing trees after discovering the Government has not fulfilled a
promise it made to do just that. Alina
is part of the Resistance, trained to steal samples from the few trees that are
left in the world. When her partner is killed, she has to find a way to leave
the safety of the Pod and into the Outlands.
Friends,
Quinn and Bea, are heading off on a camping trip outside of the Pod. Bea is
hoping that this is more than just a camping trip, it’s a chance for Quinn to
realise that they could be more than friends. And then, Alina crosses their
path and Bea’s plans are ruined. Alina uses her charm on Quinn and convinces
him to take her out with them. Alina
separates soon after leaving the Pod, but an enchanted Quinn follows, with a
reluctant Bea trailing behind.
An
encounter with a mentally unstable Isolationist, leads to Bea’s life being
endangered. Bea is saved, but at a cost.
Sarah
Crossan has written an excellent novel, great for teenage audiences as it
underlines our need to conserve our environment as there is the possibility
that, one day, the story could become our reality. The underlying message is
not overwhelming, but an important part of the story, along with the romantic
triangle between Quinn, Bea and Alina. The book is written in a very
descriptive style, so it feels as if you are there, watching it all unfold.
I
would recommend this to teenage audiences who are interested in a Dystopian
story which has adventure, romance and excitement. This book is so good, I read
it in a day and I’d love to see this book made into a movie!
Release Dates: Australia and New Zealand: October,
2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Crossan grew up in
Ireland and England, and then moved to the US, where she now lives. She
graduated with a degree in philosophy and literature before training as an
English and drama teacher at Cambridge University. Since completing a Masters
in creative writing, she has been working to promote creative writing in
schools.
