A girl.
A gun.
Monsters.
When her farming community is consumed in the ruthless jaws of a corporate monster, 16-year-old Merit finds herself face to face with a different kind of beast, one possessing a human form but a mind bent on one thing and one thing alone: her destruction. Then a chance encounter with a legend turns her mad dash for survival into an odyssey of revenge as she sets out to hunt down the men who destroyed all that she loves. But in pursuing the monsters, will she become one herself? Is it possible to embark on a journey of destruction without digging your own grave?
In her beginning lies their end.
Assessment:
Plot: Zienty's plot proceeds at a furious and exciting pace as Merit flees—and is pursued—through the bleak, dangerous New American Midwest. In a world governed by phobias and laws, her quest to find her purpose is successfully fleshed out in a meticulously imagined world.
Prose: Zienty's prose is skillful, subtly introducing readers to futuristic elements in a way that feels organic. Like the protagonist of the novel, the narrative voice grows more confident as the story progresses.
Originality: The author creates a fresh-feeling dystopian wonderland. Merit's struggle to escape the circumstances she was born into is a familiar one, but in Zienty's hands, Merit's story is nevertheless riveting and haunting.
Character Development: The characters (both the ones that are subjugated and the ones that break free) are well fleshed-out, emotionally true, and memorable.
Date Submitted: August 28, 2018
The gripping, all-too-timely kickoff to Zienty’s dystopian series unfolds in a New Midwest where water is scarce, monopolized by the Galt Corporation, and a resilient young woman named Merit navigates life under the oppressive Protectorate, enduring relentless shortages, constant surveillance, and rigid conformity. Merit is expected to “get a feedcom and join the workforce,” like everyone else. But when she discovers the jolting truth of her parentage—and that her mother, long believed dead, may still be alive—Merit dares to flee, discarding her tracking device, and setting out for a rumored sanctuary from Corporate rule in Duluth. Guided by memories of her mother, Serafina, and inspired by her father figure Eben’s rebellious tales and lessons, Merit faces a harrowing path through industrial wastelands and personal loss, transforming into “Angel,” a symbol of resistance.Zienty’s vision is distinguished by urgent survival detail, a commitment to the textures of living in a broken world, and a rousing sense of humanity. The prose is crisply incisive, literary without fussiness, and both the cast and this fallen America’s history are vividly drawn. Eben’s stories of past rebellions highlight sacrifices of earlier generations, while Tanner, the ruthless Protectorate enforcer, stands as a fresh spin on corporate cruelty, one capable of surprising readers. Touchingly complex motivations abound: Merit’s childhood friend Mars offers a conflicted view of loyalty to the Protectorate, while Suraj joins her fight. Violence, in this world, is an ever-present threat, but rather than offer graphic accounts Zienty instead emphasizes its aftermath through ruined communities, abandoned homes, and the lingering trauma in survivors' minds.
Zienty weaves powerful symbolism around water, mirroring contemporary issues of environmental degradation and corporate overreach. As Angel masters stealth and forms alliances to protect herself and others, her focus shifts to a greater mission: resisting tyranny and seeking fellow rebels who value freedom. This is a gripping story of standing up even when hope is hard-won and freedom a distant dream. Lovers of rebellion narratives will thrill to this.
Takeaway: Urgent, humane story of resistance to corporate rule in a dystopian New Midwest.
Comparable Titles: Alison Stine’s Trashlands, Eiren Caffall’s All the Water in the World.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
