No Safety in Numbers

April 2, 2012
Lorentz’s YA debut cogently explores the impact of an emergency situation on multiple characters in a finite space. An ordinary day at the mall turns deadly after the discovery of a biological bomb in the air ducts prompts an immediate lockdown, trapping thousands of shoppers inside. With information scarce and security on alert, everyone approaches the situation differently. Restaurant worker Marco tries to do his job, senator’s daughter Lexi attempts to figure out the truth, quirky Shay takes care of her ailing grandmother, and athletic Ryan joins others in an effort to escape. As their paths cross and stories overlap, these four teens find friends and romance, even as society breaks down around them and a fatal disease claims numerous victims. This tense trilogy opener takes its time establishing the memorably diverse and sympathetic characters, while foreshadowing and vivid staging (stores in the mall take on special significance under the circumstances) build a sense of claustrophobia and desperation. Very little is resolved before the inevitable cliffhanger, but readers will eagerly await the next installment. Ages 12–up. Agent: Faye Bender, Faye Bender Literary Agency.

April 15, 2012
A nightmare scenario plays out in a shopping mall, and a group of very different teens must strategize to survive in this engrossing, if uneven thriller. Reserved and sarcastic Marco is the first to suspect a problem when he arrives at the mall for work and finds a strange device near a ventilation shaft. Soon, Lexi, the computer-whiz daughter of a preoccupied senator, self-described drama nerd Shay and insecure jock Ryan find themselves trapped along with thousands of others when authorities lock the shopping center down. The third-person narration shifts focus among these four teens as the days go by. A sense of unease begins to grow, and its progressive build allows time for nuanced exploration of the main characters, including the set-up of a love triangle among three of them and the violent antics of Ryan's self-entitled teammates. However, the docility of the masses extends too long to be entirely believable; even after a hazmat-suit-clad figure carries out Shay's collapsed Nani, they fail to panic. "Amazing, the herd's ability to forget the disturbance of their peace," thinks Marco, even as he understands that there is a lot the powers-that-be are not telling: "Grandma was in some serious shit--exactly what kind of shit was the mystery in need of solving." A whopping and disturbing cliffhanger serves as the conclusion. Readers will anxiously await the sequel. (Thriller. 14-18)

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June 1, 2012

Gr 7 Up-This addition to the dystopian-literature craze takes place over the course of seven days in a megamall in New York, and is told in alternating chapters from the perspective of four teens with varying backgrounds. Marco is a Hispanic boy who works in a restaurant and is bullied by the local jocks. Lexi is an African American teen who has a dysfunctional relationship with her busy and absent senator mom, aka "Mom-strosity." Ryan is a jock who is trying to live up to the expectations of his superstar older brother. And Shay is new to town and at the mall with her sister and immigrant grandmother from India who is suffering from diabetes. While all four are at the mall, a bioterrorism bomb explodes. The large space is locked down, trapping everyone inside. It's not long before people start getting sick, security guards commence hunting down anyone with a cough, and everyone begins fighting for survival. As this book focuses on the relationships and personal dramas of the four narrators, the suspense and tension of an emergency situation is never really felt. Ryan and Marco are both attracted to Shay and dealing with their own tribulations, while Lexi makes some friends and connects with her mom. The characters, though a little cliched, are likable. This book will find an audience with teens drawn to disaster novels.-Jake Pettit, Thompson Valley High School, Loveland, CO

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