Ash

March 2, 2015
In a future world where people's lives are dictated by the destinies projected for them at birth, Madden Sumner is at the top: a member of the Purple ring and slated to become one of the ruling Minister of the Seven. Dax Harris is at the bottom, one of the Ash ring and a "Blank,â with no recorded destiny. Events conspire to bring these two heroines into conflict with the system that keeps their society running: Dax's brother is executed for failing to achieve his destiny, while Madden seeks long-hidden information about the past. Soon, these rivals-turned-allies join the renegade Revenants, an organization dedicated to opposing the destiny system. Petroff (the Bedeviled series) and first-time author Manley offer an entertaining story, but the dystopian elements are overfamiliar, and the system governing this society feels arbitrary, especially once it's revealed how easy it is to thwart destiny. First in a planned series, the novel alternates between Dax and Madden's perspectives; however, the voices blend together, making it hard to differentiate between them. A dystopian tale that doesn't find its own identity. Ages 13âup.

May 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-After the Event, in which seven billion people died, the survivors created a system to ensure nothing like that would happen again. People are placed into what is essentially a caste or "ring" system, starting with the highest, most powerful Purples through the rainbow to the lowly Ashes. As people are born, specialists extract their destinies, down to the day and time-and to maintain order, all must fulfill their destiny. Dax is a rarity, a Blank-one whose destiny could not be extracted, the lowliest of the low. Madden is an elite Purple, being groomed to take over a position on the ruling board. After Dax's brothers commit the ultimate sacrifice in the name of breaking free from pre-determined destinies, Dax and Madden are thrown together in a plot of intrigue, secrecy, and danger. While many elements of the plot are left unexplained-for instance, how exactly does a specialist extract a destiny from a baby?-the action is never sparse in this science fiction series opener. VERDICT For those who enjoy stories about rebelling against "the system," such as Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" (Scholastic) and Veronica Roth's "Divergent" (HarperCollins), the "Destined" series is bound to entertain and enthrall.-Amanda C. Buschmann, Atascocita Middle School, Humble, TX

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.