Variant: Review
Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult
Review:
The minute Ms. Vaughn drops Benson Fisher off at Maxfield Academy, he gets the feeling that something is a bit off. As soon as the front doors open, two students run out and into the woods. One of the boys warns him that no matter what anyone says, he can never leave. Things become even more unnerving when Benson learns there are no adults at the academy. Instead, the kids teach all of the classes and carry out the discipline as well as work jobs for which they earn points that allow them to buy things. Benson is told that everything will be just fine for him provided he follows four rules: No sex, no trying to escape, no refusing punishments and no violent fights. If you do any of those things you are sent to detention, and if you go to detention – you don’t come back.
As the weeks press on, Benson becomes more and more unnerved. Teens start disappearing, extreme punishments are carried out and whoever is watching them on the security cameras seems to be carrying out some sort of experiment, but what is it? Benson plans to escape, but he knows he can’t do it alone. Who, if anyone, can he trust? If he doesn’t get out soon, he may not live through the year.
This book is packed full of action. Mr. Wells is excellent at creating tension, and his prose is effortless. The twists and turns this book took totally blew me away; I couldn’t stop reading it. The ending took me by surprise. I need the next installment immediately. If you are a fan of thrillers and lots of action, this is definitely one you don’t want to miss!
