March 9, 2020
After spending two years imprisoned in the Loop, Luka Kane, 16, is desperate for any change of routine or sign of hope. Though he can stay his execution by opting to participate in dangerous experiments that benefit the elite, he fully expects to die in prison, another victim of his dystopian society, which favors the privileged, technology-enhanced Alts (the Altered) over the so-called Regulars. Everything changes after Luka and his fellow convicts are subjected to a mysterious treatment that kills some and drives others mad. The survivors must now somehow escape the Loop, but outside, the weather spirals out of control, and people, now feral, slaughter one another. To survive, Luka and his dwindling band of allies must evade capture and confront those behind the recent happenings. In this harrowing debut, Oliver deftly conjures an unsettling surveillance state hallmarked by class warfare and a nightmarish penal system that harvests its victims’ energy as punishment. Events take on an ambiguous tone as the story progresses, making it difficult to tell what is real, but an emphasis on the importance of human connection strengthens this cinematic series opener. Ages 14–up. Agent: Chloe Seager, Madeleine Milburn Literary.