The rules have changed

Gr 6 Up--In a near-future world, Blake Pendleton returns from a three-year sailing trip with his parents to find his home country changed. School is now a militaristic brainwashing center. Students who do not obey the orders given to them through their smartphones are punished with extended solitary confinement. Xenophobia is rampant and Blake's parents have to reapply for citizenship because they left the country for three years. He meets an Asian boy, Ming Zhao, and a Black girl, Gina, who are part of a loose organization of rebels called the "dogs." Blake teams up with them to attempt to infiltrate the school organization but at the last minute, they are betrayed and must flee the country. This is a solid hi-lo novel for students who would enjoy 1984 or The Hunger Games but don't yet have the reading skills to attempt them. The climax of the story feels rushed, but that is common in the hi-lo genre. Although the book could be seen as a possible extension of current events, a solid dystopian novel never goes out of style. No physical or cultural descriptions are given for Blake or his parents. VERDICT This topical selection is highly recommended for those who maintain a hi-lo collection.--Jeri Murphy, C.F. Simmons M.S., Aurora, IL

A White nationalist government with no tolerance for dissent has eliminated free will in this contemporary thriller. After living on a sailboat in the South Pacific for the past three years, 11th grader Blake Pendleton returns to his hometown and discovers everything is different--and in the worst way. There is now a "New Order" that prizes conformity and unthinking obedience above all else. Blake immediately has trouble adapting to this militant style of learning and is punished through escalating sessions of solitary isolation and sensory deprivation. Ming and Gina, two classmates, bring Blake into their inner circle of activism as they try to undermine the New Order from within. It won't take readers much to imagine similar events happening in the not-so-distant future, particularly given the role technology plays in the story. Racism experienced by Ming, who is the grandson of Chinese immigrants to North America, and Gina, who is Black, as well as propaganda about foreigners reflect real-life policies and incidents that have made recent headlines. Blake's world represents one result of xenophobia and White supremacy being championed and legalized by those in power. This slim novel's fast-paced action is accessible and engaging. The device of having Blake reenter society after several years of unconventional living shows readers the shocking nature of extreme changes that crept up on everyone else. Blake is assumed White. A chilling glimpse of life under authoritarian rule for reluctant readers. (Dystopian. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.