For the past twelve years, adults called “Freds” have raised Rosi, her younger brother Bobo, and the other children of their town, saying it is too dangerous for them to stay with their parent. But now they are all being sent back. Since Rosi is the oldest, all the younger kids are looking to her with questions she doesn’t have the answers to. She’d always trusted the Freds completely, but now she’s not so sure.
And their home is nothing like she’d expected, like nothing the Freds had prepared them for. Will Rosi and the other kids be able to adjust to their new reality?
“Haddix brilliantly sets up her story, giving readers just enough information to keep them grounded while elevating tension through Rosi’s uncertainty. Fast-paced action, plot twists, and cliff-hanger chapter endings will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Haddix’s tone and language and the absence of graphic violence make this an ideal selection for younger readers eager for a dystopian novel.“—School Library Journal
“This conversation-starting first in a series is a penetrating science-fiction thriller that adroitly explores the issue of prejudice.”–Kirkus Reviews
“With her trademark clarity, sympathetic and dimensional characters, and effective chapter hooks, Haddix’s latest series starter once again raises questions with real content and impact.”–Booklist
It’s been barely a day since Edwy left Fredtown to be with his parents and, already, he is being sent away. He’s smuggled off to boarding school in Refuge City, where he will be with relatives he never knew he had–and they don’t seem to care about him at all. The boarding school is nothing like the school that he knew, there’s no one around looking up to him now, and he’s still not allowed to ask questions!
Alone and confused, Edwy seeks out other children brought back from Fredtown and soon discovers that Rosi and the other friends Edwy left behind in Cursed Town might be in danger. Can Edwy find his way back to his friends before it’s too late?
This is a topical thriller that brings heart and thought to the sci-fi genre.–Kirkus Reviews
The plot twists are multiple, exciting, and completely logical… An excellent dystopian adventure for tweens.–Booklist
Since the Enforcers raided Refuge City, Rosi, Edwy, and the others are captured and forced to work as slave labor on an alien planet, digging up strange pearls. Weak and hungry, none of them are certain they will make it out of this alive.
But Edwy’s tech-savvy sister, Kiandra, has always been the one with all the answers, and so they turn to her. But Kiandra realizes that she can’t find her way out of this one on her own, and they all might need to rely on young Cana and her alien friend if they are going to survive.
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