Marked

Gr 6 Up—In McCaffrey's dystopian science-fiction thriller, Lyla lives in a society where criminals are tattooed—Marked—and the schism between the rich (barons) and the poor (miners, farmers, and so on) is palpable and volatile. After becoming Marked for visiting a black market, Lyla undertakes a dangerous spy mission to infiltrate the Red Fists, a unlawful band of misfits, in order to erase her Mark. Complicating the situation are her intense feelings for a childhood friend and newest misfit, Gill. Once drawn into the Red Fists's web of rebellion, Lyla must make important choices on what and whom to sacrifice. Comic-style strips are included throughout and give some background on Lyla's society. McCaffrey's world-building is on the scarce side; readers are thrown into this community with little fleshing out of the nuances, aside from the one-page comic strips. However, the strength of the characters, especially the strong female protagonist, allows teens to fully engage with Lyla and her struggles. Full of fast-paced action and ethical quandaries, this work will appeal to fans of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Little, Brown, 2011) and Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Delacorte, 2009).