Partials

Gr 9 Up—A postapocalyptic thriller set in 2076 on Long Island, NY. Kira Walker, a 16-year-old medic in training, believes she can find a cure for the RM virus that's killing all the newborns. It's been 11 years since a war in which genetically enhanced humans called Partials turned on their creators and released the virus that killed most of the population. The Senate has enacted the Hope Act, making it mandatory for all 18-year-old females to become pregnant to maximize the chances of a child being born resistant to the virus. Now that her adopted sister Madison is pregnant, Kira is sure that the Partials hold the key. She and Madison's brother and husband, both trained soldiers, take matters into their own hands, cross into the enemy territory of Manhattan, engage in a series of battles with Partials, and capture one. The Senate punishes them but gives Kira five days to study Samm, the prisoner. While doing so, the facility is attacked and Kira nearly killed but Samm saves her life. Despite their mutual distrust, they form a connection and realize that they are pawns in a much bigger conspiracy by both sides. While this book shares similar plot themes with other recent postapocalyptic novels like Lauren DeStefano's Wither (S & S) and Megan McCafferty's Bumped (HarperCollins, both 2011), the emphasis here is on genetics, politics, and paramilitary action. The tendency for the young people to act older than their actual age can be attributed to having had to grow up faster. Readers will be swept along by the fast-paced action and surprising plot twists, and will eagerly await the sequel—Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trenton