The First Principle

Gr 9 Up—The United States no longer exists as a nation due to economic failure, fighting within the government, and antigovernment organizations. The result is the birth of the United Regions of North America. Genevieve Wilkins, the appointed governor of the Great Lakes Region, has her eyes set on becoming president of the futuristic, technologically advanced URNA. The government has developed its own "approved" version of the Bible to prevent the spread of "hate speech," a term law has been created that subjects teen girls to a "pregnancy vaccine" to limit pregnancies that would burden the government. They are also forced to take a pregnancy test every four months with abortion as the end-all solution. Sixteen-year-old Vivica, the supportive but mostly indifferent daughter of Genevieve Wilkins meets Ben and becomes pregnant, unaware that Ben is a member of the Emancipation Warriors, a unified organization set on restoring the freedoms of the former U.S. Ben gives Vivica an authentic Bible and attempts to convince her that abortion is murder. It's now up to her to decide if she will remain loyal to her mother or if she will revolt against what she has been taught her entire life. This fast-paced plot written in first-person is filled with espionage, murder, religious warfare, and political issues that mirror current issues. The religious message to accept Christ as the savior is interspersed throughout. Christian Fiction fans of Margaret Haddix's the "Shadow Children" series (S. & S.) will savor this title.—Susan Harris, Ridgeway High School, TN