The Sign of One

Gr 7 Up—Irish author Lambert offers readers an action-packed dystopian tale in this debut. In the brutal world of Wrath, twins are separated from their families at a young age until it can be determined which one is the "twist," known to turn evil and threaten the fragile civilization on this newly settled planet. Once identified, the twist is killed. After an attack on members of his small community in the Barrenlands, Kyle is forced to flee when a ruinous secret is revealed. With the reluctant help of Sky, a rebel windjammer pilot, he sets out. Kyle quickly becomes the subject of a national manhunt, raising questions as to why he, a lowly boy from the Barrenlands, is so important. He depends on Sky for survival, and when he falls for her, he finds that she seems to have her own agenda. Even those who dip lightly into dystopian fiction will recognize the many familiar tropes in this title: a tyrannical government ruling through fear and lies, rebel forces fighting against the oppressor, and a love interest who can't be trusted. Though there don't appear to be sentient beings previously living on Wrath, sidestepping issues around colonization, Lambert does raise some interesting ideas about evolution. Constant action keeps the pace moving forward, but there is the occasional lull. Most of the novel's bigger questions are answered by the end, with some loose threads that open this up for a sequel.