Momentum

Gr 7–10—Even though Hunter is a rich, privileged Citizen, he sometimes goes to the edge of the slums, where the Outsiders live, and practices jumping between buildings and moving acrobatically. It's a great distraction from reality, such as the power outages that happen frequently in this future, energy-diminished London. For Outsider Uma, jumping isn't practice, but a tool for a quick getaway. Outsiders make do with what they've got for food, energy, and anything else they need, but they're treated like criminals by Citizens and soldiers alike. Hunter and Uma cross paths while witnessing the murder of an Outsider boy, and again when Hunter watches as Uma, her cousin, and her aunt are taken into custody, falsely accused of orchestrating a plot to destroy the nuclear power plant that has taken years to build. After she escapes, Uma and Hunter work together to figure out how to protect the valuable piece of Outsider technology that she has been guarding, and how to find its rightful owner, the Keeper. This fast-paced novel reads like a movie script. Unfortunately, the same reluctant readers who would love the action will be turned off by the first few confusing chapters, and more advanced readers might be frustrated by the lack of depth. Also, while Hunter and Uma are interesting characters, there is little to make them sympathetic. Hunter's flashbacks to his past feel insincere, and Uma seems disconnected from hers. The action is great, but the story lacks the background it needs to pack its punch.—Kelly Jo Lasher, Middle Township High School, Cape May Court House, NJ