The Selected

Gr 9 Up—This futuristic novel alternates between the stories of Dominic, who is the sole remaining student at his English boarding school following a series of natural disasters that decimated much of the world's population, and Adeline, a clone living centuries in the future whose connection with Dominic causes her to dream of his life in 2023. An old prophecy states that someone bearing Adeline's description will save the world, though she doubts this, given a heart condition that makes her physically weak. Centuries earlier, Dominic struggles to assimilate with the military cadets who take over his school and to gain the affection of Ruth, the groundskeeper's wild, fearless daughter. Cave has devised a unique premise and two likable protagonists, though the plot is convoluted and the connection between Dominic and Adeline unclear until the novel's end, which may frustrate readers as their stories appear unrelated and disjointed until this point. The subplot involving Adeline participating in a fight-to-the-death reality show under an alias comes out of the blue and seems like a pale imitation of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games (Scholastic, 2008). Sharp North (S & S, 2006), the self-proclaimed prequel/sequel to The Selected, should clear up a bit of the confusion by providing background for some of the characters who appear in the latter, and librarians/teachers should ensure that their library has the earlier book if they choose to purchase this one.—Leah J. Sparks, formerly at Bowie Public Library, MD