Shelly's Book Blog

Since I liked Unwind, Hunger Games, and Little Brother so much, I was intrigued when Booklist created a list of Dystopian Fiction for Youth. Neptune's Children, by Bonnie Dobkin, is not on this list but it could be. The story: a terrorist group plans and carries out an act of biological terrorism which kills all the adults on earth, leaving only those younger than about 14 alive. The children who were enjoying a day at Isles of Wonder, a fabulous theme park, get organized and manage to create a decent life for themselves. However, trouble soon surfaces when the main character, Josh, begins to suspect that the leaders of this new society can no longer be trusted. The premise seems simple enough, but Dobkin digs a little deeper to explore how these children deal with the inevitable conflicts that arise in a society with no authority figures. I've put this on my list to recommend to YA reluctant readers.