Title: Recruits [New Haven Series 1]
Author: Sara Jo Cluff
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Romance, Science Fiction
Rating: 5 Stars
Description/Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Emmie Woodard has lived a controlled life. The city of River Springs—run by Infinity Corp—makes all her choices for her. What to wear, what to eat, how to act, and her future in the city. They’ve stripped everyone of what makes them unique, so they’re basically cardboard cutouts, living in a bubble.
Every year, Infinity Corp holds Recruitment, a series of physical, mental, and emotional challenges to see where Recruits will fall in society for the rest of their life. Emmie reluctantly enters, knowing it’s her only option. She pushes back during Recruitment, refusing to be the society’s puppet.
But after a few near-death experiences, she realizes Infinity Corp wants her dead, and not just because of her rebellious attitude. If Emmie wants to live, she’ll have to uncover the society’s secret, stop the leaders of Infinity Corp, and find a way to break free from her bubble.
WARNING – SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT – REVIEW BELOW
Recruits by Sara Jo Cluff was everything you could possibly want in a Young Adult Dystopian novel. There was action, adventure, a heavy-handed dystopian society, romance,and mystery. Though I ran into a few typos and grammatical errors, for the most part, the writing was engaging, well-written, fast-paced, and easy to follow.
I loved the various characters, though Amber seemed a bit superfluous. The friendship dynamics within the group of teens felt real. The romances were sweet, and not too intense for a Young Adult novel, which was nice. I find that often, authors push things a bit too far for the genre (Twilight anyone?).
The world-building was complex and overall, believable. Though Dystopian societies have been done many times before, it was a fresh change of pace to have this one specifically run by a corporation.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and found it an engaging read. If you like YA Dystopians, this is a solid one. Give it a try.
Author Unpublished 