The premise of this book is fascinating and believable with the way technology is advancing at such an exponential rate. The realism of the environment and the harrowing events all lend themselves to an exciting story. The only discordance was the ease with which the 11 year old protagonist accepted her losses and changed family circumstances. Otherwise, a great read for middle-grade teens.

3.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The first 20-25% of this book was very slow and I almost gave up on it. Fortunately, I stuck with it and was not disappointed. The author provides sufficient world-building, although most of the characters other than Kiera are pretty flimsy. Once the action picked up, the story kept my attention. I was also relieved to discover that this is a stand-alone book with a beginning, middle and end. This is a satisfying find in a genre overloaded with trilogies and multiple-book series.

Kiera is an 11 year old girl that finds herself ripped from her suburban home and left in a desert wasteland. She's told that the life she's known was not real and that she's destined to save the world. Kiera walks until she finds a primitive village and is adopted by a kind couple desperate to have a child. Just as she becomes comfortable with her new surroundings and family, she stumbles upon an ancient relic that brings her to the attention of the ruler of the Citadel. Seen as a threat, she is hunted by the Citadel's robot police force. Could the crazy prediction that she's meant to save the world be true?

This is a fun read. While the book starts off slow, if you stick with it you will be rewarded.

What good dystopian/post apocalyptic novel! I really liked the plot and the characters and even if I'm not a fan of post apocalyptic fiction I found this one was really good, with interesting characters and, wonderfully written.
I also really like the idea of how in a very desolate backgroup hope can survive with the hope in a better future.
I look forward to reading the next instalment.
Many thanks to Curiosity Quills Press and Netgalley for this ARC