They said it was for our own good. They lied. From the number sewn into her sleeve to the scraps of food in her rations, Simone’s days in the run-down protection camp have been dictated by the harsh, restrictive demands of the Colonel. Unfortunately, Simone doesn’t like following rules. A defiant break from camp brings her face to face with the ivory tower and the festering secrets of their dark history. Faced with a forgotten past, a rippling effect of consequences from her disobedience, and a bleak future of mind-numbing factory work, Simone must decide—how much she is willing to give up for protection?

I was in for a surprise with this book - thought it was going to be the same old rubbish but wow what a delight. I am going to buy a hard copy for my sister as she loves this sort of book.

After a series of nuclear accidents, Earth is practically uninhabitable. The only places where people can live safely from contaminants are specially created protection camps that follow a strict hierarchy and set of rules.
Being number 677 in said hierarchy and an orphan, 16 year old Simone's life is as hard as can be. But instead of succumbing to apathy like most everyone else, she moves through life with her head held high and a healthy disregard for rules. When she discovers a stone tower deep in the forest and unwittingly attracts the attention of someone more malicious than she's ever known before, the consequences are life-changing - leaving her with only two options: fight for her beliefs or surrender to a life of misery.

"We need to follow the rules. They're here for a reason."
"What sort of reason?" I rolled my eyes. "To glorify submission? To numb our lives into a routine of nothingness?"



K.L. Stein has created one hell of a grim and cruel dystopian setting. With the way she unapologetically depicts Simone's everyday struggles and the desolation surrounding her, it's hard to not become affected by it yourself.

Cool air crept in from a gap under the windowsill, freezing my face into an impression of wakefulness. I accepted the fantasy - illusions of life were all I could muster.


As for Simone, she was a spectacular protagonist. There weren't many characters to like, let alone root for in this novel, but with Simone, I connected on a level I haven't experienced many times before with a fictional character.
I admired her strength, felt her vulnerability and suffered right along with her when she was being mistreated by those who should have protected her and betrayed by those she loved.

"A simmering fire can be as dangerous as a wild flame. And you are both. That scares a lot of people."



This was a depressing and harsh future vision that doesn't feel the need to sugarcoat anything, and I'll be chewing on this one for quite a while yet.

This dark book is not for the faint of heart. If your scare easily DO NOT read it... The world is in ruins because of a war and its set in a camp, protection camp. They tell you how important you are by number. Orphans adult or not are so mistreated its sicking. It was a great book I will never read again.