Aptitude

Gr 10 Up—Sampson's novel gives readers a look at a dystopian world in which the government has taken away personal choice. Hessa Black has been brought up to do one thing—work with numbers. She is a member of the Quantifier group, and her genetic predisposition for math has been enforced by strict schooling, which culminates in a large test called a Proof. The novel opens shortly after Hessa takes her Proof and receives her first job placement as a secondary school math teacher. Her new position brings her into close contact with a man of the Communicator group for the first time. As Hessa learns more about words, language, and creativity, she finds herself wondering if the government's design for her life is really for the best. Readers may question Hessa's choices, which seem too naive to be believable, and the shifting time lines may be difficult for some readers to follow. Fans of Veronica Roth's Divergent (HarperCollins, 2011) and Joelle Charbonneau's "The Testing" series (HMH) will likely welcome Sampson's strong female protagonist's desire to uncover government corruption.