No Safety in Numbers

Gr 7 Up—This addition to the dystopian-literature craze takes place over the course of seven days in a megamall in New York, and is told in alternating chapters from the perspective of four teens with varying backgrounds. Marco is a Hispanic boy who works in a restaurant and is bullied by the local jocks. Lexi is an African American teen who has a dysfunctional relationship with her busy and absent senator mom, aka "Mom-strosity." Ryan is a jock who is trying to live up to the expectations of his superstar older brother. And Shay is new to town and at the mall with her sister and immigrant grandmother from India who is suffering from diabetes. While all four are at the mall, a bioterrorism bomb explodes. The large space is locked down, trapping everyone inside. It's not long before people start getting sick, security guards commence hunting down anyone with a cough, and everyone begins fighting for survival. As this book focuses on the relationships and personal dramas of the four narrators, the suspense and tension of an emergency situation is never really felt. Ryan and Marco are both attracted to Shay and dealing with their own tribulations, while Lexi makes some friends and connects with her mom. The characters, though a little clichéd, are likable. This book will find an audience with teens drawn to disaster novels.—Jake Pettit, Thompson Valley High School, Loveland, CO