The Good Citizen

Gr 7 Up—A dystopian novel that is accessible to all readers. The story line is a cross between Julie Ann Peter's Define Normal and Veronica Roth's "Divergent" series. Jenny and Hannah are thrown together through a buddy program and realize that they have more in common than they ever imagined. The alternating viewpoints in each chapter explain the extremely harsh government in the world that Doty has built. It is through each of their lenses that readers get an understanding of the separation of people into two sects: those who live in the Homestead, the Opportunists, who are not allowed to have Protectors (guns); and those that live in the city, the Citizens, who are required to carry Protectors at all times. Escalations of protesting people cause problems and tension in the government ranks that seem like a futuristic projection of current government issues, but at extremes. It is an action-packed book with a predictable ending but enjoyable nonetheless.