Reading Metrics
Description
In the future, when Earth is no longer easily habitable, 17-year-old Tora struggles to protect weapons developed by her father that could lead to disaster should they fall into the wrong hands. The plot contains profanity and sexual situations. Book #1
Quick Summary
Tora's a total badass seventeen-year-old who doesn't mess around if you've got a kid who loved The Hunger Games or Divergent, they'll immediately connect with her. The world-building here is seriously cool: Earth is on its last legs, so it's not just another dystopia with gray cityscapes, but this desperate, worn-out setting where people are clearly struggling to survive. She's protecting dangerous weapons her dad created, which means the whole book has this urgent, "one wrong move and everything explodes" energy that keeps you turning pages. Now, fair warning to parents this one does have some profanity and sexual situations scattered throughout, so it's probably better for older middle schoolers and up rather than younger kids, even though the reading level is accessible. The relationship dynamics between Tora and the people she meets add real heart to the action, and there's enough twists to keep even reluctant readers hooked. If you're looking for another sci-fi option with strong characters and stakes that actually matter, Pax by Sara Pennypacker pairs well with this one for a conversation about different kinds of dystopian stories.