Landry Park

Gr 9 Up—In a postapocalyptic United States, Madeline Landry, descendant of the scientist who developed nuclear-powered lanterns, enjoys a life of privilege, but she would rather attend university than be groomed for marriage and the eventual inheritance of the Landry estate. In this castelike society with a mishmash of Victorian/Regency/Edwardian norms, the 17-year-old's family is part of the gentry class that subjugates the lower-class Rootless to handle the nuclear-emitting light sources-a task that Madeline later discovers causes a slow and painful fate. The arrival of David Dana, a charming but secretive suitor, and a brutal attack on Cara, Madeline's lifelong frenemy, are the catalysts for not only the rich girl's rebellion but also the complete upheaval of the status quo. Hagen's debut is filled with luxurious language, swoon-worthy love interests, and exceptional world-building that doesn't bog down the narrative. While the novel's treatment of class is intriguing, the dismissal of race as a factor is problematic. While status, not ethnicity, determines acceptance in this stratified new order (several gentry members are people of color, and the protagonist is half-Latina), war with the Eastern Empire (Asian countries) is named as the primary cause of America's demise. The elite continue to vilify the Eastern Empire as much as the Rootless and are seen as a constant threat. Still, the cast of fully developed characters, pervasively sinister mood, and thrilling love story will keep readers turning the page, even if they'll be able to predict some plot twists before they occur. This first book in a trilogy will appeal to fans of Diana Peterfreund's Darkness Shows the Stars (HarperCollins, 2012) and Catherine Fisher's Incarceron (Dial, 2010).—Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal