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The Drowned Cities
A future world battered by climate change, war, and deprivation introduced in Ship Breaker (Little, Brown, 2010) continues to emerge as the story moves from the Gulf coast to the area in and around Washington, D.C., now a partially submerged city. Warlords and their troops of boy soldiers battle for dominance with non-stop guerilla hostilities. Mahlia, a “war maggot,” recently lost a hand to soldiers, but her friend Mouse saved her from losing more. Now Mouse is in danger—he’s been forcibly inducted into a squad of soldier boys—and Mahlia is determined to rescue him. With the assistance of Tool, an enigmatic bioengineered being with whom she forges an unlikely alliance, Mahlia is able to track Mouse—but not before he’s been indoctrinated into the soldier boy ranks. Soon all three are ensnared in the rising chaos as two powerful factions fight for supremacy in a setting haunted by U.S. historical artifacts. Chapters alternate between Mahlia’s, Mouse’s, and Tool’s perspectives, and the contrast of the three creates tension and works to efficiently develop the narrative. The characters struggle to balance loyalty and patriotism with the immediacy of self-preservation in a novel that offers equal parts action and introspection. ©2012 Cooperative Children's Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 13 and older
Age Range:
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Dystopias
Ethical/Moral Choices
Friendship
Perspective/Point of View
Speculative Fiction
Survival
Violence
War
Diversity subject:
Multicultural General
Publisher:
Little, Brown
Publish Year: 2012
Pages: 437
ISBN: 9780316056243
CCBC Location: Fiction, Bacigalupi