“Article 5: Children are considered valid citizens when conceived by a married man and wife. All other children are to be removed from the home and subjected to rehabilitative procedures.“

In this dystopian world, the Bill of Rights has been replaced by the Moral Statutes after a war rampaged through the United States. Children out of wedlock are forbidden and taken away from their mothers. Ember Miller is one of those children and desperate to find her mother after being sent away to a “rehabilitation center”. She manages to escape with the help of former crush, Chase. The two make their way to Virginia, but are separated in a riot. Ember realizes her search is futile when she discovers the boy she’s caught feelings for may have had a hand in her mother’s death. This classic dystopian novel allows for discussions covering topics such as surveillance, war and trauma and interpersonal relationships.

Novel · United States · 2012