YA Dystopian: Renegade by J.A. Souders – 4 Stars

Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes, all her life she’s believed that everything is perfect. Her world. Her people. The Law.

But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into Elysium’s secluded little world, Evelyn comes to a startling realization: Everything she knows is a lie.

Her memories have been altered.

Her mind and body aren’t under her own control.

And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.

Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb…and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.

What a pleasure to read Renegade, the first novel of J.A. Souders. I am very impressed with this book, and I think it will appeal to many adults even though the story is marketed as YA. My thoughts:

1. Cool setting and potent characters—including one scary “Mother.”

Elysium is an underwater settlement enclosed in glass. Power is created using the heat of vents in the seafloor, oxygen created by breaking down water molecules. There are several Districts focused on different aspects of production (like the Hunger Games).

Mother is the name of the matriarch who rules the entire settlement. She is the guardian of Daughter of the People—I suppose someone she is grooming to be her heir, but who is not related by blood.

That doesn’t mean that “Mother” won’t pimp Evelyn out for “Coupling,” i.e. reproduction.

I really enjoy Evelyn’s perspective and I appreciate that the story stays with her the whole time. She and Gavin end up gallivanting around the settlement, and different locations are introduced gradually at a nice pace.

2. Did you say “Coupling?”

In Elysium, only those approved to become a Couple are allowed to touch each other. AT ALL. No hand holding, pushing hair out of someone’s face, no kissing, no groping, just no.

This makes the sexual tension in this book super high.

Evelyn’s Mother is quite eager to have her pass on her genes and basically forces her to choose a man. Creepy much? How about when Mother readies Evelyn to receive her choice in a black minidress that barely covers her hips, as well as a pair of black high heels.

It’s no surprise Evelyn is soon clomping around in those heels trying to escape her.

3. Great editing and a tight plot make this book a blast to read.

This story only took me a few nights to read—it even kept me up to ungodly hours of the morning.

There are several phrases that repeat through the book, and the second chapter begins in a similar way to the first. An example of this is “My life is just about perfect.”

These repetitions are used as a device to show how the memories of the main character have been altered. This is actually done very skillfully.

4. Great addition to YA literature.

Thank you wonderful editors and J.A. Souder! This book has been primed to its full potential.

This is the first YA, let alone YA dystopia, I have read that takes place underwater. This is really up my alley as I am writing a novel about mermaids. I would like to see more stories exploring underwater settings.

If you like Hunger Games, this is definitely one to check out. Although Renegade looks to be the first book in a series, the story is very cut to the essentials and could stand alone.

*This review has been given in exchange for a free ARC from Debut Author Challenge ARCs. Thank you!*