Publishers Weekly
11/28/2022
A group of teens raised in a makeshift quarantine zone long to escape in this near-future dystopian debut from Daniels. Sixteen-year-old white-cued Esther Crossland has grown up amid the harsh rules and social extremes of the Arcadia, a former cruise ship forced to idle in place off the Atlantic coast of what used to be the U.S.A., now the Federated States, after an apocalyptic virus nearly wiped out humankind 40 years prior. Arcadian citizens are forbidden to leave the ship, but as a student medic, Esther has the rare opportunity to work on land pending an evaluation. When she hears a rumor that another quarantined ship similar to hers had its citizens slaughtered, however, her worry for family prompts her to question her goals. Alternating chapters follow Punjabi Nikhil “Nik” Lall, also 16 and a member of a group of revolutionaries planning a rebellion that seeks to end the quarantine. When he is shot during an incident, Esther is kidnapped by the rebellion to treat him, and their lives intertwine as the rebels and Arcadian government clash. Daniels crafts an invigorating microcosm of society aboard the Arcadia via a protagonist whose ever-expanding worldview imbues this cinematic-feeling thriller with suspense and intrigue. Ages 14–up. Agent: Felicity Blunt, Curtis Brown. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
"This fast-paced, action-packed, near-future thriller explores social and political issues that feel relevant today…An addictive, original debut that will leave readers clamoring for more" — Kirkus Reviews
"The novel is fast paced and plot driven... There's something for everyone here, and the high-energy ending appears to signal a sequel." — Booklist
"The chapters are riddled with high tension and intense intrigue. A story that is hard to put down once started, and one that will leave readers with lots to think about after it is finished" — School Library Connection
School Library Journal
02/01/2023
Gr 9 Up—The Arcadia, once a luxury liner, has been at sea for 40 years while warring nations launched biological warheads across the continents, killing millions. The Arcadia, along with a few other ships, were left adrift as the Federated States were established. This new nation does not want any of the ships' refugees. Esther is training to become a medic, with the promise of a home on dry land. Nik is part of a group taking a different route: to rebel in hopes they can fight their way off and destroy the ship. Nik doesn't want anything to do with a medic, while Esther believes associating with Nik will hurt her chances of leaving the ship for a better life. However, both of them love Esther's sister, May, who has chosen to help Nik's mutinous cause. Standing in their way is Hadley, who is in charge of keeping the peace on the ship—which usually means suppressing passengers' rights and imposing controlling rules. Readers will be hooked from the beginning and will not be able to put this thriller down. The structure of the book also hooks readers into the story. The point of view seamlessly rotates among Nik, Esther, and Hadley. Readers will easily believe the dystopian setting because much of it is grounded in current-day universal truths. The ship becomes its own microcosm of the divide between the haves and the have-nots. The theme of good versus evil is prevalent throughout the story, as is the ability of power to corrupt. VERDICT This novel will be a favorite among patrons who love dystopian fiction and will be a popular read in any high school library.—Jeni Tahaney
Kirkus Reviews
2022-09-28
Formerly a luxury cruise ship, the Arcadia became a refuge for those fleeing Europe after a deadly virus was unleashed during biological warfare in this duology opener.
It’s 2094, and the refugees have been stranded shipboard in the Atlantic for 40 years—the isolationist Federated States, which seceded from the United States, will not admit them. Sixteen-year-old Esther and her boyfriend, Alex, are part of an elite group studying to be medics who will have the opportunity to work on land. Esther lives in her grandparents’ former honeymoon cabin with her parents and sister, May. Secretly in cahoots with Nikhil, her love interest, May and other renegades strive to liberate the passengers in a large-scale rebellion against Hadley, the ship’s authoritarian commander. Classism and systemic oppression persist, although race does not seem to be a factor, with comfortable upper-level cabins juxtaposed against poverty-ridden passengers known as Neaths who live beneath the waterline, are ruled by gangs, and never see the light of day. Over time the ship has become decrepit and food, scarce. Possession of outside information is cause for arrest. This fast-paced, action-packed, near-future thriller explores social and political issues that feel relevant today. The characters are well fleshed out through chapters that shift between various points of view. Esther’s arc, in particular, embodies an eye-opening journey. A morally gray cloud surrounds many characters, supporting plot twists. Main characters default to White; Nikhil and his family are British Punjabis.
An addictive, original debut that will leave readers clamoring for more. (Dystopian. 13-18)
