The two girls are as far apart as can be: Madden is an elite Purple, destined to become a Minister of the Seven and living a life of privilege. Dax is an Ash, with no money, no privileges, and no destiny. When Dax's brother, Aldan ,is killed for appearing to reject his destiny, Madden and Dax are drawn together in spite of their distrust and dislike, and all around them, clearly drawn societal lines begin to crumble. Romantic interests begin to brew, and a secret rebellion is uncovered. This first novel by the creative team of Petroff and Manley launches a new series of dystopian novels that could be a good fit for Hunger Games' fans. It offers compelling, complex story lines, neatly paced, with plenty of twists and turns. Told in alternating chapters from both girls' viewpoints, the story shows the artificialness of the boundaries we impose on others in society.

Gr 8 Up-After the Event, in which seven billion people died, the survivors created a system to ensure nothing like that would happen again. People are placed into what is essentially a caste or "ring" system, starting with the highest, most powerful Purples through the rainbow to the lowly Ashes. As people are born, specialists extract their destinies, down to the day and timeand to maintain order, all must fulfill their destiny. Dax is a rarity, a Blankone whose destiny could not be extracted, the lowliest of the low. Madden is an elite Purple, being groomed to take over a position on the ruling board. After Dax's brothers commit the ultimate sacrifice in the name of breaking free from pre-determined destinies, Dax and Madden are thrown together in a plot of intrigue, secrecy, and danger. While many elements of the plot are left unexplainedfor instance, how exactly does a specialist extract a destiny from a baby?the action is never sparse in this science fiction series opener. VERDICT For those who enjoy stories about rebelling against "the system," such as Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" (Scholastic) and Veronica Roth's "Divergent" (HarperCollins), the "Destined" series is bound to entertain and enthrall. Amanda C. Buschmann, Atascocita Middle School, Humble, TX