Here's a unique premise that could become disturbing real. Danny Wright, 17, signed up for the Idaho National Guard, in part because his father died in the war. He has completed summer training, and until he graduates, his commitment will be minimal. Then the governor of Idaho gets into a squabble about sovereign rights with the president. Danny's unit is called up to quell a riot in Boise; when a rock hits him, he accidentally shoots a protester. Now, all hell breaks loose. As each side's position hardens, Danny is caught in the middle, wanted by the feds, and protected by the state. As the situation spirals out of control, Danny's choices become narrow and inevitable. Novelist Reedy adds length, if not always substance, as Danny tries to keep life normal with football, rodeo, and his devoted girlfriend. But Reedy does a very good job of presenting all sides' opinions, especially through the tweets and news reports that end chapters. This has the dual advantage of giving readers an action-filled story that will also make them think. The dramatic ending promises more.

In the first installment of a trilogy set in the near future, 17-year-old Pfc. Daniel Christopher Wright fires the shot that may spell the end of the United States. When Danny's Idaho National Guard unit is called to police a protest in Boise, Danny is hit by a rock and accidentally discharges his weapon, causing other Guardsmen to open fire, killing several protestors. When President Rodriguez demands that Gov. Montaine turn over the names of the soldiers involved and begin enforcing the new federal ID-card law, a standoff ensues. The conservative governor vows to resist a federal government grown too big and will nullify the new law. Since nullification means insurrection according to Article VI, Clause 2 of the Constitution, federal troops are called in, and the crisis escalates. Danny's story is threaded between frequent and lengthy italicized news reports that keep readers abreast of the political situation. Given the dramatic battle scene depicted on the cover, readers may be disappointed to find that the action in Volume 1 is intermittent, as the political and military pieces are set in place for the sure-to-be-dramatic concluding volumes. Projecting 19th-century nullification crises into a not-so-distant future, Reedy creates a credible military thriller. (Thriller. 14 & up)

In this stunning trilogy opener, Reedy (Words in the Dust) envisions a near-future America on the verge of disaster, where political discord, economic crisis, and a controversial new law have created tension between state and federal governments. Enter 17-year-old Pfc. Daniel Wright, a football-playing, truck-driving, country music-loving high school senior and member of the Idaho National Guard. When his unit is called to help with a potential riot in Boise, things get out of hand, eventually sparking a full-blown conflict between Idaho and the Feds. Caught between duty to family, loyalty to the military, and his own sense of honor, Daniel becomes a pawn in a much larger game between governor and president. In a story line tied to current affairs, Reedy tackles pressing issues with prescient clarity and delicate sophistication. His setup is terrifying in its plausibility and made all the more so by Daniel-s conflicted everyman nature, with both sides portrayed as sympathetic yet flawed. Though the tech is slightly futuristic, this cautionary tale screams immediacy and urgency, a page-turner that rapidly moves toward a catastrophic cliffhanger. Ages 14-up. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. (Feb.)

Gr 8 Up-Popular high school football player Daniel Wright loves his country, so the moment he turns 17, he joins the Idaho division of the Army National Guard. Daniel is looking forward to a bright future in Freedom Lake with his girlfriend JoBell at his side; he hopes to earn enough money from the Guard to help pay for auto tech classes and eventually purchase full ownership in his deceased father's garage. When his company is mobilized and sent to Boise to help maintain the peace between protestors and proponents of the Federal ID Card Act, Daniel never imagines that people would die, that he would be the cause of their deaths, or that his future-and the future of the United States-would forever be altered. Author Reedy's first book in a planned trilogy is an action-packed look at what could happen in an America where state and federal governments are at odds with each other. Set in a not-too-distant future, the book mixes patriotism with incredible realism, creating an all-too-possible pre-dystopia. Using the enactment of a controversial law as the catalyst, Reedy effectively places the audience in Daniel's shoes as he struggles with his feelings and actions in the aftermath of the riot, and it is this first-person perspective that will resonate with readers long after the thrilling final pages. Strong characters, a fast-paced narrative, and complex questions about what it means to be an American make Reedy's speculative novel a must-read. Audrey Sumser, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Mayfield, OH