Extraction

Sixteen-year-old Clementine is trapped on the surface of Kiel, where deadly acid rains down into the atmosphere from the nearby moon, held at bay by a force field maintained by the oppressive government. Every year, a few candidates with exceptional intelligence, strength, and obedience are “extracted” from the surface to join the elite citizenry living safely in the planet’s Core. Clementine is one of them, but leaving the surface means leaving her boyfriend, Logan. Clementine’s selection comes as little surprise, so the first section of Diaz’s debut novel drags a bit, and the social dynamics of the surface world will be familiar to avid readers of recent dystopian YA. The story picks up once Clementine reaches the Core, where her initial impression of paradise is replaced with suspicion at the eerie compliance of her fellow extractees and horror at revelations that threaten the surface world. The finale hits a few false notes—Clementine’s plan to save her former home gets overcomplicated—but the story remains entertaining as it sets up the next book in this planned trilogy. Ages 12–up. [em]Agent: Alison Fargis, Stonesong. (July) [/em]