Behind the Gates

In the first book in the Tomorrow Girls series, set in a future America rocked by natural disasters and war, 13-year-old Louisa is excited about leaving her Chicago home for boarding school%E2%80%94and freedom from the watchful eyes of her wealthy parents. She even has her best friend Maddie with her, disguised as her twin sister so they can stay together. Unfortunately, the Country Manor School turns out to be a remote school in an unknown location, cut off from phones, mail, TV, and the Internet, where the girls are stripped of all personal effects, the grounds are patrolled, and there's a strict curfew. Along with roommates Evelyn and Rosie, the girls know they need to find out the truth about why they've been brought there. Gray's solid writing will grab readers as she plunges her characters into an unsettling situation, and questions and discomfort build. Only Louisa's character gets much development, and the political background is a tad thin, but the three sequels (due throughout 2011) will likely address these minor drawbacks in an otherwise promising story. Ages 10%E2%80%93up. (May)