The Crossing

Mott (The Returned) spins a captivating, fast-paced dystopian tale about a world in chaos and twins fighting to stay alive. The world is plagued by two concurrent atrocities: the Disease, in its 10th year, is wiping out the elderly, and a world war has turned every country other than the United States into a war zone. Tommy and Virginia, orphaned twin siblings who escaped a brutal foster system at the age of five, are living as drifters in Oklahoma and believe they won’t live to see the end of the war. Virginia’s one goal is to see the shuttle launch to Jupiter’s moon Europa, carrying what may be humankind’s last chance for survival. When Tommy receives his draft notice, he tries to hide it from his sister. Virginia, who remembers everything in perfect clarity—including their parents, whom Tommy barely recalls—has been overly protective of him since birth; on their way to the shuttle launch, authorities catch up with Tommy for dodging the draft and he learns that Virginia has been keeping him from entering the army by forging documents. While Tommy leaves for the war, Virginia’s talent for memory makes her appealing to the government and she enters its service. Although Mott’s concept is interesting, unnecessary use of flashback makes the choppy scenes hard to follow. Fans of dystopian fiction will look past the rough plotting and enjoy Mott’s intriguing concept. Agent: Michelle Brower, Folio Literary. (May)