Inhuman, by Kat Falls

Fetch #1
Scholastic
ISBN:  978-0545370998
October 2013
Young Adult

INHUMAN, the first in the Fetch series, is an engaging dystopian adventure, blending action and science fiction in new ways.  In the not-too-distant future, the United States has been ravaged by disease.  Lane McEvoy has spent her entire life hidden on the safe side of the Wall, which separates the safe West from the hazardous East via the Mississippi River.  The East, known as the Feral Zone, is populated by those infected with the Ferae virus and criminals no longer welcome in the West.  When her father disappears and is implicated in a crime against the government, Lane is forced to enter the Feral Zone to find her father.  Relying on the survival skills she learned in classes and enlisting the unlikely assistance of two young men, Lane is determined to locate her father.  As ill-prepared as Lane is for the violent life on the other side of the wall, she is even less prepared for the truths the government has concealed. 

INHUMAN shares a lot of the same elements as other dystopian novels, such as THE HUNGER GAMES, DIVERGENT, and ASHES, and like these other books, the target audience is middle grades and up.  Fans of the genre, regardless of age, will enjoy this dark and interesting tale because of the heavy themes that dominate the novel, including abuse of power, medical ethics, and quality of life.  The premise of a deadly virus causing permanent loss of life and change to a country is quite believable, though some of the outcomes of the mutation of the virus are a little more far-fetched.  In INHUMAN, the author successfully establishes a believable futuristic world, a heroine who doesn’t yet know her own inner strength, and a potential love triangle that’s sure to keep readers hooked.  Ending in an emotional cliffhanger that will both please and taunt readers, INHUMAN is an engaging, action-packed adventure sure to successfully ride the wave of dystopian literature that is so very popular at present. 

Rating:  4