The Murder Complex

April 14, 2014
Cummings debuts with a bloody dystopian thriller, in which what’s left of humanity hides behind the great Perimeter and scrabbles over increasingly scarce resources. No one dies from natural causes, thanks to nanites in humans’ bloodstreams, and as a result violence and murder are commonplace. Sixteen-year-old Meadow Woodson fights to the death to earn a job that will let her feed her family. Everything changes when she meets Zephyr James, a mysterious young man secretly programmed to be a killer. Together, they confront the darkest secrets of their society, while battling each other and a host of other enemies. Cummings takes her dystopian setting to almost ludicrous extremes before springing a flurry of surprises on readers. The frequent perspective switches between Meadow and Zephyr are almost whiplash-inducing, and the characters prove hard to sympathize with: Meadow kills with worrisome casualness, Zephyr is almost too tormented by his role, and their predictable romance has little grounding. The setting remains nebulous, and the cliffhanger ending leaves much to be resolved. Ages 14–up. Agent: Louise Fury, L. Perkins Agency.

May 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-A cure for human disease has been found, and overpopulation sets in, causing the society in this bleak dystopian novel to create an official murder compound. Cummings builds an intense, distinct world full of rogue pirates and government commandments. Meadow's main concern is taking care of her family, and her father has trained her to survive in any situation, making her a tough fighter. Zephyr is an unhappy ward assigned to carry out the Initiative's violent commands. After a chance encounter brings the two together, they form an immediate bond, though the reasons for their desire are not set up beforehand, which leads to a forced romance. The point of view alternates between the teens, but it is difficult to distinguish between their narrative voices. This dismal look at the darker side of humanity raises interesting questions of wealth, power, and privacy, yet none of them is fully explored. An additional purchase for those still looking to bolster their dystopian collections.-Carrie Shaurette, Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood, NJ

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2014
In a world where no one can die, murder is the only way out.In an overcrowded, not-so-distant future Florida, the Initiative keeps a close eye on citizens. Years ago, a plague threatened humanity, but Pins implanted under the skin release nanites that keep everyone healthy. Sixteen-year-old Meadow has been trained by her fisherman father to survive and to kill if necessary. Zephyr, 17, is an orphaned Ward; his job is to clean up the corpses of the victims of the 300-plus murders each month with his only friend, Talan. Zephyr has blackouts and is sure he has killed several people; and sometimes during his blackouts he dreams of a silver-haired girl. When Zephyr and Meadow meet, they set in motion a series of events that will change their world...and maybe the world at large forever. Cummings' debut, a bloody sci-fi thriller, strains credulity as the plot twists mount and previously held beliefs are shown to be false. Zephyr and Meadow trade off present-tense narration duties in alternating chapters, but their voices are not distinct enough for the device to work well. The world built is interesting enough, but it never comes alive and peters out at the close.Those in need of more dystopian fiction (is there anyone in this glut?) could do worse, but it's not a first purchase. (Dystopian romance. 14-17)

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May 15, 2014
Grades 9-12 In the Shallows, once known as the Everglades, hard-to-earn Creds are traded like old-fashioned money, kindness is punishable, and the mantra is kill or be killed. Everything is controlled by the omnipotent Initiative, and life matters little since overpopulation was facilitated by the Cure. Meadow, on the verge of 16, murders to secure a job in the rations department, while Zephyr, a 17-year-old ward, spends his mornings cleaning the streets of the dead. Through a chance meeting, they find they are made for each other despite the fact that he is programmed to kill, and she is trained to survive. Nevertheless, they join forces to find out who Meadow's mother was and who Zephyr really is. Chapters alternate between the duo's points of view, dovetailing into an explosive, mind-bending quest to stop the oppression. This debut is a carefully crafted, chilling look at how unbridled control over citizens' lives leads to fear, anger, and blind trust, while raising many important questions about playing God and its long-term consequences.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2015
Teenage girl Meadow must kill to survive in the Shallows, a dystopian society where no one dies of natural causes but the murder rate is astronomical. Zephyr is a Ward, an unwanted orphan who collects the corpses of murder victims, some of which are his own. Their voices are indistinct, their romance flat; continuous action makes the convoluted plot arduous to follow.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)