“Mansfield begins her new trilogy by dropping readers into a future that’s as propulsive as it is miserable. In marvelous, staccato prose, she describes Avery’s world as ‘Gray. The sky. The factory. The conveyor belt. The little pills that feed us, heal us, alter us–stabilize us.’ The GEBs are reminiscent of the pod people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but are used so cleverly here that they feel totally fresh. Although the novel is aimed at young adults, sophisticated jolts of turmoil charge the narrative, as when Avery has ‘lost the time to let beauty perform its work on {her} spirit.’ Overall, this masterful series opener is in better company with William Gibson’s Neuromancer than safer fare such as The Hunger Games. An exhilarating ride, full of sheer drops and whiplash curves.”
Follows the writer's journey in the creation of Roll Call Trilogy. 