The Revisionary by Kristen Hogrefe

This is a great young adult dystopian novel. Natural disasters had devastated the U. S. population beginning in 2089. Cities were decimated. The western half of the U.S. was destroyed as fires raged. And then an EMP ravaged what was left of the nation.

The year is 2149. A new nation has risen from the ashes. The authoritarian government recruits teens for special training. Portia is an intelligent young woman taken to the center of government to study to become a leader. But the environment there is not what she expected. There is no freedom of thought. Questions are not allowed. She realizes there is a lack of information available. “There is nothing in our society today to remind us of the past or what lies outside our borders.” (Loc 4634/6771) Will she be loyal to the repressive government or rebel and put her own life in danger?

This is a very well written novel. I am impressed with the plot, the descriptions and the personality development. Portia is a young woman who grabbed my emotional support. She is brave yet compassionate. I really like her and her actions in the novel.

There are many issues for discussion contained within the plot. There are many ethical questions Portia faces. Is it right for a person to be obedient to an oppressive government with a view to advancing to a position where one can make a difference? There are also issues of political and historical importance. Portia realizes people need to know history to avoid past mistakes and learn from successes. What does one do when an authoritarian government suppresses knowledge of the past?

I highly recommend this book. It is well written and thought provoking. There is a good discussion guide included so this would make a great book for a teen reading group. I am really looking forward to reviewing the second book in this series next month.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Kristen Hogrefe is an author and teacher who challenges young adults to think truthfully and live daringly. She has written an young adult suspense trilogy, Wings of the Dawn. The Revisionary is the first in the trilogy, Rogues. She teaches secondary language arts for Alpha Omega Academy and serves as the middle school girls' director at her church's youth group. She is a motivational speaker at graduations and workshop presenter at writers' conferences. She also serves as a Word Weavers mentor and leads an online writing group. You can find out more at www.KristenHogrefe.com

Write Integrity Press, 402 pp.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review.