Insignia by S.J. Kincaid Earth is in the middle of World War III but it's not fought by men on the ground it is fought in space with drones controlled by men. We are not fighting over religion or politics but real estate. In fact the generals in this war are CEO's of powerful corporations not the military. Tom Rains and his father, Neil, are grifters. They travel from town to town conning people out of their hard earned money. Tom is tired of his ordinary life and wants to do something extraordinary, so he spends all of his free time playing virtual reality games and he is good. He is so good that he gets the attention of Dalton Prestwick who offers him a spot at the prestigious military school, Pentagonal Spire where he will train to become a soldier in the war. Tom's father is dead set against it. He doesn't trust Dalton and we find out later he was right not to. Does this sound familiar? Enders Game. Ready Player One. Insignia is non-stop action, full of corporate greed with a definite anti-government feel. Science fiction fans rejoice you are going to love this book. Almost forgot this is book 1 in a trilogy.
Quarantine by Lex Thomas McKinley High is just like any other high school with one big difference, it is next door to a company that manufactures illegal biological weapons. They kidnap and do experiments on local teenagers. The government finds out about it and decides to to shut them down. During the raid one of the infected teenagers escapes and hides in the high school. The adults are all killed and the students become carries of this deadly virus. In order to contain the virus the government decides to quarantine the school and all of its occupants. With all the adults dead, the students are left to survive on their own. This sets the stage for absolute chaos. It is the ultimate battle for survival.
I really enjoyed this book. It is the Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies on steroids. Is it a literary marvel? No, but it is action packed and entertaining. There are some slow spots but this gives you a chance to catch your breath. This book is not for everyone. There is a lot of violence and there is some offensive language but if you can get past it and you like survival stories this one won't disappoint.
