After spending two years imprisoned in the Loop, Luka Kane, 16, is desperate for any change of routine or sign of hope. Though he can stay his execution by opting to participate in dangerous experiments that benefit the elite, he fully expects to die in prison, another victim of his dystopian society, which favors the privileged, technology-enhanced Alts (the Altered) over the so-called Regulars. Everything changes after Luka and his fellow convicts are subjected to a mysterious treatment that kills some and drives others mad. The survivors must now somehow escape the Loop, but outside, the weather spirals out of control, and people, now feral, slaughter one another. To survive, Luka and his dwindling band of allies must evade capture and confront those behind the recent happenings. In this harrowing debut, Oliver deftly conjures an unsettling surveillance state hallmarked by class warfare and a nightmarish penal system that harvests its victims' energy as punishment. Events take on an ambiguous tone as the story progresses, making it difficult to tell what is real, but an emphasis on the importance of human connection strengthens this cinematic series opener. Ages 14--up. Agent: Chloe Seager, Madeleine Milburn Literary. (Apr.)

Luka Kane, 16, lives in a death-row prison called the Loop, where inmates either wait to die or earn delays to their executions by becoming test subjects for technologies not yet ready for society's wealthy, cybernetically enhanced "Alts." Luka has spent the last 736 days in near isolation, watching his per diem of four minutes of memory playback and running the length of his small walled-in yard until he exhausts himself. Luka's opportunity to escape comes when something catastrophic happens outside the Loop. What he and his fellow inmates (at least, those who survive the initial bloodshed of their release) find when they emerge is a violent and terrifying mystery. Whispers of an uprising had made their way into the Loop, but it's unclear what the sides are in this new war--and what roles the Loop's former prisoners will play in it. Oliver's debut presents a terrifying futurescape at the heart-stopping intersection of The Matrix and The Maze Runner, kicking off a trilogy sure to prove dystopian sci-fi still has more to offer.

Gr 8 Up--Incredibly well written and briskly paced, this book will engage and enthrall even the most reluctant of readers with sophisticated dystopian world-building and events. On his 16th birthday, Luka Kane celebrates, (if it can be called that), inside the Loop, a prison where everyone serves a death sentence regardless of their age or background. Sentences can be postponed if an inmate agrees to subject themselves to scientific experimentation that is ostensibly benefiting those on the outside. Soon, however, rumors of a war outside the prison begin circulating among the inmates. Inexplicably, the government turns the rain off, and in a somewhat peculiar twist, the guards inside the prison vanish. Even more disturbing are the rumors of a virus ravaging the outside population, one that turns normal people into violent killers. As he tries to escape the Loop, Luka is faced with very real dangers within and outside the walls. This gripping tale moves right along, pulling readers into the world of the Loop. Luka is a realistic teenager being pushed to the edge; the faint-hearted may find themselves wishing for an escape, but will keep turning pages. VERDICT With plenty of appeal for fans of a good dystopian tale, this book won't spend much time on the shelf.--Wayne R. Cherry Jr., St. Pius X High School, Houston

As the government harvests young people for energy and experimentation, one group of teens fights to reclaim their bodies--and tries not to lose their minds in the process. In a futuristic, dystopian society run by an Overseer reminiscent of President Donald Trump (or perhaps Boris Johnson since the debut author is Scottish), there are the poor, less privileged Regulars and the cyborg Altereds, whose money buys them status and a better, bioengineered body. To sustain the Alts' high-tech lifestyle and bodies, the government harvests energy from and experiments on inmates in the death row prison, the Loop. Inmate Luka Kane, 16, a Regular who was imprisoned for an undisclosed crime, narrates this taut, SF thriller and trilogy opener. Following thorough descriptions of society's ideologies and Luka's intense situation is nonstop action. Rumors of an uprising and the unexplained shutdown of Happy, the World Government's operating system, give Luka and fellow inmates--all of whom have features their society deems imperfect--the chance to break out. In an even more hostile environment on the outside, they fight for independence amid violence, murder, and unexpected twists and turns. Readers must figure out ever changing government controls along with Luka; one of these open-ended surprises sets the scene for the next volume. Luka has dark skin, and the cast is ethnically diverse; Alts are white. A script-ready story with blockbuster potential. (Dystopian. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.