Enclave

Enclave
By Ann Aguirre
Feiwel and Friends, 2011. 262 pgs. Young Adult

In Deuce's world, people earn the right to have their own name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained for one of three groups: Breeders, Builders, or Hunters. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember. As a Huntress, her purpose is clear: to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning. She and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the Freaks who seem to be growing more organized, but the elders refuse to listen to warnings.

This is advertised as a book "for fans of The Hunger Games," and I have to say it was pretty satisfying in that regard. Deuce's character is a little one-sided, but she goes through some progression by the end of the story. While I was initially disappointed, this book slowly won me over and was quite a page-turner. The only problem is that saying it's for Hunger Games fans lends it to comparison with that book, and of course Enclave comes out a bit pale. Still, this was a fun read and even though it's the first in a series, it comes to a satisfying conclusion for those who hate cliff-hangers.

BHG