I absolutely love reading young adult dystopian books, so when I heard about Extraction by Stephanie Diaz I knew I had to add it to my list. It is the first in a new series, and was just released this past July. If you're looking for a dystopian pick with some unique science fiction elements, you'll definitely want to pick up Extraction!Readers follow sixteen-year-old Clementine as she struggles to survive on the Surface. Because of pollution, the moon has started leaking a killer acid through the depleted ozone layer. Though scientists built a shield to keep the acid from killing the population, most people now live underground, with the Core being the desired place of residence. As the book begins, Clementine is about to take the Extraction testing. This test decides whether she will be chosen to live in the Core, or whether she will be killed at age twenty once she is no longer needed.
Clementine scores well on her test, and is given the opportunity to escape the Surface. But leaving means she will be ripped away from her best friend Logan, whom she will most likely never see again. Clementine hopes her new life in the Core will be a safe one, and that she might possess enough Promise (the score each citizen is given according to their physical and intellectual abilities) to impress the Core's commanders.
Overall, I really enjoyed Extraction, and gave it four out of five stars on Goodreads. The story is fast-paced, easy to read, and very adventurous. There were many twists and turns around the way, but they were logically written and Diaz drops subtle hints to carefully craft the story. I also really enjoyed the characters, and how I never knew who I could trust and who was a bad guy. My only critique was that there are many elements of Extraction that were very reminiscent of other dystopian novels I've read. I would have liked a bit more originality at some points, but for the most part the story is out of this world (pun intended).
While Extraction had a solid ending, I'm very much looking forward to the second book Rebellion which is scheduled to be released in February of 2015. If you love the young adult dystopian genre like I do, I highly recommend picking up this series. Extraction is available for purchase on Amazon HERE. You can also preorder Rebellion HERE to make sure you'll get the next book as soon as it's released! As always, please let me know your thoughts on Extraction in the comments below!
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.
