Karp, Jesse. What We Become.

Karp, Jesse.  What We Become.  Houghton Mifflin/Harcourt Brace    2013 424p ISBN 978-0-547-55500-3   hs  Hardback  VG  Science fiction  

Yet again, in this companion book to Those That Wake, the main characters of Mal and Laura are battling the ills of technology and its role in the downfall of their society.  The book’s pace is quick.  New characters are introduced who support Mal and Laura as they fight, literally and figuratively, against The Old Man and his dreams of world dominion through mind control.  Mal comes across as physically very strong and quick-witted.  The character of Laura is less well drawn, although her loss of memory and her relationships with family may be the reason why.  All in all, a good dystopian read.  This book will find a built-in readership with YAs that enjoy dystopian stories.  Strong language and situations would keep this from being included in a middle-school library.  High-school libraries and public libraries are sure to find readers for this title.

Summary: The dystopian companion to Those That Wake finds Mal and Laura fighting the “Old Man” and his desire to rule the minds of everyone on earth through technology.

Science fiction, Dystopian literature                             --Lynn Fisher