Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

Shadow Children Series – Book One

Ratings Explanation

Violence: Jen, Luke’s new friend, is a key leader in an underground movement to make shadow children, third children legal. Jen and her fellow shadow children demonstrators are gunned down in a political rally as they peacefully demonstrate for their legality. The violent incident was not witnessed by the main characters, but retold by Jen’s father to Luke. The Population Police search for illegal third children in Jen’s home and Luke desperately hides to avoid execution.

Adult Themes: The society in which the Shadow Children live is governed by a militaristic government. Third children are illegal and are executed for their existence. The country has faced famines in recent history. In order to control the toll starvation has had on the population, they have outlawed third children. There are always food shortages and people live in fear that yet another right will be taken away. Luke’s parents have their farmland taken away. The government clears the land to build mansions for the Baron’s, the wealthy class in society. Luke’s mother takes a job in a chicken factory to make money to buy food, since they will no longer be allowed to raise swine due to the smell’s proximity to the Baron’s homes.

Synopsis

Luke is an illegal third child. He has never been to school, never been in a car, had a birthday party, never seen by his grandparents. Luke is one of the Shadow Children. He has lived his first twelve years in hiding. A new housing development is built on his family’s former farmland. He sees a girl’s face in the window in the middle of the day and is convinced that she too is a third child. He courageously sneaks out to meet her. Jen is willing to risk it all, her very life to come out of the shadows and live. Luke learns about other third children and a plan is conceived to expand rights to the shadow dhildren.

I really enjoyed the premise – a society where rights and privileges that we take for granted do not exist for the characters in the book. I could not wait to see where the story would lead me through the series.

©2009 The Literate Mother