Deviants by Maureen McGowan – a Review

Deviants is Maureen McGowan’s first book in her The Dust Chronicles series, which is a YA dystopian novel.  I read this book in one day, as I could not put it down. Here is a description from her website:

Description:
In a post-apocalyptic world, where the earth is buried by asteroid dust that’s mutated the DNA of some humans, orphaned, sixteen-year-old Glory must hide and protect her younger brother. If their Deviant abilities are discovered, they’ll be expunged—kicked out of the dome to be tortured and killed by the Shredders. Glory would give anything to get rid of her unique ability to kill with her emotions, especially when Cal, the boy she’s always liked, becomes a spy for the authorities. But when her brother is discovered, and she learns their father, who was expunged for killing their mother, is still alive, she must escape the domed city that’s been her entire world.

Outside in the ruins, they’re pursued by the authorities and by sadistic, scab-covered Shredders who are addicted to the lethal-to-humans dust now covering the planet. Glory’s quests to transport herself and her brother to safety make up the thrilling and fascinating first volume of The Dust Chronicles.

Review:

Deviants immediately introduces our heroine, Glory, as she is scrounging prohibited places for rats.  Why rats?  Because she is starving, and she needs to feed her younger brother, so when you are desperate, rats are food.  This is a dystopian story, and the world as we know it has been destroyed, and those survivors live inside a dome called Haven.  No one is allowed outside, where the dust will kill you, unless the evil Shredders get to you first.  The conditions for the majority are poor, as they live in close encounters. The Comp rule the Haven. 

Glory hunts, with her friends, Jayma, Cal and Scout.  We find out early, that Glory has a secret power, which she is trying to learn to control.  No one, other then her brother Drake, knows about this power.  Glory can kill with her eyes, which she uses only to kill the rats.  Glory and her brother are Deviants, people who have various powers, and they are also hunted by the Comp.  When Deviants are found, they are expunged to the outside world, where the Shredders will kill them. 

Glory hides her brother, as he is crippled, due to a horrible accident three years ago. Her mother was murdered by her father, and her brother was crippled.  Glory knows her father was expunged and is now dead.  But she hid her brother, since he too came into his Deviant power, but being crippled, he cannot do much on his own.  If he is found, he will be killed.

Glory has a crush on Cal, and just when they start to date, she becomes concerned when he tells her he knows about her brother.  Around that time, Glory meets a stranger, who tells her that her father wants to talk to her.  She doesn’t believe the stranger and runs away. A short time later, when she goes home, she finds the stranger taking her brother with him. He tells her they are in danger, and he must take them to safety.  At that time, she hears the Comps searching her area, and she panics and goes with the stranger.  From here on is a very exciting adventure, which takes them outside the Haven, which puts them in constant danger against the Shredders, the elements, and other survivors who are very much interested in Glory.  At first she did not trust Burn (the stranger), but he treats her and her brother with kindness, and helps fight off the enemy.  Along the way, Glory begins to see that life at Haven, and the outside world was not what they were led to believe.  However, when Glory meets her father, she realizes he is alive and all that she believed was a lie. 

There are so many twists and turns along the way.  So many truths to discover, and betrayals. Glory does get to know Burn, and his Deviant and dangerous ability. They both become close, and she realizes that she has begun to care about him. They go through so much, in helping each other save their lives.

They will eventually meet their destination, a settlement which is run by the Freedom Army. But there are so many surprises & twists during the last ¼ of the book, and they will change the game drastically.  McGowan takes a surprising turn, that was very unexpected, and it leads to a cliff hanger, that will put Glory in more danger then she has has ever been before.  I for one cannot wait, as Maureen McGowan has created a wonderful new dystopian adventure that should not be missed.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by publisher