Booklist Reviews
In a postapocalyptic Texas, there is a state-imposed rule that allows only one child per family, something especially important for Ava and her twin sister, Mira, daughters of the director of the Texas Family Planning Division. When their twin status is uncovered by the spiteful son of the governor, their father is arrested, and the girls run for their lives across several states and into the arms of an underground resistance. Though not the first book to deal with a one-child situation, this one is unique in that it was authored by twins. Utilizing an sf-fantasy setting and a survival-oriented plot, the Saunders sisters are careful to promote growth and differentiation between the twins when it is no longer necessary that they share one life. There are parallels to current news stories, such as immigration, environmental resources, and an autocratic political system. Try this with fans of James Dashner's Maze Runner series, Margaret Peterson Haddix's Double Identity (2005), or clone books such as Rachel Vincent's Brave New Girl? (2017). Grades 7-10. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.
Kirkus Reviews
In a dystopian United States where families are permitted only one child, twin teens Ava and Mira break the law simply by existing. The red-haired, green-eyed sisters function as one person in their hometown of Dallas, fooling the country's high-tech identification system by alternating who goes aboveground each day. When the tyrannical governor's grandson discovers their secret, the girls are forced to flee. Following their father's cryptic instructions over the course of a week, the sisters cross the treacherous desert in search of safety—and discover the seeds of a rebellion along the way. A dystopic future well-trod in many ways but inventive in others, Ava and Mira's world is an all-too-believable mix of advanced technology and environmental collapse. Only one substantial character's ethnicity is identified—Lucia, a Mexican immigrant who briefly crosses the twins' path. In their debut, Saunders and Saunders, themselves twins, lend an authentic voice to the gi rls' first-person narration, which flows nearly indistinguishably between alternating chapters. As they leave their old life behind, Ava and Mira grapple with existing as two separate people for the first time. Both tense and liberating, this shift in their identities only increases the stakes as the girls figure out their roles in the rising rebellion. Readers are in for a fast-paced ride, poised for a sequel, as the twins embrace their father's call, in the words of Walt Whitman, to "resist much, obey little." (Science fiction. 13-18) Copyright Kirkus 2018 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.
LJ Express Reviews
[DEBUT] Twins Ava and Mira Goodwin have lived all of their 18 years as one person, alternating days in hiding because the Rule of One permits only one child per family. Their father, Darren Goodwin, head of the Texas division of Family Planning, has led a double life, concealing his illegal child while upholding the rule in public. When the governor's son discovers their secret, Ava and Mira flee, following instructions and an escape route planned by their father. When Darren allows himself to be taken in the hope that the governor will be satisfied with his capture, the girls begin a perilous journey across harsh terrain, trying to avoid the surveillance cameras, drones, sniffers, and agents unleashed to find them. Along the way, they learn about a resistance movement that seeks to empower the people and overthrow the authoritarian elite. This debut by the Saunders sisters, twins themselves and award-winning filmmakers, will be followed by The Rule of Many in spring 2019. VERDICT A suspenseful and timely dystopian thriller that should appeal to both adults and teens.—Karin Thogersen, Huntley Area P.L., IL (c) Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
School Library Journal Reviews
Voice of Youth Advocates Reviews
This novel, set in a totalitarian future America, examines the lives of twin sisters living in a society where a one-child policy is lethally enforced. Ava and Mira have been raised since birth as a single child, swapping off days at school and home while the other waits in a subterranean room built by their father. Ironically, Dad runs the government agency that seeks out one-child violators, so the family lives on the edge, secretly supporting an underground movement for policy change. At age eighteen, an opportunistic schoolmate exposes the girls' charade and a dangerous escape begins through a high-tech landscape teeming with guards scanning imbedded barcodes and tracking drones, all captured by the ever-present cameras. The sisters must elude the relentless pursuit of a corrupt government leader, lawless vigilantes, and an unforgiving Western terrain to reach safety. Along the way, they discover the truth about their missing mother and much more as they make contact with the resistance. Of interest is that the authors are real-life twins who have co-authored the book. The apocryphal nature, strong female heroes, and similar concepts to the movie What Happened to Monday and to Margaret Haddix's book series Shadow Children, are reflected in this plot-driven book. Readers of the genre will appreciate the page-turning action, the close calls, and the authors' development of distinct personality differences between the twins. The story ends with a sequel on the horizon.—Kevin Beach. 3Q 4P M J S Copyright 2018 Voya Reviews.