Set in a world defined by the ultimate “end of life as we know it” war, the planet is split into two worlds.  It’s really the “haves” and “have nots.”  One is a pretty, unsoiled utopian society that dominates.  The second is a social disaster full of the foulest of human exploitation and bursting with poverty and squalor.  Conversely, amidst the wretchedness, small snapshot of kindness and friendship shine brighter than ever.  With teens as the main characters, the outcome is often unpredictable.  It’s entertaining to read a story with characters that are true to their human nature and flawed like real people.  It makes them three dimensional and their achievements become even greater. 

The author, Steve Feasey, paints a potentially realistic world.  With several unexpected surprises along the way, the story is entertaining and convincing.  Thought-provoking characters and well described settings induce emotion in the reader and keep them wanting more. With both male and female main characters, this could be a good read for teen readers who enjoy stories of overcoming challenges that seem insurmountable.  Steve Feasey has written eight books and there are two in this Mutant City series.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  43 mild obscenities; 2 derogatory names. 

Violence/Gore:  A nerve agent drug used to knock out several people; 5 children are kept locked up; building attacked, implied several people killed, no details; man shot, a little descriptive and gruesome; a man infected by a disease he created, descriptive; story of many people who died in an attempt to save lives; an animal captured and eaten, no details; rumors of cannibal gangs & people farms; an outpost attacked, several killed, several taken captive; teen boy breaks a bone; a creature tries to kill two teen boys, descriptive and a bit gruesome; a man pulls a knife on another man, 2nd man fights back; man puts his hands around another man’s throat and threatens him; a man is missing his hand; two teen boys are held captive, descriptive but not gruesome; a man grabs a teen girl & she defends herself; people make sport of animals fighting, blood, a little gory; wild animals attack several men and hurt them, blood, death, a little gory; teen boy kills three men, two others are eaten by an animal, bloody, a bit gory; two teen girls are ambushed, 3 men killed; two teen boys are threatened by men with machine guns; teen boy becomes very sick, details describe how he looks; men attack two teen girls, 3 men shot and killed, teen girl grazed with an arrow; a man is missing an eye, some description; soldiers attack, men hurt, guns and weapons used; teen girl hits a man in his privates to defend herself; men hallucinate they are being eaten by gross creatures; soldiers attack three teens, lots of damage; mention of a man whose son died several years earlier due to illness; a few men tazed and unconscious; man threatens his brother with a gun; several explosions, no loss of life but a lot of structural damage; man kills two soldiers and his son; gas grenades are shot at a man and teens. 

Sex/Nudity:  Implied prostitution, no details.

Mature Subject Matter:

Cannibals, human farms, death of parents, murdering looters, murder, raiders, mentally handicapped teen, cloning, genetic manipulation, mutants, slums, human waste in streets, crime boss, tyrannical police state, socioeconomic issues, unemployment, creation of a cyborg.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None