In Saci Lloyd's (The Carbon Diaries) new dystopian action-packed thrill ride, England is in trouble. Oil is scarce, and countries that rely on it are falling far behind the "wave and wind" nations. Even London's Outsiders, rebels who choose to live off the grid, have been more successful at making their own energy than the British government.
Uma is an Outsider who finds herself with the key to a revolution in her hands. She must deliver a disc to the next Keeper, who will help lead the Outsiders in their quest for a better life. Hunter is a privileged Citizen, whose father holds an important official job troubleshooting one energy crisis after another. But Hunter is fascinated by the way Outsiders live. It's real, and when he's not plugged into his retinal scan like the rest of the Citizens, playing online games "like a braindead dingus," he can see "London as it really is." The two are thrown together when Hunter witnesses the killing of a defenseless Outsider by brutal Kossak soldiers, and they team up to figure out how they can deliver the disc and save the Outsider movement. On the run now, they draw their friends and family into danger along with them, with the Kossaks hot on the trail, determined to stop them with whatever force is necessary.
Momentum features strong characters in a high-tech, desperate world. Even in a crowded field of dystopian post-oil stories, this one will stand out for its taut energy and well-plotted suspense. --Lynn Becker, host of Book Talk, the monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI