THE FACTORY

An innovative renewable energy facility turns out to have a sinister side.

When Asher Doyle’s mom finds herself in inescapable, “terrifying debt,” his absentee father—a married senator with a vested interest in keeping Asher’s existence under wraps—has a solution. He’ll send Asher, who reads white, to live at the Factory, a top-secret experimental program ostensibly designed to create “Clean Energy for Future Generations!” by harnessing people’s electromagnetic energy. The program promises a fun, camplike experience for kids ages 11 to 15, and the compensation for Asher’s participation will help his mom and grandmother. Upon arrival, however, the participants are greeted by armed guards and steel fences topped with barbed wire, a significant contrast to the enthusiastic promotional materials. It quickly becomes clear that the Factory is dangerous and full of secrets. The staff won’t provide meaningful answers to questions, and not only does the extraction procedure appear unsafe; it’s also excruciatingly painful. As the procedures continue, kids start disappearing, and Asher and his new friends Faith, Vi, and Troy (cued Black, Chinese American, and Latine, respectively) find themselves in a race for survival. The central characters are rich and interesting, with deep motivations, and their friendships are compelling and emotional. Budding dystopian and science-fiction readers will thrill at this gripping, fast-paced story with a cliffhanger ending.

A thrilling and complex beginning to what will surely be a sought-after series.