STING

A teenager proficient with knives seeks vengeance against a corrupt authority figure in this YA dystopian adventure.

Tessa is surviving in the city of Victor’s Dark District. Only the wealthy live in the Light District, with the Enforcers targeting any Darksiders trying to steal necessities like food and clothing. Employing her knife-throwing skills, courtesy of her father, Tessa faces off against Enforcers as she raids Light District warehouses. She anonymously steals supplies for Darksiders, always wearing a cap to hide a facial scar from Enforcers. These Robin Hood-style exploits earn her a nickname, the Scorpion, which soon both Districts know. Tessa also works with her romantic interest, River, and Elle, a rogue Lightsider whose father, Campbell, leads the Enforcers. But an apparent betrayal and a threat against Cass, the 10-year-old girl Tessa cares for, lead to the Scorpion turning herself in. Once inside Decay prison, Tessa aligns herself with her cell neighbor Pike, a former Enforcer trainee, and the two plan an escape. Tessa’s ultimate goal is revenge against Campbell, who, she learns, has devised a scheme that’s taking away jobs from Darksiders and putting money that should be theirs into his own pockets. Wilson’s swiftly paced tale is grim but entertaining. While the Dark District proves more harrowing than Decay, where Tessa regularly has food, her later problems escalate both the tension and the melodrama. For example, she remains torn between Pike and River; constantly worries about Cass; and debates whether certain friends are traitors. Tessa is a resounding protagonist; she’s capable, smart, and has enough flaws—including impatience—to be believable. The novel would have benefited from a backstory centered on Tessa showing how she mastered such skills as building and maintaining the bots she uses to “scout” areas. Regardless, it’s gratifying to watch her vigor and tenacity inspire others.

A sublime, energized heroine headlines this tale of a dark future.