THE DIARY OF PELLY D

On a colonized planet, a stolid boy working demolition discovers the buried diary of a self-absorbed rich girl. Toni V is smashing concrete to help rebuild City 5, destroyed in the recent war. His drill hits a diary that he secretly reads at night, against the rules. Adlington skillfully makes Pelly’s diary appealing from the beginning, even when Pelly herself is snotty and self-entitled. Her life of luxury begins to unravel, as political forces require everyone’s ancestry to be tested and stamped on their hands. Discrimination suddenly affects Pelly, who discovers she’s a Galrezi, the lowest genetic classification. Political powers evict her from her apartment and ration her water, which all these humans bred with gills need for nourishment. Pelly’s story ends with sudden character warmth and a Holocaust parallel; thoughtful Toni’s last decision is hopeful, though it’s hard to see where the hope can lead. (Science fiction. YA)