The 2013 Hundie Challenge #47: First

Moving on through the Red Adept entries in the Hundie Challenge we reach:

FIRST by Chanda Stafford

Ahem.  (I'm going to take a shot at this.)

FIRST is like THE HUNGER GAMES mashed up with ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND.

Eh, that's not a great comparison but it'll do.  FIRST is the first (ha!) in a YA series where Texans have no rights and intellectuals are lauded for their contribution to society.  (Truly, a Republican's worst nightmare.)  [rimshot]

Buuuut seriously, folks, take my wife.  Please!  [rimshot]

All right, all right, the book.  So FIRST is a YA book but I didn't consider it especially dumbed down, in fact I would say it dealt with some pretty heady issues.  Medical ethics, haves vs. have-nots, even some of that trickier, Randian stuff about whether society owes the John Galts of the world or vice versa.  But, while I say that to ensure you that an adult will not feel out of place reading it, compared with THE HUNGER GAMES (which it often has been by reviewers) it's certainly tame enough in terms of content and violence for your teenage kids to read.  Definitely worth checking out.

You can check out the back cover synopsis here.

Or an excerpt here.

And when you decide you're ready to buy it, any one of these fine retailers can help you out.