Freedom Trials by Meredith Tate

Abstract

Reviewed by: Freedom Trials by Meredith Tate Wesley Jacques Tate, Meredith Freedom Trials. Page Street, 2018 [400p] ISBN 978-1-62414-599-5 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 8-12 When teenagers break the law in this dystopian reality, they're given two choices: immediate execution or rehabilitation at the Center, an underground prison where their memories are wiped and their crime is tattooed on their necks and hidden beneath a metal collar. Evelyn Summers, Prisoner E.S.-124, has done everything she can—e.g., following every rule, betraying other inmates, and effectively establishing herself as a pariah—to curry favor with Center officials and progress to her Freedom Trials, a series of tests meant to determine whether contenders are truly deserving of freedom. Failing any of the seven trials leads to death, but as Evelyn and the surviving contenders complete the seven promised tests, a not-so-surprising eighth trial and the gradual return of her memories triggered by a new inmate from her old life reveal that everything she once believed was wrong. Amnesiac teens facing elaborately planned obstacles may seem seem derivative of Dashner's The Maze Runner (BCCB 11/09), but as details emerge of the world above being overrun with crazed murderers as a result of a medical treatment gone severely awry, Evelyn's revealed past as orphaned teen turned prison guard turned super soldier turned prisoner is an intriguing twist to an otherwise familiar dystopia. Constantly guilt-ridden after a series of difficult decisions—only some of which she remembers—and secretly equipped with lethal combat training, Evelyn as a relatable and kickass protagonist makes this a worthwhile entry in the YA sci-fi dystopia landscape. WJ Copyright © 2018 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois