Lloyd-Jones, Emily. Illusive. New York: Little, Brown & Company, 2014.

"When Ciere was eight, her mother told her the story of how the immunities came into existence." When Ciere was 11, her mother was gone. How does and 11 year old girl process having a gift that she must always hide from the world - a gift that has cost her mother her life? What kind of 17 year old does this little girl grow into? She is a tough one, plucked off the street, her life is saved by Kit. Through him she enters the world of a criminal. When she inadvertently becomes tagged by the mob, she embarks on a quest to gain her freedom that will lead her and her crew to a major discovery, one that will put them all in grave danger. A secret that everyone wants, good and bad, criminal, Feds, and mobsters. LLoyd-Jones creates a world where everything is upside down and no one can really be trusted.

The characters she populates this world with are realistic, complex, and engaging. She deftly draws the reader into their world. I found myself wanting to root for most of them, fascinated by their back stories and their inner struggles. I am often frustrated by the current trend toward serialized work, but I certainly can't wait to learn more about what happens to Ciere, Devon, Kit, Magnus, Alan, Daniel, and even Aristeus. A motley crew and a great lot of them, but nonetheless I am invested in them all. The world they populate is a dark one full of adventure. The crimes are brutal, but not graphic, making this a great read for my older students. They often find themselves growing out of Alex Ryder with nowhere to go. The idea of immunities that are caused by a vaccine creating a new world order creates a fresh take on a very busy genre. The ideas introduced through the actions of the plot are complex and thought provoking in the way of Hunger Games and Divergent and Unwind. Romantic entanglements don't overwhelm the book, but enough hints exist to grab the romantic heart.

I am excited to book talk this soon to my thrill seekers, my philosophical thinkers, even my romantics This title will have great appeal to guys and girls alike, which is great. My tagline...

"They are young. They are criminals. They are glorious

They are immune."

This quote captures what fascinates me, rooting for the criminals, exploring the immunities, and what will attract my readers. I often ask my younger kids what their superpower would be. A nice change will be to ask my older kids what would their immunity be.