Three best pals are staring down the end of childhood. For Stone, Deja and Moss, their latest breakups feel like the biggest adversities they may ever face. Never mind ongoing worries about a pestilent sickness, the threat of earthquakes, and rampant injustice. This tight knit trio just wants to finish school and move on to their careers without making too many waves. Little do they know that their lives are about to be irrevocably changed as they each receive some devastating news. All the while, a passionate war has been brewing just under the surface. These three teens find themselves forced into a position they never could have imagined, a position that could leave them on opposing sides of the coin, a position that could either cement their friendships or cost them everything.
Although this timely tale is dystopian, the drama and social divisions are the real heart of Golden Dreg Army, Book 1: Enlisted. The allusions to a massive worldquake and the futuristic tech are intriguing, but the brutal war and the toll it exacts are where the real tension and excitement arise. The characters are well defined and every reader will be able to find someone to relate to and root for. Stone is a lovely mix of sensitive and aloof, but the war changes him into a more decisive and confident man. Deja has always been feisty, but she experiences things that threaten to break her down. The socio-political themes permeate every aspect of this story, but are told in a palatable way for the young adult audience. For a character driven and action packed novel with so much to enjoy, Enlisted, Book 1 of the Golden Dreg Army series will be tough to put down!
