A punchy futuristic story.
Waking up with a dead man’s hands gripping her neck on the floor of a dark hotel room is not MaeAri’s idea of a successful assignment. To make matters worse, there are several unsettling pieces of her memory that seem to be missing. MaeAri may not remember the last few weeks, but what she knows for sure is that she is a deadly seventeen-year-old assassin working for a secret government group called the BBAN. What she doesn’t know is why a complete stranger gives her advanced warning about a shocking threat on her life. Or why a handsome new guy at school seems to be stalking her, yet she opens up to him against her better judgement. Or how she might escape the soul-sucking job of being a professional killer without losing her life in the process. All these problems compete for attention as MaeAri deals with an impending natural disaster, ongoing racism, and petty school bullies.
Golden Dreg Quake, Book 1: Baby Box Assassins is a punchy futuristic story featuring a fierce, yet vulnerable protagonist. MaeAri adds needed diversity to the genre, breaking the mold with her soaring height, her sharp wit, and the beautiful dark color of her skin. Dailey capitalizes on some well established dystopian constructs without going into much detail in terms of world building, but the author adds a unique spin with the looming threat of a huge earthquake and some cool tech like electro glasses, biocuffs, solar trees, and robot-driven cars. The enigmatic BBAN (Baby Box Assassin Network) that MaeAri is beholden to is a little like joining Fight Club, but for orphaned children. Periodic memories dropped into the timeline help fill in the gaps of MaeAri’s past, but the intriguing plot and guarded characters will keep readers engaged in the present. Unsettling and confident, Baby Box Assassins is perfect for young adult readers looking for a bit of bold escapism.
