Killer of Enemies
Gr 7 Up-Author of more than 120 books for adults and children, Bruchac has incorporated his Abenaki heritage into much of his writing. Killer of Enemies is no different. What is unique here is the postapocalyptic twist. Following the coming of the Cloud, which destroyed all technology and plunged the world back into the preindustrial age, 17-year-old Lozen, of Abenaki and Apache ancestry, is one of the few people left with the ancient skills and courage necessary to survive outside the walls of their city, a former prison. Holding her family hostage has given the rulers leverage over Lozen, forcing her to fight the genetically altered monsters that threaten the city and its inhabitants. While the premise is solid, the monster-of-the-day approach becomes somewhat redundant, and readers may wish that more emphasis had been placed on the circumstances surrounding the coming of the Cloud and its affect on the world, Lozen's relationship with her family and fellow incarcerates, and the rising of the walled cities. This is a serviceable addition to the ever-growing dystopian genre.-Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AKα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.