Liberty 554-062466-84 of Aldonia lives in a responsible society that cares for the earth and everyone on it. They have learned to balance resource consumption with replacement initiatives, unavoidable pollution with clean-environment efforts. Science ensures that every baby born is healthy. The government ensures that every baby born is needed. All are cared for, taught, and given a specific duty to perform, their unique contribution to society. Why is Liberty so unsatisfied?

In less than two weeks, Liberty must begin her vocation. Every girl in Aldonia wishes she had Liberty's vocation. Liberty would rather flee from Aldonia and live on her own, independent of the all-controlling government, the Regimen Custodia Terra. The high electrical Boundary Fence crushes any thought of escape. The ID implant imbedded in her hand makes it impossible to hide. She has no choice but to submit. Liberty is slated to be a Breeder.

As vocation day draws near, a man with an obsession for Liberty attacks her and injects her with a drug. She’s about to lose consciousness when someone comes to her rescue, a man in a mottled cape and dark glasses. She wakes in an underground facility where people watch over Aldonia with an array of monitors and surveillance equipment. These people are full of secrets, but she discovers one thing: they rescue a man scheduled for re-education. They rescued him. They can rescue her.

“People should be able to choose what they want to do,” I said. “It’s not right that the Regimen tells us.”

While wrapping her fingers around the grip of a pistol, Silver gave me a sideways glance.

“You’d better watch yourself. Don’t want to get caught talking like that.”

No one seemed to have a problem with breaking laws, all sorts of laws, but everyone worried about what you said.

Character Casting

Dedrick

If you are looking for a dystopia book that you can get lost in from the beginning, look no further. This book captivated me from the moment I started reading it. It's a fast-paced rollercoaster ride that leaves the reader on their toes as the story unfolds.

Liberty had me holding my breath one moment and growling at her not to do what she was about to do the next.  There are so many twist and turns that the author has us going down as Liberty and Redrick defy the controlling government.

I really hope that Theresa has another book already started.  Liberty and Redrick’s story is nowhere near over.

I loved Author Theresa Linden’s take on what they world could look like in the not so far away future. With technology, growing how it is it is not hard to picture her book coming to life and being a future none of us is truly ready for.   

The lead heroine in this book Liberty was completely relatable. Liberty is a strong willed girl that does not want to accept the future someone else has picked out for her.  Knowing she is forced to leave everything she loves soon fulfill her vocation duty has Liberty ready to rebel.  The only problem is no one wants to hear her thoughts on not accepting the vocation that she has hand selected for by the government.

Liberty is head strong and ready to take on the government if she just knew how to do it. She does not realize there is an entire group of people ready to do the same thing until her life is in danger and Redrick swoops in to save her.

Redrick is everything Liberty wants to be, he is strong willed, defies the government for the greater good, and knows that what they are doing is wrong. The only problem is that he is not ready for Liberty. I loved these two realizes that they had feeling for each other. And that Author Theresa Linden did not have them jumping in bed together.  She kept both of her leads to themselves. Liberty was not ready for that step to happen and Redrick has a destiny to fill right alongside her.

And to throw a huge kink into Liberty’s future is a doctor who is absolutely obsessed with her and starts digging around to find her and prove that she is a bad seed that must be stopped. He will not let it go that he knows Liberty is up to something and must prove to everyone that he is right. 

Theresa resides with her husband and three boys in northeast Ohio. She was born in California and moved every three years (her father was in the Coast Guard). This probably accounts for her love of traveling and desire to see the world. Living by the ocean, under the palm trees in Guam and Hawaii, helped spur her imagination. She began writing illustrated short stories with her sister in grade school, borrowing characters from favorite movies and shows. Now, writing is her passion. Her favorite genres include Fantasy, Western, Contemporary, Supernatural and Futuristic.

 Other interests: painting with acrylic, drawing with ink, hiking, traveling and American History. Theresa is a member of the Catholic Writer's Guild, a local writers' group, and Critique Circle, an online critique group. She has an Associate's Degree in Electrical/Mechanical Drafting and a Catechetical Degree from Catholic Distance University.