The Finisher

This is a debut YA novel by the well known adult author David Baldacci, one of my favourites and the reason why I was tempted to read the book. So glad I did as it did not disappoint. This dystopian novel is set in a village called Wormwood, surrounded by a forbidden place called The Quag. This is a place where horrendous creatures roam freely and the threat of an attack by these creatures keep the people of Wormwood (Wugs) in line. It is also a male dominated society where the women are addressed as females. These are subtle hints to the reader of what a drab, relentless life you would have if you lived there. Our main character, Vega Jane, looks after and provides for her young brother as their parents are ill and in The Care. When Vega's mentor, who she works with at The Stacks, disappears, leaving behind a secret message, she begins to realize that Wormwood is built on dangerous lies. She is forced into a physical competition with the strongest males in the village, and has to rely on her wits, her only friend Delph, and her canine, Harry Two to get her through. Vega has a stubborn, questioning nature which is a threat to the order of the village set by The Council, but allows her to find a number of magical elements. Vega develops through the story and becomes stronger and more confident. This is a fast-paced adventure, has interesting language, with intriguing characters which all make for a fantastic quick read. The pages are randomly dotted with wonderful illustrations to help you with your imagination and has a map of the village at the beginning for you to keep track of Vega's surroundings. Suitable for fantasy lovers of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings. 506 well written pages for 10+ confident readers, older reluctant readers if fans of dystopian, or for a reading group of reluctant readers as there are lots of discussion points throughout the story. This is also the first book in a series, so now I'm getting engrossed into the second, which is called The Keeper. Hope it's just as exciting! 510 pages / Ages 10+ / Reviewed by Linda Brown, school librarian.

Suggested Reading Age 11+