In one of the last hierarchical societies, Newland has a set standard of classes – and seventeen year old Heidi Cruise, being both a Laborer and a female, is in the lowest ranking set.
She has already seen her best friend suffer under the ruthless hand of her Master in less than a year and soon it will be Heidi’s turn to be assigned a Master, as well.
But she refuses to accept that.
It is the time of year that the Savage Run begins – a brutal, male-only obstacle program that offers the lower classes to compete with one goal in mind: survive and become a Master.
Determined to find freedom, Heidi is convinced their only chance is to pretend to be male and enter the Savage Run. Yet before they are even able to register, things begin to fall apart.
Is it possible for a Laborer, and a female one at that, to ever be free?
I will say that occasionally the writing and editing of Savage Run felt like it could use some improvement – but the story is gripping and absorbing enough to move beyond that very quickly.
This is, in my opinion, a very well developed futuristic dystopia – a little shades of Hunger Games but different enough to not be too similar.
Savage Run is suspenseful and vigorous with some romantic elements that are strong but happily do not overwhelm the survival plot.
It’s a horrifying cruel obstacle course – in which you feel that the higher level of society is only giving this “opportunity” by gritting their teeth and bearing it.
With these nail-biting elements and a likable heroine, the very present-tense “in the mind of” narration works very well.
I found that I liked Savage Run quite a bit – every time I sat it down I looked forward to picking it back up. Very good!
And, um, I would like to read book two!
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