When you decide what freedom really means, how far will you go to attain it? That's what drives this spin on a dystopian story about survival in a world where the United States' borders are all behind a ring of scorched earth. Nature, in the form of deadly disease-carrying ticks, has waged war on humanity and those within the safe zone live a safe (although very limited) life. Most people have no desire to leave, but some, driven by a need for an adrenaline rush, use their wealth to sign up for an expedition into the dangerous, tick-ridden areas outside the salt line. This latest group, however, include a few people who have different reasons for going on this expedition. When they find themselves at the mercy of a community of outer-zone survivors, and defenseless against the ticks, alliances and friendships in the group start to shift.
This is a tautly written story that starts you off thinking you know what's going to happen and by the end, you feel like you have no idea how you ended up there. There are plot twists and character development that come at several points in the book, which keep the pacing taut with suspense. There are some interesting characters, and not all of them are easy to like or completely figure out (which I liked). I will say that the idea of making ticks extremely nasty and dangerous gave me the creeps throughout the entire book --- and every time I was walking outside, I was jumpy; it's definitely a well-done plot element.
That's not to say the book is without flaws. However, I really liked the author's take on a dystopian (and what sounds like near-future) setting. The story explores how friendship can change, depending on how far circumstances can push people, and in fact, how circumstances can make people question their own humanity.
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