Review Detail

After a worldwide famine, a population law is enacted in America. Only two children are allowed per couple, any other children are counted as illegal, or shadow children.

12-year Luke is a shadow child, he has lived his entire life on his family's farm hidden from the neighbors and the population police. He and his family live in fear every day of someone finding him. When a housing development is built behind his property, Luke loses the last freedom that he has, as he is forced to stay in his house or risk discovery.

A few weeks after the development is built Luke sees, somebody else inside one of the houses, and all the neighbors are gone. Eventually Luke takes a chance a discovers another shadow child, Jennifer Talbot. Jen is excited to meet Luke, and shows him a network she has developed to communicate with other shadow children, and organize a protest against the population law. Luke is excited to meet Jen, but intially disbelives that Jen will actually follow-thru. When Luke finally realizes that Jen plans to have the protest and risk her life and the lives of several other shadow children, he is forced to make a decison. In the end both Jen and Luke's decisions have far reaching impact and change their family and their lives forever.

This book is definitely thought-provoking and provides a excellent opportunity for discussion on population control and the extent of a government's involvement in it's citizen's lives.


Age Groups: 11 and older

Content: references to children being executed, references to children being imprisoned