Rash

Summary

Consumption of alcohol: Illegal.

Football and other "violent" sports: Illegal.

Ownership of guns, chain saws, and/or large dogs: Illegal.

Body piercings, tattoos: Illegal.

It's late in the twenty-first century, and the United Safer States of America (USSA) has become a nation obsessed with safety. For Bo Marsten, a teenager who grew up in the USSA, it's all good. He knows the harsh laws were created to protect the people. But when Bo's temper flares out of control and he's sentenced to three years of manual labor, he's not so down with the law anymore.

Bo's forced to live and work in a factory in the Canadian tundra. The warden running the place is totally out of his mind, and cares little for his inmates' safety. Bo will have to decide what's worse: a society that locks people up for road rage, or a prison where the wrong move could make you polar bear food.

Review

I had never heard about this book but I picked it up because the cover intrigued me. It was ok, I thought it was going to be better because of the description. Even though it was not one of my favorites it was interesting, inventive, and had a good lesson behind it. Through Bo's stint in prison the readers learn about the importance of following the rules and that sometimes even if the rules seem ridiculous they can be helpful. I had never read a book by Pete Hautman but I might try one of his better known books in order to get a better sense of his writing style.

4.3/10