XVI
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3.8 • 13 Ratings
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
Nina Oberon's life is pretty normal: she hangs out with her best friend, Sandy, and their crew, goes to school, plays with her little sister, Dee. But Nina is 15. And like all girls she'll receive a Governing Council-ordered tattoo on her 16th birthday. XVI. Those three letters will be branded on her wrist, announcing to all the world-even the most predatory of men-that she is ready for sex. Considered easy prey by some, portrayed by the Media as sluts who ask for attacks, becoming a "sex-teen" is Nina's worst fear. That is, until right before her birthday, when Nina's mom is brutally attacked. With her dying breaths, she reveals to Nina a shocking truth about her past-one that destroys everything Nina thought she knew. Now, alone but for her sister, Nina must try to discover who she really is, all the while staying one step ahead of her mother's killer.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gender politics and sexual awareness play prominent roles in Karr's thought-provoking dystopian debut, set in a totalitarian future where world peace came at the cost of certain civil liberties and personal freedoms. At 16, every girl gets a XVI tattoo to signify her status as a sexually legal adult, along with a chance to join the Female Liaison Specialists (FeLS), often the only hope "low-tier" girls have of escaping poverty. Despite mounting peer pressure, Nina refuses to buy into the "sex-teen" mindset thrust on her and her friends since they were young. After her mother is murdered, Nina embarks on a hunt for the father she never knew, even as her mother's creepy boyfriend stalks her for unknown reasons. Nina may possess a key to shattering the corrupt government and the secret behind FeLS, but must decipher it before tragedy strikes again. An unusual blend of futuristic thriller and pro-abstinence advocacy, Karr's story has much to say about the increasing sexualization of teenagers. The balance between plot and preaching can be wobbly, but overall, it's a solid, enjoyable story. Ages 14 up.
