Friday Fiction Fix: "Swipe"

The Short:

Swipe

By: Evan Angler

5/5 Stars

What: At the age of 13, residents of the American Union are allowed to become citizens, if they pledge allegiance to the government by being Marked by a tattoo. 12 year old Logan Langly dreads the day of his pledge and suspects he’s being followed by a dangerous criminal.

Recommended to those who like: Quick reads, Dystopian, clean fiction

The Long:

Swipe is probably the best Christian dystopian book I’ve read. It’s believable, but not preachy (In fact, I only suspect it’s Christian due to the publisher and a few subtle hints throughout the book). While the characters are young, it doesn’t read like a chapter book or a low-level read.

Logan has long suspected that he’s being followed. Ever since his sister’s death at her pledging, he’s noticed strange things around his home in a suburb of New Chicago.

A few months before his scheduled Pledging ceremony, Erin arrives in town. A city girl trying to pull her fighting parents back together, she wants nothing more than her father to solve whatever government case that’s pulled him out to the middle of nowhere.

She and Logan soon find that their circumstances are intertwined and they work together to save Logan from the elusive group known as the Dust.

The main characters are believable as middle school students (which they are), or even high school students, making this accessible for most readers. It’s a quick read for an afternoon and the action picks up fairly early on. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a not-so-dark dystopian novel. The writing is good and Mr. Angler brings a nice voice to the story that gives it life.

If you’ve read the book, feel free to share your thoughts below. Please remember to be respectful of Mr. Angler and his work, as well as other commentators. I also welcome comments on what you would like to see included in the reviews. I reserve the right to remove vulgar, hateful, or rude remarks from the comments. Thanks for sharing!