June 17, 2019
In a dystopian United States eerily reminiscent of the present, an impeached U.S. president refuses to leave office, starting a civil war. Dilouie (One of Us) focuses the story on orphaned children in Indianapolis who must participate in the war in order to survive it. After 10-year-old Hannah is orphaned, she joins the Free Women militia, looking for a family. The militia is forced to fight for survival, fearing that if the far-right “rebels” and “patriots” win, citizens will be stripped of fundamental rights. The more horrors Hannah witnesses as she assists from behind the lines, the more eager she is to join in on the battles herself. Unbeknownst to her, her 15-year-old brother, Alex, is still alive, but fighting for the rebels. He’s not sure he wants them to win, but he knows that if he doesn’t fight, they’ll likely kill him. Other factions complicate tactical and ethical decisions. Meanwhile, a local reporter and a UNICEF representative work together to try to save children from a war they don’t belong in. Dilouie makes his politics plain and occasionally resorts to stereotypes of the political right and left, appealing to readers who agree with him at the cost of alienating those who don’t. This gritty, horrifying tale of hate, fear, and hopelessness, sprinkled with moments of love, will leave readers with haunting memories.
July 1, 2019
The United States is at war--with itself. Impeached two years ago, president Philip Marsh refused to leave office, starting a rise in militia, military, and rebels that throws the country into civil war while the rest of the world looks on, offering thoughts, prayers, and humanitarian aid. Ten-year-old Hannah Miller watched as her mother was gunned down in the street in Indianapolis while searching for water and now finds herself on the doorstep of the Free Women Collective, whose members are battling to survive and bring their world back from chaos. Fifteen-year-old Alex Miller was scooped up by the Liberty Tree militia, fighting against the government that impeached the president and defiled the Constitution. As siblings on opposite sides of the conflict, their ideas of right and wrong become grayer. Alex and Hannah will meet face to face again, weapons drawn, as children are forced to fight. VERDICT Presenting a dark alternate reality that touches the seams of current events and a possible future, DiLouie (One of Us) offers an uncompromising view of child soldiers and patriotism in conflict. [See Prepub Alert, 2/18/19.]--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton
Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.