Best friends Kayla and Mishalla know they will be separated when the time comes for their Assignments. They are GENs, Genetically Engineered Non-humans, and in their strict caste system, GENs are at the bottom rung of society. High-status trueborns and working-class lowborns, born naturally of a mother, are free to choose their own lives. But GENs are gestated in a tank, sequestered in slums, and sent to work as slaves as soon as they reach age fifteen. When Kayla is Assigned to care for Zul Manel, the patriarch of a trueborn family, she finds a host of secrets and surprises not least of which is her unexpected friendship with Zul s great-grandson. Meanwhile, the children that Mishalla is Assigned to care for are being stolen in the middle of the night. With the help of an intriguing lowborn boy, Mishalla begins to suspect that something horrible is happening to them. After weeks of toiling in their Assignments, mystifying circumstances enable Kayla and Mishalla to reunite. Together they hatch a plan with their new friends to save the children who are disappearing. Yet can GENs really trust humans? Both girls must put their lives and hearts at risk to crack open a sinister conspiracy, one that may reveal secrets no one is ready to face."
Industry Reviews
Karen Sandler's Tankborn is a thought-provoking YA science fiction that's very fast-paced and brilliantly executed. You're thrown into the world, having to figure out terminology via its usage rather than through information dumps. And while the plot isn't hard to follow, there's a lot of underlying themes that lend themselves to discussion (with regards to using religion to control people, the morality of creating a race of genetically engineered slaves, etc.). . . . Tankborn is a highly recommended, thought-provoking YA novel from a new imprint dedicated to diversity.--SF Signal "SF Signal " Reaching beyond an exciting dystopian plot, Karen Sandler tells the alarming story of a society that has come to devalue humans, turning many of them into commodities, and the courage it takes to face the truth needed to fight oppression. . . . Such thought-provoking themes and the high level of character development, as well as an engaging plot, make the book ideal for a wide audience, although it's tailored to science-fiction buffs.--ForeWord Reviews "ForeWord Reviews " The author's speculative vision of the darker side of future possibilities in genetic engineering and mind control is both chilling and thought-provoking. This is a dark novel that will appeal to those who enjoyed M. T. Anderson's Feed (Candlewick, 2002), and it would make a good stepping-stone to Anthony Burgess's classic, A Clockwork Orange (W.W. Norton, 1963).--School Library Journal "School Library Journal " Advanced genetic engineering and upsettingly plausible caste oppression keep pages turning in this futuristic science fiction tale. . . . A good option for science-fiction fans interested in genetic engineering, rebellion and class issues.--Kirkus Reviews "Kirkus Reviews " Karen Sandler's Tankborn is a thought-provoking YA science fiction that's very fast-paced and brilliantly executed. You're thrown into the world, having to figure out terminology via its usage rather than through information dumps. And while the plot isn't hard to follow, there's a lot of underlying themes that lend themselves to discussion (with regards to using religion to control people, the morality of creating a race of genetically engineered slaves, etc.). . . . Tankborn is a highly recommended, thought-provoking YA novel from a new imprint dedicated to diversity.--SF Signal "SF Signal " Reaching beyond an exciting dystopian plot, Karen Sandler tells the alarming story of a society that has come to devalue humans, turning many of them into commodities, and the courage it takes to face the truth needed to fight oppression. . . . Such thought-provoking themes and the high level of character development, as well as an engaging plot, make the book ideal for a wide audience, although it's tailored to science-fiction buffs.--ForeWord Reviews "ForeWord Reviews " The author's speculative vision of the darker side of future possibilities in genetic engineering and mind control is both chilling and thought-provoking. This is a dark novel that will appeal to those who enjoyed M. T. Anderson s Feed (Candlewick, 2002), and it would make a good stepping-stone to Anthony Burgess s classic, A Clockwork Orange (W.W. Norton, 1963).--School Library Journal "School Library Journal "" Advanced genetic engineering and upsettingly plausible caste oppression keep pages turning in this futuristic science fiction tale. . . . A good option for science-fiction fans interested in genetic engineering, rebellion and class issues.--Kirkus Reviews "Kirkus Reviews "
