A hidden gem

Yahoo!

I finally found a YA book/series that I am excited about.

Sunday, I read AMONG THE HIDDEN by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Aladdin Paperbacks, c1998, ISBN 0-689-82475-0) and was so into it I was disappointed that I had not checked out the rest of the series to read over my days off. This was the YA book I was looking for...the one that sparked the same kind of passion that I read in reviews, mentioned a couple of posts back.

In this book, the first in a sequence, Luke Garner is a shadow child or third born in a world where it is illegal to have more than two children. His family lives on a farm and Luke had always had a certain amount of freedom until the woods around his property are taken down to make room for housing for 'the barons', richest of the rich. Now his family is in constant worry that the population police will find him out which could result in his death.
In the book he meets Jen Talbot, another shadow child belonging to one of the Baron families and they become friends. Her passion is a protest that she is waging against the President, fighting for the right that allows third children to exist. Along the way, Luke learns many things about his government, family, friendship and himself.

I absolutely adored this book and I look forward to reading the rest in the series. I was surprised because, again, this has some futuristic, science fiction-type overtones and I DON'T LIKE SCIENCE FICTION!

Is it possible my reading tastes are changing?
Do your reading tastes change along with your tastebuds?

It starts:

He saw the first tree shudder and fall, far off in the distance.