The Ticks are vampire-like creatures resulting from genetic experiments gone wrong; they were human, but now they are not. Deadly killing machines, the monsters are devouring towns and states. There is less and less indication that anyone out there is still battling the the Ticks.
But...there are "real," old-fashioned kinds of vampires, too, and one of the bad ones is marshalling the genetically altered vampires for his own purposes.
Because the vampires prefer the blood of adolescents, most teenagers have been sent to various campuses to keep them safe until the monsters are defeated. However, word from the outside diminishes, and "the farm" doesn't really feel like a place of safety. The situation on the farm has an atmosphere more like a prison, and perhaps, in its own way, as dangerous as the outside. What happens when the teenagers reach their eighteenth birthday?
Twins Lily and Mel are planning an escape, but the situation is especially difficult because Mel is autistic, and Lily's efforts to keep her safe are often compromised. When a boy Lily knew from high school turns up in their camp, the plan to escape becomes more complicated as more people are involved. Once they get on the other side of the barbwire, they must avoid and prevail over the predators that hunt them.
A fast-paced, entertaining read. Evidently a sequel is planned, and I'll want to read it to find out more about Lily, Mel, and those who have formed a resistance in hopes of saving civilization.
Berkley UK, Penguin.
YA/Dystopian. Dec. 2012. 420 pages.
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