This Dystopian novel is one that really shook me up. There is a lot of deep thinking going on for the reader. We first meet 16 year old Silas who is running the race of a lifetime-literally. The outcome of this race will determine “who” he becomes and what society he will live in. He was trained to be part of the “Command” society and be a leader. The race ends badly for him and he ends up in the lowest society possible, “Labor”. Once there, he is in for a world of degradation and humiliation. He is constantly tested physically, mentally, and emotionally. Silas is always wondering who he should trust, and for good reasons. Two different “groups” of people want him to work for them and both have their own motives at play. There is definitely a political undertone found in this novel. There is a slight love interest here, but it has more action and suspense than some of the other dystopian novels out there today.
Though this book is listed as a YA (young adult) book, I highly recommend that only teens over the age of 16+ read this novel, along with adults. Some of the scenes may be too harsh for anyone younger, due to some violence and methods of degradation. This book is very well written and will bring out many emotions in the reader. I know it did exactly that for me. Some of the things that happened stunned me, but also made me look at life differently. If you are looking for an action packed and thought provoking book, A Nothing Named Silas will fully satisfy you.
