Radley's heading home from volunteering in Haiti because the political turmoil in the US is so bad, she's worried about her family. The APP is in charge and they've set up all kinds of strict rules of governance, conduct, and travel. When Radley finally gets to the airport, her parents aren't there to pick her up. So she starts walking home. It's grueling but she knows seeing them will be worth the trouble. Knowing they're safe matters.

Of course, they're not safe. Things are bad. So now Radley's decided to strike out on her own and walk to Canada. Even though it is illegal and dangerous to cross the border, Canada will be a safe haven for her.

Along the way, she meets Celia and her dog Jerry Lee. Celia doesn't talk much but soon they're travel companions and opening up to one another. Of course, Celia has a dark secret. (view spoiler)[ She's been raped so she's running away from it. She's also pregnant but she won't bother telling that to Radley when they're living together safely over the border. I want to know how come Radley never figured this out, especially when she makes a comment later in the book about how Celia became suddenly super modest about bathing. She also comments about how Celia can't keep any food down. And Celia has weird cravings. But no. Never once does Radley suspect maybe Celia's lying about not being pregnant. (hide spoiler)] The girls find a safe haven in Canada, find someone who takes care of them, and then when suddenly everything in the US is better, Radley decides to head home. This is where I stop talking about the plot.

Hesse's writing is lovely and poetic, and it's written more in a vignette style than traditional narrative. These are snapshots from the road and travel and experience. Illustrating the story are actual photos. I found them to be pretty distracting. I get that their purpose was to ground readers into the notion that this world exists today all around us (rather than in some far away, fictional future), but they didn't add anything to the story.

What started out as an excellent story about the trials of travel and government avoidance turned into convenience after convenience. When Radley and Celia get to Canada, almost all of their problems vanish. We find out their back stories here, but nothing bad happens to them on their new turf. They have someone taking care of them. They're gifted with two chickens (which, I kid you not, are named Wynonna and Ashley and this is probably one of those details I will always associate with this book in the future because the chickens "entertained" the girls. It's a reference that'll be entirely lost on teen readers, though).

The biggest problem I had with the story was that there was absolutely no world building. And on one level that makes sense: you have a story about our world and our world doesn't need to be built for us (and arguably it is through the images). The problem is that this corrupt government and extremism is never, ever explained. It is just assumed we'll accept it. (view spoiler)[ And I am sorry, but I cannot accept it at face value, especially when it results in the death of both Radley's parents. Which, I should add, made me irritated. It was obvious from the second she didn't get picked up at the airport that was the case, and it was completely obvious when she noted the "dark stains" on the pavement in front of her home the first time she arrived. (hide spoiler)] It seemed to me the book was to be a big series of Lessons: Americans suck at foreign and domestic relationships, Canada is a safe haven full of people who'll take poor and downtrodden Americans in, and you should volunteer abroad in order to become a better, more thoughtful and caring person. Because that's what Radley learned and then what she shares with us readers in the final vignette, complete with an image of a child from Haiti (which could have been poignant but instead felt like a cheap shot).

I think Hesse did something interesting how she wrote her dystopia, but it needed more development. I never found myself attached to the characters, and in fact, I found myself not caring a bit about them near the end. (view spoiler)[ OF COURSE when Radley drags Julian to Canada to live out their lives in the safe haven with Celia, Celia falls madly in love with him. And of course, since he is not a US Citizen, he's willing to stand by Celia and love her and her baby and be a good person. (hide spoiler)] I do not think the Lessons here were intentional; I fault the lack of world building and explanation.

This book feels like award material, though, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's looked at and considered by the Printz committee. I think style outdid substance, even though I found the style itself to be distracting.

Longer review to come.