REVIEW: Scored by Lauren McLaughlin

Dear Ms. McLaughlin,

In the glutted world of YA dystopians, it can be hard to stand out. After all, how many variations of a grim future in which a teenager's entire life is mapped out by a test can there be? But despite that, your novel reminded me that even the most tired plot can find new life through fresh execution.

In Scored, towns all over the U.S. have agreed to take part of a program in which their children are "scored." Based on an array of criteria, children are assigned numbers...