Read-Along Week 1: Compliance Isn’t Consent”
Allison is back in Manhattan. Her room is redecorated. Her wardrobe is upgraded. Her school schedule is planned. But something is wrong.
In Chapters 1–5 of A Ward of the State, we watch Allison get shuffled from one polished performance to the next—boutique shopping, school meetings, classroom placement—all under the watchful eye of a system that claims to have her best interests at heart.
Her voice is sharp. Her mind is clear. And yet, no one is listening.
That’s the point. She’s not meant to be heard, only managed.
These chapters are about the tension between going along with something and truly agreeing to it. Compliance is expected. Obedience is rewarded. But inside, Allison is already rebelling.
She’s reading between the lines of her assignments.
She’s questioning what Vanguard is teaching—and why.
She’s watching her mother shift from woman to weapon in a heartbeat.
She’s seeing it all.
And we, as readers, are being asked to see it too.
Let’s talk: Where do you see control disguised as care in these chapters? Which scene hit hardest for you?
