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Decimation
Living in Axis has always left Kaya Lewis, the daughter of President Lewis of the Vitae Corporation sheltered from the rigid social structure of Lexicon. Kaya has always been able to be best friends with Matthew Larkin, the janitor's son who has been a part of Kaya's every memory. Everything in her world changes when her Dad's former business partner turned nemesis, Rebecca Dean buys out Axis leaving all the kids within the Axis to attend the harsh schools of Lexicon because she now needs every building to house her labs for scientific research. She even issues trackers to every Axis resident to keep tabs on their every move. The only positive about Rebecca's return is her son Talon, who was once best friends with Kaya and Matthew. Being teenagers now complicates every aspect of remaining friends. Now all starting a new school year in Lexicon schools tension between Kaya and Matthew heighten because of social aspects, Matthew begins pushing Kaya away. Kaya knows Talon is a better match, but Matthew has had her heart since childhood. Kaya's feelings for Matthew and Talon's interest in Kaya have pushed what was a friendship to its limits. Just when the turmoil of being a teenager seems too much, Kaya falls victim to a random kidnapping, in a string of kidnappings where no one is ever found. Just as she is about to lose consciousness, she sets off her tracking device. Her absence prompts Matthew and Talon to put aside their differences to form a search party to locate Kaya. Days later Kaya is found in a field left with both physical and emotional scars, after a hard recovery, Kaya is desperate to be normal again and hopes to go to the Halloween Dance. Not even the turmoil of being in high school can prepare the 3 friends for what they uncover on Halloween night, after a prank within the newly remodeled Axis labs goes horribly wrong. The horrifying discovery leaves the 3 friends in a race against the clock to stop a series of events that have been in the works for almost a decade. With companies set up worldwide can they stop the plans Rebecca Dean has made to destroy the Vitae Corporation and possibly the entire world? Find out in the first book of the Decimation series.
292 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2013
2 people want to read
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November 14, 2022
I Am Not Your Enemy: a review of Decimation, by Marisa Cantrell-Rodriguez
Kaya Lewis, the protagonist of Marisa Cantrell’s novel Decimation, is skeptical of labels. Decimation begins with Kayla in a classroom where she clashes with a teacher for her presenting a paper that reflects her “thinking outside the box.” Decimation is futuristic, set in a post United States era, in Axis, which is inside Lexicon. The novel’s insight suggests conflicts going on in the U.S. and internationally, conflicts stemming from disease, natural catastrophes, and human corruption. Three significant aspects of the novel are boundaries, stability, and morality.
Matthew Larkin, Kaya’s best friend, is of the working class, his mother a librarian, his father a groundskeeper. Matt exemplifies the boundary of class that is so pervasive in Lexicon. Kaya’s mother is a teacher, her father a scientist; she is of a class above Matt’s. His being on their school’s football team affords him some class mobility; still, he is limited in associations with others. Boundaries abound. There are walls, people wanting to get within the walls of Lexicon, and others wanting out. There are hidden labs, electric fences, places where Axis citizens are allowed, and where they are not allowed, not always because of class status but because they are citizens in Axis. Kaya’s grandfather, who lives outside of Axis, recalls the United States and conflicts that led to its demise. Also, there are nomads, who live in no particular place. Tracker devices ensue people are where they’re supposed to be, though the people are told the trackers are to ensue their well being.
The person lying to the people about the trackers, thus reinforcing boundaries, is the novel’s antagonist, Rebecca Dean, the president of Lexicon. In her quest to maintain power, she exudes instability. Earthquakes, viruses, testing on humans, displacement of humans—all come down to Rebecca Dean. She is why stability is so important, and that stability is best exemplified in the lifelong friendship of Kaya and Matt. Throughout the novel, their friendship prevails against class boundaries, disasters natural and human-made, and their own natures. Matt is a jock, Kaya a bookworm, though Matt’s intelligence rivals hers. Matt is Kaya’s voice of reason, calm whereas Kaya is excitable, passionate, often acting and reacting on emotions. They “love to hate” each other, often argue and clash, and, most rewardingly are always there for each other. Kaya conceals things from her family, but conceals nothing from Matt, nor he from her. Ironically, Rebecca Dean’s only child, Talon, is a close friend of both Kaya and Matt. Matt is often jealous of Talon’s spending time with Kaya, nevertheless both males are “there for each other” as they are for Kaya. It’s ironic that Talon is the son of Rebecca Dean, and he sees through his mother, that she is not in power to help Lexicon but only to use it in her quest for world power. In his role as friend Talon too personifies stability.
Timeless and universal, morality is key in Decimation. Kaya’s grandfather exemplifies moral courage in his trusting Kaya to be her own person, to do the right thing. And where Rebecca personifies evil, Talon personifies good. Like Kaya and Matt, Talon has shortcomings, and, like them, he can be counted on to do the right thing. Decimation is apocalyptic, and especially in the second half, with earthquakes, nomads, guards, and the undead, the action is on an apocalyptic level, but just as human nature prevails, so does morality, the sense of right and wrong, good and evil, truth and falsity. Rebecca Dean wants control, and Kaya resists control, as do Matt and Talon. And that resistance, that saying no to the lies of Rebecca Dean, translates to action, acting of out a sense of right, to make Lexicon a better place.
In its moral fiber Decimation is reminiscent of George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm, which say, You belong to the state. Kaya says not only in words but in deeds, I belong to myself. Every minor character plays a part that lends development to Kaya, the protagonist and to Rebecca, the antagonist. “I am not your enemy” Rebecca Dean tells the citizens of Lexicon. Ironically, the opposite is true. Marisa Cantrell has written a novel of high action, set in the future. At every turn, Decimation keeps the reader wondering what will happen next.
Kaya Lewis, the protagonist of Marisa Cantrell’s novel Decimation, is skeptical of labels. Decimation begins with Kayla in a classroom where she clashes with a teacher for her presenting a paper that reflects her “thinking outside the box.” Decimation is futuristic, set in a post United States era, in Axis, which is inside Lexicon. The novel’s insight suggests conflicts going on in the U.S. and internationally, conflicts stemming from disease, natural catastrophes, and human corruption. Three significant aspects of the novel are boundaries, stability, and morality.
Matthew Larkin, Kaya’s best friend, is of the working class, his mother a librarian, his father a groundskeeper. Matt exemplifies the boundary of class that is so pervasive in Lexicon. Kaya’s mother is a teacher, her father a scientist; she is of a class above Matt’s. His being on their school’s football team affords him some class mobility; still, he is limited in associations with others. Boundaries abound. There are walls, people wanting to get within the walls of Lexicon, and others wanting out. There are hidden labs, electric fences, places where Axis citizens are allowed, and where they are not allowed, not always because of class status but because they are citizens in Axis. Kaya’s grandfather, who lives outside of Axis, recalls the United States and conflicts that led to its demise. Also, there are nomads, who live in no particular place. Tracker devices ensue people are where they’re supposed to be, though the people are told the trackers are to ensue their well being.
The person lying to the people about the trackers, thus reinforcing boundaries, is the novel’s antagonist, Rebecca Dean, the president of Lexicon. In her quest to maintain power, she exudes instability. Earthquakes, viruses, testing on humans, displacement of humans—all come down to Rebecca Dean. She is why stability is so important, and that stability is best exemplified in the lifelong friendship of Kaya and Matt. Throughout the novel, their friendship prevails against class boundaries, disasters natural and human-made, and their own natures. Matt is a jock, Kaya a bookworm, though Matt’s intelligence rivals hers. Matt is Kaya’s voice of reason, calm whereas Kaya is excitable, passionate, often acting and reacting on emotions. They “love to hate” each other, often argue and clash, and, most rewardingly are always there for each other. Kaya conceals things from her family, but conceals nothing from Matt, nor he from her. Ironically, Rebecca Dean’s only child, Talon, is a close friend of both Kaya and Matt. Matt is often jealous of Talon’s spending time with Kaya, nevertheless both males are “there for each other” as they are for Kaya. It’s ironic that Talon is the son of Rebecca Dean, and he sees through his mother, that she is not in power to help Lexicon but only to use it in her quest for world power. In his role as friend Talon too personifies stability.
Timeless and universal, morality is key in Decimation. Kaya’s grandfather exemplifies moral courage in his trusting Kaya to be her own person, to do the right thing. And where Rebecca personifies evil, Talon personifies good. Like Kaya and Matt, Talon has shortcomings, and, like them, he can be counted on to do the right thing. Decimation is apocalyptic, and especially in the second half, with earthquakes, nomads, guards, and the undead, the action is on an apocalyptic level, but just as human nature prevails, so does morality, the sense of right and wrong, good and evil, truth and falsity. Rebecca Dean wants control, and Kaya resists control, as do Matt and Talon. And that resistance, that saying no to the lies of Rebecca Dean, translates to action, acting of out a sense of right, to make Lexicon a better place.
In its moral fiber Decimation is reminiscent of George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm, which say, You belong to the state. Kaya says not only in words but in deeds, I belong to myself. Every minor character plays a part that lends development to Kaya, the protagonist and to Rebecca, the antagonist. “I am not your enemy” Rebecca Dean tells the citizens of Lexicon. Ironically, the opposite is true. Marisa Cantrell has written a novel of high action, set in the future. At every turn, Decimation keeps the reader wondering what will happen next.
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