From the Bookshelf of Closter Public Library…

[close] If you like young adult dystopian novels (and I do) you will enjoy this book. It follows a pretty typical plot (the powerful haves vs the have nots), but throws in some different twists. This is an alternative England where the minority haves (they are "Skilled", which involves different types of magical abilities) control the majority others (those without power). Each "non Equal" (those without skill) are forced to a 10 year period of slavery under the Equals. The book mostly follows to families, one starting their 10 year period of slavery, and the family to whom they are enslaved. For once the villains (those with Skill) are multi-dimensional, not just all evil. I liked this enough to want to read the two sequels.