ABANDONED. YA Dystopian Future Teenage Protaganists and Mutant Child Journey to Paradise

[Jessica]

I remember reading this book as a teenager 12-15 in the mid 90s. It was probably published around then. Black hardcover.

A young man, (brown hair?) is friends with a girl (dark black hair) and they live in a grim future. Rations and pollution and a military presence. Everyone hangs out at The Mall. There are gangs of children who live in The Mall and they eat really foul stuff that mutates them and turns their skin yellowish. There is one mutant girl child that has a beautiful singing voice.

The male protagonist is optimistic, kind, and idealistic. The girl with the dark black hair is pragmatic, somewhat cruel, and pessimistic. They somehow end up on a journey to look for paradise with the mutant child and they spend a lot of it on a train or maybe a boat under the care/capture of a grossly fat woman who keeps them around because of the child's singing voice.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Talulahbell, are you still looking for this book?

[Jessica]

I am, actually. Was just thinking about this book again the other day. Any ideas?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Unfortunately not, but don't give up. Your thread will get new viewers now.

[Jessica]

Ha! That was fast. I didn't even notice it had gotten shifted when I poked at it. Thanks so much for moving it back so fast.

I think they do make it back to paradise just in time for the mutant girl to die there.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

We like moving things from Abandoned to Unsolved and then Solved.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Still looking, Jessica?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Still looking, Jessica?"

No response in 2 years. Moving to Abandoned.

[Rainbowheart]

The Last Oasis