SOLVED. YA Science Fiction: Children play in starship style videogame contest in order to raise family's status in vertical city dystopia. Humanity lives behind a wall because planet ruined in nuclear war. Spoilers Ahead. [s]

[Leigh]

I read this book in between the years of 2006 - 2010. I'm looking for it because it has a sequel now that I've been thinking about for years and never been able to find again since I read it.

Details:
Humanity lives in a small section of the planet cordoned off by a wall, because the planet has been devastated by nuclear war. Nowhere to build but up so the more affluent citizens live up top and the slums at the bottom. A contest comes out telling kids that they can improve their families living status by playing a popular arcade game. Also some kids suffer from slight mutations like webbed feet or gills (If I remember correctly)

[Spoilers Here]


Later on in the book, the protagonist, a boy, and his teammate, a girl with one of the aforementioned mutations are selected for the finals/win the finals (I can't remember which) and are at the top of the city with the affluent citizens. At the same time a revolt of the lower class happens and because they happen to be in the rich area they're seen as part of the upper class. They escape past the wall and see that the world isn't ruined my nuclear war and see frogs and deer for the first time I think it was. Then the book ends somewhere around here

[Tabitha]

The Roar, perhaps?

[Tabitha]

If so, the sequel is The Whisper!

[Leigh]

Tabitha wrote: "The Roar, perhaps?"
That's it! Thank you so much!