Brian and Leah

This is a story of growing up together with friends,and facing a life that has been planned for you, a life which will eventually be ended. It involves a society that has made some horrific, inhumane choices in the way science can be used, yet these are presented to the main characters in an unquestioned way, as a type of destiny. It would seem such a premise would make for an altogether depressing experience but the author's skill in drawing the readers emotions in almost normalizes the way we accept the complicity of the characters and come to care about them. The end is quiet, and so focuses the tragedy that I was surprised how subtly the story had affected me.