REVIEW: The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse

As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up. The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.

This is possibly the BEST book I've read this year and that means I preferred it to The Hunger Games! Yes, it's THAT good! Once I started reading, I just couldn't put it down.
One of the other reviewers here said that this book is an 'epic Hunger Games', which is quite a good description but in my opinion The Forsaken is better (and I love the Hunger Games!). It's more in-depth, perhaps a little more adult. I actually cried at one point too (okay then, I cried at more than one point). The Forsaken truly is an epic read. If you liked Lord of the Flies, then it will probably appeal to you too. It's quite scary in parts and it really makes you think...  What if? Could this kind of thing really happen in our lifetime?
Keep an eye out for author Lisa M Stasse because she's going to be huge. This book has the potential to become a true classic. I can't wait for the next book in the series!