The Limit by Kristen Landon

Originality- 19/20
Characters- 18/20
Remembrance- 9/10
Quote-ability- 8/10
Entertainment- 18/20
Ending- 8/10
Recommend to read- 8/10
TOTAL- 88/100
Grade- B

An eighth grade girl was taken today . . .

With this first sentence, readers are immediately thrust into a fast-paced thriller that doesn't let up for a moment. In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhouses if their families exceed the monthly debt limit imposed by the government. Thirteen-year-old Matt briefly wonders if he might be next, but quickly dismisses the thought. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. As long as his parents remain within their limit, the government will be satisfied and leave them alone. But all it takes is one fatal visit to the store to push Matt’s family over their limit—and to change his reality forever.
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This book was so amazing. You all know how much I love dystopian novels, and this one fit in perfectly with my collection.

We start off hearing about how a girl was taken because her parent's went over the limit. Right away we are introduced to this strict society that gives each family a spending limit. If the family goes over the limit, even just a few cents, their child can be taken away to a workhouse.

Matt was a fantastic protagonists. He didn't make all of the right decisions, and sometimes he annoyed me, but that's what made him perfect to me. I get annoyed when the main character gets everyone done without a problem, and Matt had a whole lot of problems. The other characters were good too, but none could compare to Matt.

You notice almost instantly that things are not right, and that something is going on. You spend the majority of the book with that paranoid feeling that something bad is going to happen. The ending is both happy and sad. It's a little give and take that made me like the book even more.

Overall I would have to say that The Limit was a completely engrossing read. If you have a thing for controlling governments, or any dystopian book, you should definitely read this.

-Amanda