Arena One

Rice, Morgan. Arena One: Slaverunners. Book 1 of the Arena 1 trilogy. 2012. 300p. ISBN 9780984975310. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

A second civil war has devastated the United States, and the few survivors became prey for the slaverunners to feed their Arena, where people fight to the death for the entertainment of those who remained in the ruins of the city.

Seventeen years old Brooke and Bree, her thirteen years old sister, escaped New York before it was nuked and escaped to Catskill, where their military father had a cottage. For the last two years, they have been surviving off the land in a harsh, lonely, and terrifying environment. On the day that Brooke discovers a new safer hiding place filled with food and survival gear, slaverunners come and kidnap her sister.

A race ensues with Brooke trying to catch up to the slaverunners before they make it to New York. Riding a motorcycle at breakneck speeds, she comes across Ben, who just lost his little brother to the same slavers. They team up and chase the runners all the way to the gates of New York City. Unfortunately, their luck changes, and they are caught. Now, they are slated to be the next fighters in the ring of Arena One, the worst slaverunner venue. Forced with the choice to fight or die, Brooke and Ben will have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save themselves and their siblings.

Fans of the dystopian novel will like this book, and might also enjoy the following: Starters, Maze Runner, Ship Breaker, Reboot, Not a Drop to Drink, Birthmarked and Divergent.