Love is the “only thing we could never, ever afford to lose”.
What one wouldn’t do for love, Struggle knows this all too well. He, like so many others in the line, has sacrificed for survival. In this dystopian world, Struggle must support his family by working and preparing to work all so that they may have a morsel to eat at night and firelight to ward off the Lost. Day in and day out he lifts at the back of the line, until one day he is caught in a deadly storm. That is when She visits him, his Iluma, now everything will change, now he must bravely trek to the front of the line to save her. He must leave those he loves to fight for the one he will.
Overall rating 5/5
This was my first Teshelle Combs book and it certainly will not be my last. At first I was confused and distracted by the names of the characters. However, the ingeniousness of these “simple” words given to each character was a short glimpse to who they were or their standing within the line. Reminiscent of Hunger Games, this book takes the reader of the MC’s journey through perilous trials and tribulations with the ultimate goal to protect the innocent and bring down the tyrant. The struggle (pun intended) that Struggle must endure for those he has left behind and for those he knows me must protect is surrounded by impeccable world building. I do hope we get a sequel…….

*Thank you to Teshelle Combs for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.