The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig (2015, Hardcover)

Description: Nuclear war, dystopian unrest, a genetic mutation that divides twins in life and unites them in deaththe refreshingly nuanced (Booklist, starred review) first novel in award-winning poet Francesca Haigs richly imagined and action-packed post-apocalyptic trilogy is poised to become the next must-read hit (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Four hundred years after a nuclear apocalypse, all humans are born in pairs: the deformed Omegas, who are exploited and oppressed, and their Alpha twins, who have inherited the earthor whats left of it. But despite their claims of superiority, the Alphas cannot escape one harsh fact: whenever one twin dies, so does the other. Cass is a rare Omega whose mutation is psychic foresightnot that she needs it to know that as her powerful twin, Zach, ascends the ranks of the ruling Alpha Council, shes in grave danger. Zach has a devastating plan for Omega annihilation. Cass has visions of an island where a bloody Omega resistance promises a life of freedom. But her real dream is to discover a middle way, one that would bring together the sundered halves of humanity. And that means both the Council and the resistance have her in their sights. But is she alone in her idealism that they can live peacefully side-by-side with the twins? And what will they do when they learn who her brother is? From School Library Journal A gifted teen stays one step ahead of a government determined to prevent her from changing the status quo. Four hundred years after a nuclear event, Cass and her brother, Zach, are born into a world in which everyone is a twin. One twin is an Alpha. The other is an Omega, born with a deformity or mutation, shunned and separated from its family. However, when one twin dies, the other does, too. Cass has a rare mutation, which she hides as long as she can. She is a seershe can sense events before they happen. After Zach exposes her, Cass spends her teen years in an Omega settlement, while her brother joins the governing Council and starts working with a woman dubbed the Confessor, a rare Omega collaborating with the Alphas. Zach's influence grows, and he kidnaps Cass and locks her in an underground cell where he can protect her from his enemies. Cass escapes and travels toward the sea in search of the island, a rumored safe haven for Omegas and a hotbed of rebellion. There are intimations that Cass has a special gift that makes her invaluable to the rebellion, but readers will have to wait for the next in the trilogy to find out just what that might be. Haig emphasizes ideas, character, and setting more than fast-paced action. VERDICT An original premise gives this otherwise run-of-the-mill postapocalyptic novel an interesting spark.Angela Carstensen, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City

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