Enclave by Ann Aguirre

ISBN: 9780312650087

Available: new (hardback) and multiformat digital

Enclave starts on the naming day of Deuce, a young woman who has been training her whole life to be a Huntress, a protector and food gatherer for her clan which lives in an underground enclave. The tunnels mean a hard life, snaring what food can be caught, scavenging what remainders of society can be found and staying endlessly on guard against other clans and the horrific, cannibal Freaks who roam the tunnels. At her naming, a passage from child to adult, Deuce starts to learn that all is not as it seems in the Enclave. Before she’s ready to embrace the true role of a hunter she has to make a choice about what’s right and wrong, and suffer the ire of those in power.

Enclave is a perfect pot pie of a story. Take one kick-butt, but not over-done heroine, add in a hunky, tortured love interest, mix together in a savory post-apocalyptic sauce and bake until golden brown. Aguirre has done just that. Anyone who’s seen Life After People will be completely satisfied with Aguirre’s setting. Fans of her adult UF or SF series will find Deuce, Fade, and all of Aguirre’s character just as solid and complex as they’ve come to expect. Paranormal YA fans will find much to rave about in Enclave, which is dark and gritty, but maintains a fierce level of hope in the form of its survivor leads and their sheer determination. Highly recommended for public collections: this is the kind of book that keeps people engaged and reading. It grabs readers by the throat and refuses to let go.

Contains: violence, frank attitude toward sex & reproduction (but no graphic scenes)