THE THIRD by Abel Keogh

Today I'm talking about THE THIRD by Abel Keogh. This kind of book is totally out of the norm for me. Why? Because it's not YA.

*gasp*

I know, right?

But it *is* dystopian, and it centers around something a lot of people have some sort of feeling about: How many children a family should have.

Both of those things brought the teeter-totter over to my "It's totally okay to read an adult novel," side of the spectrum.

Before I go any further, here's a little bit about THE THIRD: When Ransom Lawe, a recycler in the Pacific Northwest, finds out his wife is pregnant with their third—-and therefore illegal—-child, he’s forced to choose between the government who proclaims a desire to save the planet and his hope for a place where his family can live in freedom. But with the Census Bureau Sentinels closing in on his wife and unborn child, Ransom’s choice will either save his family or tear them apart forever.

So, see, who can resist that? I couldn't. I enjoyed the story, the writing was fantastic, but the best part were the characters. I liked Ransom and his wife, Teya, just fine. They seemed like real people, with real problems that a reader can connect to.

But the character I found the most fascinating was Teya's sister, Mona. Mona worked for the government. She upheld all the laws, all the rules, and was adamant about keeping her reproductive credit, even when it could've saved her sister.

Yet she had something that was against the law. And she shared it with Ransom and Teya. This twist, this character "flaw," if you will, fascinated me. I wanted to know more about Mona's story, more about her background, more about how she did this illegal thing and A) kept it a secret and B) didn't view it the same as she did other points in the law.

That's when I fell in love with the book. When I see characters that seem completely black and white, turn gray. I love that.

So check out Abel Keogh's website to read the first chapter for free, and pick up a copy of THE THIRD. If you like dystopian fiction with a lot of action and high emotional stakes, you'll like this.

Reminder: My Tag, You're It contest ends today! Check it out if you haven't already.

Don’t forget to stop by Myra McEntire’s blog for more awesome info on our first Bookanistas Give Back project. The giveaways end on April 30.

Check out what the other Bookanistas are up to this week at the Reading Room.

Or on their blogs:

• Christine Fonseca takes a shine to Demonglass
• Shelli Johannes-Wells scribes about The Story Board
• Shana Silver is rapturous about Moonglass
• Carrie Harris revels in Divergent
• Rosemary Clement-Moore adores Enclave
• Megan Miranda travels the pages of Blood Red Road
• Stasia Ward Kehoe has Perfect cover love
• Veronica Rossi enthuses over Enclave