Teens Know Best

Reader: Sabrina
Age: 18
Title: No Safety in Numbers  
Author: Dayna Lorentz
Publisher: Dial
Pub Date: 5/2012
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: This book was very fascinating and fast paced. Due to a biochemical bomb, a mall full of thousands of people are trapped for days. The gravity of the situation is learned about my the officials until mid way through the book, which was a bit of a tease personally. Once the characters discover the gravity of the situation and that people are dying from left to right because of the flu the book ends. Love those cliffhangers!
Memorable or Forgettable: What made it memorable for me was that there where four different characters who told there side of the story and what they where experiencing at the mall. Is was exciting, scary, and exhilarating to feel as if you where in their shoes at the time. You really questioned yourself throughout the book on if you would have done the same things if you where trapped in a mall for days and didn't know if you'd ever get out.
Cover:  The cover did tempt me to pick up the book because it had a hazardous symbol on there. Of course, it reflected the contents because without the hazardous bomb there would be no story.
Age Range: 16 and up
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Additional Comments: Though it was disappointing that the book got good at the end, I hope to read the next installment of the book soon. I can not wait to see what happens. I was a bit confused though as to why the Senator was the last to talk in the book because she had not had her own section until then. 

In addition, this book got me a bit paranoid. This is a compliment to the author. Being an avid mall goer, I questioned myself if I thought I could survive in each mall with the amount of people present at the time being. The idea was mind boggling, but I do not think that many people will take this book seriously because of the location of the book. If it where in a school, I believe that this story would be even more riveting because it has less resources available. I mall seems like an interesting idea, but made me (as the reader) at first believe that this story was lighthearted.