The Elites

In a distant future in which wars, riots and environmental crises have changed the world as we know it, 15-year-old Silver is an Elite, specially chosen to guard the city of Neo-Babel due to her superior DNA. Although she has her reasons for sometimes feeling insecure and out of place amongst the other Elites, the city and her work are all she has ever known.

But when she fails to prevent the assassination of Neo-Babel's president, Silver's life is turned suddenly upside down. Together with her best friend Butterfly, Silver realises she has no choice but to flee the city forever. Outside lies an unknown new land, the chance of finding her family, and the opportunity to uncover the truth about Neo-Babel.

This cleverly-plotted young adult novel brings together elements of adventure, romance and dystopia. Intertwining the story of the two young Elites with a parallel narrative about the children in the slums of the city, Natasha Ngan builds up a convincing picture of her futuristic metropolis, raising some intriguing questions along the way. With a different setting and cultural background to many young adult dystopian novels, this is a distinctive and imaginative debut that will absorb fans of this genre.