one great book unplugged

Title: Atherton: The House of Power

Author: Patrick Carman

Target: Grades 4-8

Series: Yes

Posted by Ford

What this book is about: 

In the land of Atherton there are three levels. At the top are the highlands. The people here rule over all of Atherton. They are philosophers and government leaders.  They also control the only water supply in Atherton. In the middle is the tabletop. This is where the working class of Atherton lives. They send food to the highlands in exchange for a constant water supply. At the bottom are the flatlands. These are desolate wastelands considered uninhabitable by the people of Atherton. The main character of the story is a boy named Ethan, who works in a fig orchard on the tabletop. He has flashbacks of his father leaving him something in the cliff between the tabletop and the highlands. He is an expert climber and searches for this item every day. One day he finally finds it, a book. Unfortunately, no one on the tabletop can read, so he sneaks up into the highlands to find someone who can. He finds Samuel, a boy whose father has died from mysterious circumstances. They realize that the highlands are sinking into the tabletop, and that there are growing tensions between the two areas. They must get answers about what is happening.

Why I like this book: 

The author does a great job designing the world of Atherton. It is well thought out and original. The premise is interesting as well. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I will leave some of this a mystery to you. The author leaves you with a desire to get your questions answered about the storyline, as well as the main characters’.

You will like this book if you enjoy:

Maze Runner

City of Embers