Widespread food scarcity and civil unrest. The remnants of the United States, Canada and Mexico join together to form the United Northern Alliance, or UNA  as it’s known in Lisa Stasse’s new novel The Forsaken.

The novel follows 16-year-old Alenna Shawcross. Alenna, who has just failed a state-mandated test that predicts any predisposition of radical behavior towards the government, is deemed unfit for society. Alenna then finds herself exiled to Prison Island Alpha, where other like her are sent and life expectancy is only 18.  Life on the island proves to be difficult, with war raging between two tribes of teenagers. Alenna, like many others, tries to survive and escape the island and uncover the mysteries it holds.

Stasse has planned for this book to be a part of a series, after having said a dream, gave her the inspiration to write the novel. However, I wish that dream had been kept in her head, because this book lacks a sense of believability. Stasse makes feeble attempts at tying to spark a romance during a time of crisis on the island. I also found Alenna’s character dull and uninspiring and her friend Gadya was frustrating and bipolar.  I often found myself lost, stumbling over Stasse’s poor choice of words. Although this book had truly excellent moments, albeit towards the end of the plot, the whole thing was incredibly drawn out.

I believe Stasse had good intentions for the novel, but as a whole it lacked a sense of polish. I rate this novel at a C-.