This dystopian novel is one that would not have been on my radar, had it not been for my book group. And I do not recommend reading two dystopian novels in a row...

American War is scary because it's plausible. In this story, the second American civil war is fought over the fossil fuel issue, but I'm afraid any number of issues could trigger such a rift, and anyway, it doesn't matter: people stick with their families, their tribes, and their turf. Even if that land is sinking into the ocean.

We follow Sarat, a young woman who has become a terrorist. She is bright and talented, born to be curious, serene, kind, and--athletic. In a happier, more sane world, she'd be the star of some ivy league volleyball team...but that kind of world is decades in the past, something people in her generation have barely even heard of.

This is the author's most powerful message, that even the best people can be driven to hate. All her life, Sarat and her southern neighbors have suffered at the hands of the Northerners. After what her family goes through, it's not too hard to imagine how she could be driven to seek revenge. When Sarat , at the tender age of twelve, meets an older man who specializes in recruiting for the Southern cause, she is transformed into the most radicalized of terrorists.

Though we see mostly the southern side of things in this novel, it is clear that there is no "right" side. Both have behaved badly. Picture a civil war with the kind of devastating technology that exists now, and "behaving badly" becomes a silly understatement.

This is a dark, cautionary tale. I must admit that the first hundred pages went slowly for me, and it would be a lie to say that I enjoyed reading this. It's not that kind of book. I admire it tremendously, and hope that it is widely read and discussed.