The Resistance by Rosie Scott

From Amazon: Melanie Adams has a normal life like any other citizen of the New World. When her mother is executed after being deemed a domestic terrorist for accidentally muttering a banned word, however, she finds that she is not alone in believing it is the government, not her mother, that is to blame. She is soon contacted by Axel Chambers, a member of a resistance group who tells her that things used to be different, and that people used to be free. Melanie finds that she is living in what used to be the United States of America. After learning more of what the country used to be compared to what it has become, she decides to join the fight in regaining the freedoms and rights that citizens once had. Axel trains her to be stealthy and to kill as an assassin, and the two become fast friends and partners, working together to gather artifacts from the country's history that could help them in the fight. The government will not make the fight easy. Intrusive technology is rampant in the New World, and the government does not like its citizens to have knowledge or allies. To make matters worse, Melanie and Axel are soon contacted by a government official who is looking to hire the duo to anonymously put a stop to the government's latest project: controlling the human mind.

It's a new world in Rosie Scott's The Resistance! The government has taken over free thinking.  Melanie Adams grew up watching other people get labelled terrorist and killed, right in front of her. The government has done away with religion, politics and history.  There is no past -- only the future.  Everyone has a chip embedded into their wrists for their protection.  Every street corner has guards, constantly watching and strip-searching those they believe could be terrorists.  Modesty is a thing of the past.


When Melanie's mom absently mutters the word "Church", she is quickly labelled a terrorist and killed.  Alone, Melanie vows to be good and follow the rules.  She keeps her own beliefs to herself, until she's awoken one night by a man in a mask.   He introduces himself as Axel Chambers and believes Melanie would be a nice addition to The Resistance - a group of people trying to take their rights and their country back.


After being educated in history, and with promises of learning more about her father from Axel, Melanie decides to join the Resistance.  She learns that her parents used to be a part of the Resistance, and Melanie begins to live a double life.  One where she goes to work everyday and lives at her apartment, and another where she is in the Resistance headquarters, learning how to shoot a bow and more about how people used to have freedom to choose.


When The Resistance is approached about a job, they know they have no choice.  The government has a project in the final stages that will allow them to control your mind.  Axel and Melanie are to destroy it or die trying.


The Resistance is a page-turning dystopian thriller that I almost inhaled.  From page one, I was hooked, intrigued with this well-built and clever world of technology.  The characters are well-fleshed and easy to relate to but it was the world that captured my attention.  Terrorism is real and how it was handled delicately, yet callously within the story will stay with you for days, thinking.  There is a splash of romance, but not until toward the end of the novel and expected, although it could have been omitted and the story would have been just as well without it.  I look forward to seeing what Rosie Scott has in mind next, as this is the first book I have read by her.  I really enjoyed The Resistance!


Only available as an eBook