Daylight Runner (review)

In this import from the UK (there titled Small-Minded Giants), a sixteen-year-old boy struggles to survive in a gritty, dystopic twenty-third-century city. Sol knows that asking questions about his father’s disappearance could get him in big trouble: his father was a gambler, an independent thinker, and perhaps a rebel against the all-powerful individuals in control of the Machine, the mechanism that keeps Ash Harbor running. A dome protects the city from the planet’s ice age, which has killed the rest of the Earth’s population, and the lucky inhabitants are cogs in keeping the Machine operational. Under the surface of high-functioning calm, however, are cults, black markets, and a vicious secret force called the Clockworkers who will stop at nothing to guarantee smooth functioning of the Machine. Sol quickly realizes that he will be lucky to stay alive, let alone solve the mystery of what happened to his father, in the face of everything his investigation threatens. Readers will easily relate to and sympathize with Sol, who is a realistically snarky and self-centered teen who has also managed to retain remarkable compassion despite the coldness of the society in which he was raised. The disturbing and memorable city, peopled with desperate individuals battling against creepy and mysterious villains, makes a terrific setting, and the impeccably controlled pace will keep readers firmly engaged through to the surprising climax. Science fiction buffs seeking something dark, quick, and action-filled will find this fills the bill perfectly on all counts.