Where many novels are quick to establish the negative aspects of totalitarianism, much of the Metrics government’s laws appear logical at first, beneficial even. Instead of broadcasting secret societies and mass uprising as the only hope for an oppressed people, Unregistered focuses on a more personal quest to aid a child convicted for a crime he didn’t commit. The elements of public resistance in M. Lynch’s novel are quieter and less certain and this approach presents the reader with plenty of grey areas to ponder as the story unfolds. The characters are well rounded and possessed of a maturity that makes them so much more interesting than the gung-ho vigilantes that normally take centre stage in YA. Unregistered is one of the more innovative and gratifying novels to enter the Dystopian genre.
Reviewed for Reader's Favorite