Broken City by D.D. Chant

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Deeta Richards has never seen the outside world. Before she was born a banking crisis brought civilization to an end and now no one leaves the safety of the compounds unless they need to, but Deeta still dreams of seeing more than the building she was born in.

Tom is in the guard, this group are the only people that the tribal elders allow to leave the compound and tom knows only too well that Deeta could never survive the harshness that exists outside. Then tragedy strikes and Deeta and her sister Jan find themselves captured by a hostile tribe. Why does Tom know so much about these people? And why do they know so much about him? As this mystery draws to a climax, they discover that their friend Tom is not quite what he seems…  (synopsis from Goodreads)

Broken City is a dystopian novel where the characters are trying to rebuild a world they once knew.  Tribes have sprung up in buildings all over the city.  Each Tribe occupies a building or a compound.  Deeta lives in a building where she will never see anymore then she can see from on top of the roof.  The world she lives in is a dangerous one and only those trained in battle go outside.

Deeta lives with her parents and two sisters but takes care of Uncle Jep and his adopted children.  The other person who lives with Uncle Jep is Tom.  Tom is silent and calm under pressure.  He and Deeta have been friends since he first came to the complex but lately things between the two of them seem to be changing.  Plus Tom has been keeping a secret that will make everyone he knows see him in a different light.

When Tom’s secret is revealed everything is turned upside down and the world Deeta has always known will now be left behind.  She is scared of leaving but even more scared of the distance growing between her and Tom.  Will things ever be the same between them again?

The characters in the book are well developed and realistic.  Deeta is sweet, kind, and fiercely loyal.  Her sister Jan is bold and brave.  Uncle Jep and the children each have their own personalities and it’s easy to keep the many characters in this book straight because each comes to life on the pages.

The book is fast paced and detailed.  There is a lot of action and fighting but not so much that it overwhelms the plot in the story.  The book held my interest from beginning to end and I couldn’t wait to see how it all ended.  I especially wanted to know if Tom and Deeta would end up together.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.