Publishers Weekly
In a chilling, masterful debut, Wells gives the classic YA boarding school setting a Maze Runner twist, creating an academy of imprisoned teenagers who must fight to survive when the rules change daily, and the punishment for breaking those rules is death. Seventeen-year-old Benson Fisher, tired of foster homes, applies for a scholarship to Maxfield Academy in New Mexico, hoping for a fresh start. Instead, he is trapped with roughly 70 other teens divided into three factions, with no teachers, no real classes, and no chance of escape at a school overseen by the mysterious and sinister "Iceman," who doles out punishments and awards points. Though Wells doesn't provide much detail about Benson's past, his honesty and determination to escape make him a compelling protagonist, and it's easy to get drawn into his fellow students' plights as well. There are plenty of "didn't see that coming" moments and no shortage of action or violence. With its clever premise, quick pace, and easy-to-champion characters, Wells's story is a fast, gripping read with a cliffhanger that will leave readers wanting more. Ages 13–up. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
An intense journey with some of the most shocking twists and turns I’ve ever read.” — Pittacus Lore, #1 New York Times bestselling author of I Am Number Four
“A chilling, masterful debut. With its clever premise, quick pace, and easy-to-champion characters, Wells’ story is a fast, gripping read with a cliffhanger that will leave readers wanting more.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Variant is a compelling story on so many levels. I loved it! The twist behind it all is my favorite since Ender’s Game.” — James Dashner, New York Times bestselling author of The Maze Runner
“An exciting, edge-of-your-seat read that combines psychological themes from works like Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games and Ender’s Game in a truly unique way. Variant should join the ranks of today’s must-read science fiction and fantasy series. A highly recommended addition to any collection for teens.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)
“Benson’s account unfolds in a speedy, unadorned first person. Hard to put down from the very first page, this fast-paced novel answers only some of the questions it poses, holding some of the most tantalizing open for the next installment in a series that is anything but ordinary.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Good old-fashioned paranoia taken to giddy extremes. Take Veronica Roth’s Divergent, strip out the angst, add a Michael Grant-level storytelling pace, and you have this very satisfying series starter.” — Booklist
“Fans seeking a fast-paced, action-heavy read will find this generates a lot of excitement.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Filled with heart-racing action and suspense. An impressive debut with wide appeal, especially for fans of Alexander Gordon Smith’s Lockdown and James Dashner’s The Maze Runner.” — School Library Journal
James Dashner
Variant is a compelling story on so many levels. I loved it! The twist behind it all is my favorite since Ender’s Game.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Fans seeking a fast-paced, action-heavy read will find this generates a lot of excitement.
Booklist
Good old-fashioned paranoia taken to giddy extremes. Take Veronica Roth’s Divergent, strip out the angst, add a Michael Grant-level storytelling pace, and you have this very satisfying series starter.
Pittacus Lore
An intense journey with some of the most shocking twists and turns I’ve ever read.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)
An exciting, edge-of-your-seat read that combines psychological themes from works like Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games and Ender’s Game in a truly unique way. Variant should join the ranks of today’s must-read science fiction and fantasy series. A highly recommended addition to any collection for teens.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Fans seeking a fast-paced, action-heavy read will find this generates a lot of excitement.
Booklist
Good old-fashioned paranoia taken to giddy extremes. Take Veronica Roth’s Divergent, strip out the angst, add a Michael Grant-level storytelling pace, and you have this very satisfying series starter.
The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books
Fans seeking a fast-paced, action-heavy read will find this generates a lot of excitement.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (Starred Review)
An exciting, edge-of-your-seat read that combines psychological themes from works like Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games and Ender’s Game in a truly unique way. Variant should join the ranks of today’s must-read science fiction and fantasy series. A highly recommended addition to any collection for teens.
Kirkus Reviews
Wells introduces Benson Fisher, a teen in search of a "real" life instead of a long series of unwanted foster homes—but instead of the utopia he's searching for, he finds the direct opposite.
Benson thinks he's found the perfect school in Maxfield Academy, a private school in the wilds of New Mexico. Winning a scholarship with unexpected ease, he looks forward to establishing real friendships and getting a good education at last. What he finds, however, is far from normal.Within minutes of the front doors closing—and locking—behind him, he finds himself in a fight for his life. He joins a gang, the Variants, just to survive. With no adults on campus, classes are taught by fellow students, punishments are passed on by computer and nothing seems to follow a logical path. Benson decides it's time to make a run for it, until he finds out that no one makes it out of Maxfield...not alive, at any rate. Benson's account unfolds in a speedy, unadorned first person, doling information out to readers as he learns it himself.
Hard to put down from the very first page, this fast-paced novel with Stepford overtones answers only some of the questions it poses, holding some of the most tantalizing open for the next installment in a series that is anything but ordinary. (Thriller. 12 & up)
