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I got this book free at ALA.

What we have here is that rarest of creatures, the stand-alone dystopian YA book. Oh, sure, there's room for a sequel, but there doesn't need to be one. It was lovely to reach the end and not have to cry, "Curse you, cliffhanging author, I can't believe you left me hanging here!" And even more lovely, this was a good book with a fresh and well-made world.

Orleans used to be New Orleans, before all the hurricanes. And before the Fever. Now, there's a wall between the Delta and the rest of the US, and the shape of civilization is changed utterly. The geography remains recognizable, and it's evident that Smith has a deep and loving relationship with New Orleans. The characters are interesting and serve the plot well, though I didn't really bond with any of them. I loved the dialect, it fell easy on my ears.

Minor quibbles throughout kept it from a 4 (f'rinstance, early on, there's talk of how it's hard to find a set of aluminum tent poles that aren't rusted out) but it's a solid, engaging book that I wouldn't hesitate to press into the hands of any dystopian fan. 3.5