Sheltered: When a Boy Becomes a Legend by Jacob Paul Patchen

Jacob Paul Patchen transports readers to a smoky and unexpected American battlefield in Sheltered: When a Boy Becomes a Legend, a bold YA American dystopia.

After the attack came the invasion, when the men, women and teens were scooped up by black-fatigued men and shipped off to prison camps. The children left behind, however, have found a way to survive, and a leader to follow. Young James is not only an excellent storyteller, but also a fierce warrior, a natural survivor, and a pretty good leader, especially because he never expected to be at war as a 12-year-old in his own backyard.

The writing is geared towards a younger audience, in the 12-16 year range, but some of the themes are quite intense. Children casually carrying around rifles and recounting war stories to one another in their old classrooms paints a strange, but intriguing dystopian mood. A great deal of the story feels allegorical, with America’s “battle from within” being symbolic of our ideological conflicts, but there is also a good amount of violence and gun-toting pre-teen protagonists, so the glorification of battle is undeniable.

The most uplifting moments of the narrative are those that celebrate friendship, trust, respect, and protecting the most vulnerable. The dialogue rings as authentic and keeps the narrative pace up, whereas some of the narration is too explicit, and often slows the flow of storytelling. Repetitive language and inconsistencies in the stakes of the story could also be improved.

That being said, this is a multilayered YA war story with a serious edge, but enough lightness for an occasional laugh, for an original and compelling work of dystopian fiction.