The United States has completely changed. In the future, rich Patrons can live however they want pretty much free of the fear of punishment, because they all own a Proxy; someone who is punished in the Patron's place. For some people this arrangement works out wonderfully especially for playboy Knox. Then Knox takes a date on a joyride and crashes the car they are riding in, killing his date. Then Syd (Know's Proxy) is sentenced to a life sentence and branded. This is more than Syd can take, so he runs away hoping to find a better life on the outskirts of civilization. What Syd and Knox don't realize is that they are both part of a larger than either of them had imagined.This is the first in a planned series (on Goodreads it is listed as Proxy #1) and the ending is great, but also leaves the story open to continue. The action is fast, and the sci-fi tech and speak remind me a lot of the Uglies series by Westerfeld. Syd is a likable character who also happens to be non-white and gay which is refreshing to see in a story where neither his race, nor his sexual orientation is the focus of the story. I will definitely be recommending this to library patrons who like sci-fi and action.
