Proxy by Alex London

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.