The Q

By: Amy Tintera

Narrated by: Kyla Garcia, Robbie Daymond

In this action-packed adventure from a New York Times bestselling author, two teenagers from opposite worlds must fight their way through a vast walled quarantine zone in a dystopian America toward their only chance for survival.

Seventeen-year-old Maisie Rojas has spent her entire life in the Q—a post-pandemic quarantine zone that was once Austin, Texas. Born and raised behind the high security walls that sealed their fate, she's now a trusted lieutenant for one of the territory's controlling families.

Lennon Pierce, the charismatic son of a US presidential candidate, has just been kidnapped by his father's enemies and dropped out of a plane into the Q with nothing but a parachute strapped to his back. Lennon is given a temporary antidote to the disease and crucial intel for his father, but Maisie must get him out of the zone within forty-eight hours--or he will be permanently infected and forced to remain.

With unrest brewing both inside and outside the Q, reaching the exit is a daunting and dangerous task. But if Maisie and Lennon fail, it could mean disaster for the entire quarantine zone and its inhabitants—and could cost Lennon his life.

Strap in for breakneck action and compelling characters in this timely, nonstop thriller.

Critic reviews

"Ridiculously fun, romantic, and action-packed." - Kirkus Reviews

★ “[A] wildly inventive, cinematic read rooted in a near-future, post-pandemic world that sharply echoes contemporary society.” – Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“[The Q] is undeniably page-turning and will satisfy any action-adventure aficionado.” – Booklist

“[Readers are] in for an action-packed adventure with a dash of romance, and there is clearly a vicarious triumph here from the empowerment that comes with reading about kids in a pandemic who can actually do something about it.” – The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

The modern writing with humor is nice.

I liked the story line. Hope another book is in this series. Great potential for a longer story and plot.

I just hated the book

It was so sappy so sappy it’s so annoying I just want it to be over gahhh

Lackluster teen novel with a pitiful ending

One thing that bothers me in novels is when they decide to do what I call a "Hollywood ending." What is that? Where the protagonist, or one of, does something entirely heroic and yet utterly stupid for no real reason than that the author could not find another way to get the ending they wanted.

Lennon was in the Q for 3 days. ONLY THREE DAYS! He went through a lot in those three days. It's true. But nothing that would cause someone with any branch of sense to give up what he did. He lied and gave up.

That wasn't heroic. It was stupid. He could have done a lot more good being able to be in the public face defending the Q. Instead, his choice was to stay with the girl. UGH.

If you're looking for simple teenage romance where the illogical reigns supreme? This might be the book for you. For me? It's an Okay, another book in the I-will-never-read-this-again pile.

Stereotype of a strong heroine. Stereotype of a weak hero.

On the flip side, the narrators nailed it. They were incredible.