Okay this was so unique and good! I feel like I haven't read a unique premise dystopian in a while and this one was fast paced and fun! The humor was spot on, and the pacing was perfect. Maybe a tiny bit of plot hole, lack of explanation, but nothing too bad. Highly recommend! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Children’s Publishing, and Ms. Tintera for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

This was SO fun. Definitely movie-bait. It’s amazing that the author had this idea pre-Covid, because it sure is apt at this point. The idea of the dystopian, post-pandemic walled-off Q(uarantine) Zone was absolutely fascinating. While I personally would have enjoyed more scientific and medical details (I’m THAT reader) the wild ride through the Q was more than entertaining enough to be completely satisfying.

Maisie was a superb main character. I loved goofball, jokey Lennon. The side characters were all so well-done too (shout out to Queso! And the Vals!) The pacing was mile-a-minute, a Mad-Max sort of madcap romp careening wildly through the Q, bullets flying and tires squealing. There’s a little itty bit of romance (more of an attraction), which I found to be pretty realistic. I also thought that the current issues were handled very tactfully, i.e., introduced and present but not emphasized out of context for inclusion’s sake.

I would like to know what happens next to/for the Q, which ultimately is the test of a book’s success: do you care what happens next? I DEFINITELY would want to read a followup (if there is one) although the book stands successfully on its own. This is a lot of fun and one you should not miss.


⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2 stars, happily rounding up to 5 for GR purposes

I just finished reading The Q by Amy Tintera a while back and it was such a fun read! Her other series - Reboot was a favorite of mine during my teens so I was pretty excited for this one. I haven't read any books that feature a pandemic/post-pandemic world in the last few years because I've had enough of that in reality 😕 So it was pretty interesting to read one that wasn't grim or depressing but showed a realistically possible future too.

Set in a walled-off post-pandemic quarantine zone called the Q, it follows Maisie Rojas who was born and raised in the Q and Lennon Pierce, the son of a presidential candidate, who gets kidnapped and dropped off into the Q. There are no vaccines as the virus keeps constantly mutating, and the infected don't have long term immunity as well, which is why people have not been allowed to exit the zone for years. So, it's very difficult for Lennon to get out of there and to make things more difficult there's a turf war between the different subdivisions too! He's given an injection to provide temporary immunity, but that's only for a limited time as he needs to leave within three days. And somehow Maisie ends up helping him out as they try to get to the northern gate while also stealing back a shipment of supplies that's being withheld by the North.

It was so fast-paced and filled with action and I don't think the characters caught a break for more than a few minutes lol😂 Lennon was such a cinnamon roll(I mean he tried to be a rebellious teen but he's so sweet). He's pretty funny but level-headed at the same time even though he was in a tough spot. And Maisie is bad-ass(though she's not scary enough for others🤣) and smart but has her own issues as she's not considered tough enough to take over her father's position. She became so much more confident and stronger throughout the course of the book! The banter between them and her other friends Hadley and Elise was pretty hilarious as well! Romance wasn't the focus in this one but it was cute to see Maisie and Lennon grow closer. My favorite was definitely the action packed plot and their experiences though!

I do wish he had more of an epilogue or something? Because I wanted to see how they would resolve many of the issues in the future. Though the ending was satisfactory I wanted to see more of what would happen in the Q and the outside while also getting to see Maisie enforce certain things! Overall, it was definitely an enjoyable read and I'd definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a fast paced standalone with dystopian elements!

4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) Almost a full five stars for entertaining me in my slump. Few books are doing that these days!

Maisie is locked inside a part of Texas that has been walled in to prevent a virus from spreading. Lennon is outside the wall and is kidnapped and dropped into the quarantine zone (the Q) inside the wall.

I’ve had a hard time liking any YA recently. I could definitely be growing out of them (I’m definitely no teenager) but they seem to be lower quality lately. I did not feel that with this book, it was refreshing to be fully entertained and enjoy the story.

I immediately liked all the main characters. They’re tough, snarky and loyal. The whole book was an adventure that had me laughing. It’s fast-paced, entertaining and don’t you worry, it does not have Covid vibes! That would be depressing and this was just fun. It is modern day but had serious dystopia vibes which is exactly what I was hoping for. It’s full of lots of snort laughs, snide remarks, funny banter and it added so much fun to the book. Few authors can get snarky banter to come off well and this was well done.

Honestly, the only thing I didn’t like was that it needed a bit more “he said” and “she said” because those longer conversations got a bit confusing at times. Nothing that was severe, it would just be my preference. I also thought the older ages would not be relatable to other teens (not living with parents etc) but that did not feel like an issue.

I read Tintera’s recent duology All These Monsters and loved it. It was once again fast-paced but with fabulous monsters that teenagers fight. Now that I’ve read another of her books and loved it, I’ll be diving into the rest of her works. I always love finding a new favorite author!


Thank you to Random House Children’s for the gifted copy!

The book releases November 8, 2022.

4.5 rounded up

I loved this story so much... the tension between the two lead characters? The world-building? The pacing? Fantastic. There are so many characters that are all given the right amount of screen time and depth, and I am in awe of this well-crafted book. I was a bit worried that this would focus too much on the pandemic aspects of the book, since we are currently post-pandemic, but it wasn't overdone and all references to it were needed and interesting. I only wish we got more development for Lennon, since we got a ton for Maisie. There were some amazing (minor) plot twists with him that made me smile so hard though. I highly recommend this book if you want to read something action-packed.

I really liked this one! And honestly, I wasn't sure I would. After the hell all of us went through with COVID, stories revolving around a quarantine are always a bit risky. But this one did it so well.

I never felt depressed or sad while reading. Tintera did an amazing job of incorporating humor, it kept the entire book light. It also added a really nice depth to the characters. All of them were charming, and all of them had me laughing at points. All of their interactions were so much fun!

I am slightly disappointed that we didn't get a more definitive ending. I'm happy with where it left all of our characters, but I wanted to see the virus conflict resolved. Still an amazing book, but slightly unsatisfactory in that regard

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Q by Amy Tintera, 352 pages. Crown BFYR (Random House), 2022. $19. lgbtqia
Language: R (210 swears, 24 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Lennon (19yo) is touring with his father on his presidential campaign when he is suddenly kidnapped and left in the Q, part of Texas that was walled off to prevent the virus from spreading. Life inside the Q isn’t what Lennon expected, but with war brewing and an exception to leave the Q, he’s desperate to leave. Maisie (18yo) works out a deal with Lennon, hoping to get him out while preventing war from destroying the only life she’s ever known.
We can sympathize with the hardships of quarantine and vaccines, which makes this more drastic situation that the characters are in more real for readers. I love Tintera’s humor and her relatable characters – especially her strong and confident female characters. Though the book wraps up without a cliffhanger, I am not ready to let this world go and am hoping for a sequel.
Maisie is half Mexican and half English, Lennon is White, and most other characters are implied Hispanic or White though not all of them are. The mature content rating is for mention of alcohol and nudity as well as for illegal activity. The violence rating is for blood, mention of cannibalism, gun and bomb use, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

In this nonstop action-packed adventure, 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.

“Maisie, let me give you a tip. You will never be old enough for them. You will always be too young, or too inexperienced, or too much of a woman. You can either let them keep pushing you aside, or you can take this opportunity and tell them all to deal with it.”

There is character growth - Lennon gets a rude awakening when he experiences life in the Q and a new understanding of what the government has done to its own people - and enough high stakes action (plus a sprinkle of romance) to keep you fully invested.

Riveting and entertaining from the first word to the last! I love a dystopian-esque book so much and ones with extra action are really my cup of tea. I would have liked a little more character development, but it’s only a minor critique since the story really was based on the action and mystery.

Thank you netgalley for the advance copy.

**Netgalley Arc***

(5 stars)

I was a bit worried going into the book with all the things that have happened in the last two years but with the book being set post pandemic I didn’t need to worry. Now on to the review

This book is set in Q. A quarantine zone in Texas 20 years after a pandemic, where they became walled in and eventually succeeded the US. Our two main characters are Maisie Rojas (from the Q). And Lennon Pierce (from the US) son of a presidential candidate. Lennon kids kidnapped and dropped in the Q and it’s up to Maisie to get him out.

I love a bad ass woman with a male “damsel” in distress and this fit that vibe perfectly

“Am I supposed to punch them in the face by myself? No, thank you. That’s your job.” He grinned.”

The perfect quote. I loved the banter between the two main characters. And the main characters are also extremely likeable.

All in all. I really enjoyed this book! I wish we got a bit more in the end, I needed like 30 more pages, but it was still really good.


Thank you to netgalley and publishers for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this story! It was action-packed from the first to the last page and had lots of fun and humor too! Already pre-ordered my copy for my shelf!

Thanks for the early read!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"But the expression that crossed her face was absolute delight. She grinned, lightly swatting Dr. Lopez's shoulder. 'Did you hear that? He thinks I'm scary!""

Actual Rating = 2.25

This is going to be a tough one for me to review. I am a big Amy Tintera fan, having read all her books and rated them three stars or higher. So imagine my distress when I receive an ARC of her newest release and realize...I don't like it.

Disclaimer Time = Despite being a Tintera fan, I don't think I'm the right reader for this book. To an extent, none of us are, because this novel takes place in the decades following a pandemic, wherein the area around Austin TX as walled off from the rest of America. Since we're all way more familiar with pandemics than any of us wanted to be, this will be a challenge for everyone, and Tintera addresses it in an author's note. Beyond that, I live in central Texas (have been in San Antonio for about a year and lived in Austin for five years prior) so I'm pretty familiar with the culture and geography of the setting's inspiration. Most of that was well-represented (except for the line about how Q residents drive slow and the outsider was the street racer, which is the opposite of reality), but it made me more critical of the text than I might have been otherwise. Last but not least, one of the politician-type figures within the Q is named Beto, and there is literally a gubernatorial race happening right now where one of the candidates is named Beto. All of these elements combined in such a way that I wasn't able to suspend my disbelief for the sci-fi elements of the story because it didn't feel far enough removed from my current reality. I understand that not every reader will have this problem, so have tried not to let it influence my rating overall.

Major Issues:
I'm just going to say it - Tintera is a far better writer than this book would have you believe. All of the characters in this book have a very similar "voice" (and I don't mean the two POV characters, I mean literally ALL of them). They were all quippy and sarcastic, with a dry sense of humor. Now don't get me wrong - I LOVE characters like this. But to have a full cast of them was a bit much and stunted my ability to connect with characters based on their unique personalities.

Similarly, given the quippy personality of literally every character, the scenes that were supposed to be tense didn't feel like they had enough urgency. Like, I understand if certain characters deal with stress and trauma by making jokes, but that's certainly not everyone. Having characters basically doing a comedy routine back and forth while shit is exploding around them kind of makes it seem like they aren't actually in real danger. IE, the stakes don't seem real so I, the reader, am not particularly invested.

There were other elements that also made the novel feel more contemporary and less sci-fi, like how Lennon's parents make him write an essay on "toxic masculinity" after he punches a kid (who deserved it). Now, Lennon's dad is the Democratic candidate for President, so this checks out, but it feels very "of the moment" and so disconnected from a story that doesn't take place in current reality.

Somehow, for a book that feels contemporary, this somehow also seems under-researched. For example, our main man Lennon gets kidnapped A LOT, to the point where it's a running joke through the second half of the text. There are a few kidnappings where he was handcuffed, which were perfectly legit. HOWEVER, he is kidnapped multiple times using zip-ties around his wrists, and it's not specified that his arms were behind his back in all these instances. This is notable because it's actually pretty easy to break zip-tied wrists, if they're in front of your body, by bringing your wrists up to about eye-level and then slamming them down over your knee, pulling your elbows to the side as you do. The skin on your hands will be absolutely trashed, but your bindings will break. Considering how relatively common knowledge this is (Alexis mentions it on Schitt's Creek), it seems like THE SON OF A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WHO HAS HIS OWN SECURITY TEAM WOULD ABSOLUTELY HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF THIS TIP. Like, am I taking crazy pills here? Is there some sly, textual explanation for why this wasn't an option? Let me know in the comments.

Add to these issues the fact that the main antagonist (that we see anyway, because it's just kind of not addressed that someone kidnapped Lennon in the first place except for a throwaway piece of dialogue) is Declan, who used to date Maisie and is both pulling the strings but also not that smart. That's the summation of his personality - we have no idea why Maisie liked him in the first place, other than he sort of reminded her of her dead dad, we know nothing about their relationship or when and how they broke up. It seems like Declan still likes her and they're still sort of working together in the beginning, so it doesn't quite make sense that he is shown to be a douche on all fronts. The dude seriously does not have one redeeming characteristic. The fact that, despite organizing a freaking insurrection, he's shown to be such a poor strategic thinker meant that I was never actually concerned he would win. Also, the cast was far larger than it needed to be, the romance felt shoe-horned in, and the ending was both convenient and kind of cheesy, Last but not least, this was also a lot more repetitive than Tintera's prose typically is, so I'm wondering if it was rushed through editing.

A couple of positives:
- The chapters are nice and short, which I love.
- Maisie has a classic action-hero vibe, which is a nice break from the super-angsty heroes popular today.
- The bromance between Ethan and Lennon was fun for the whole five minutes of page time it got.

So obviously, I'm slamming this book and I frankly feel bad about it. I plan on just kind of forgetting about The Q, and I'm sure Tintera's future releases will be more in line with the quality we've come to expect from her writing.

This was actually a whole lot more entertaining than I was expecting it to be. I really enjoyed Maisie and Lennon, they were really fun to read about. Special thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc. I highly recommend this fun and fast paced thrill ride. And the ending was just the cherry on top.

I wanted to enjoy this one but felt the overall mystery, plot and characters hard to relate to. I can totally see the potential here though, I might just not be the target audience.

This is such a throwback to the post-hunger games/maze runner era of dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction. Fun relationship between the two main characters, gangs running the city, quite a bit of action. I would've loved to know more about the disease that caused Austin to be walled off, but that's not really the focus of the book. I read this almost in one sitting - it certainly kept my attention.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This book took the pandemic to the extreme. With a virus that was able to mutate quickly (seem familiar?) and no cure, the USA isolated the infected into "The Q" or the quarantine zone. This zone was basically it's own country with it's own leaders and rules, and seems something of a lawless state.

I'll start off by saying that I really enjoyed the overall structure and premise of this book. The son of a presidential candidate was kidnapped and dropped on the Q with a limited time to get out or risk being infected. It was set up for what felt like would be an interesting, and while it was, there was something about it that felt incomplete.

I really liked the pacing of this book. It was very fast paced and didn't let up on the action. However, I think that worked against it as we didn't seem to spend enough time getting to know the characters. It was as if we only got to know them on the surface level, so that the relationships felt lacking in depth. Because of this, the romance felt cringey and unrealistic. It wasn't explored in a realistic way so the ending felt unbelievable.

Overall, this was an entertaining read but it didn't feel fully developed. Everything felt like it was touched on but not fully explored. I think if the book explored the characters and virus more rather than spending such bulk on how the Q came to be, it would have felt more lived in and more real.

The story line was quite interesting considering we are so close to the pandemic experience. It has the right amount of twists, relationship dynamics and thrills.


Thank you #NetGalley, Random House Children's and Crown Books for Young Readers for giving me the opportunity to read this.

After Lennon, the son of a presidential candidate, is dropped into a quarantine zone (the Q), he meets Maisie, a tough-as-nails girl who has lived in the Q her whole life. She agrees to help him get to the exit, but they’re faced with dangerous obstacles and a ticking clock that threaten to keep Lennon locked in the Q for life.

I absolutely love this heart-pounding adventure. This book was told in dual POV, which gave us the perfect insight into how both Lennon and Maisie changed along their journey. In particular, Maisie’s character arc was brilliant. She’s such a smart, resourceful badass. By the end, she resolves to be a benevolent leader of the Q, but she doesn’t lose any of the qualities that make her such an awesome character. Lennon’s a great character, too. He’s absolutely swoon worthy, with his uncontrollable hair and dashing smile. And he was arrested for street racing?! Are you kidding me?! My little teenaged heart would’ve been pounding reading about him. The side characters don’t disappoint, either. Every single character Tintera crafted felt full and three-dimensional. I want to move to the Q to live with all of them.

This was such a heart-pounding adventure. I felt almost glued to my e-reader, unable to disconnect myself from this story. There was danger and action around every corner in the Q. The witty banter and laugh-out-loud writing style helped this book from feeling too dark (which is likely not an easy feat when the reading is drawn into a world of deadly viruses and gang warfare). The budding romance contributed to the stakes! I was begging for Maisie to leave, for Lennon to stay, just something so that they could be together! Maisie and Lennon are one of my favorite ships as of recently.

There were some plot holes that prevented me from giving this five stars. I wasn’t sure why Maisie had artificial organs if she’s immune to the virus. I also didn’t understand how Lennon was supposed to avoid getting infected with the virus once he decided to live in the Q. Still, these were minor problems that didn’t take away from the exciting story Tintera has crafted. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a fast-paced, unputdownable read!

two words: THE BANTER. I loved this book so much. It was so enjoyable and really fast paced. I miss science fiction so much and this book made me remember why. It felt like once we got our first taste of action very early on, it never really stopped. That made reading this super quick and high-stakes throughout. Maise is fantastic and Lennon is funny. Overall, there's not much to say because it's such an enjoyable and easy read. Even after living a pandemic, reading this was interesting but still a lot of fun. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Maisie Rojas was born and raised in the Q, a place that used to be Austin, Texas but is now a walled quarantine zone after a deadly international pandemic almost two decades ago. The Q is divided into two rival territories, and Maisie is a trusted lieutenant for the Southern Zone’s family. When an unexpected visitor to the Q lands at their doorstep, Maisie finds herself caught between doing what the Family wants and what she feels is right.

I will admit, I was a little leery of reading a work set post-pandemic after the last couple of years that we’ve had. But I absolutely loved this book! The pandemic was only used as a backdrop to create a somewhat dystopian setting, but it was not the focus of this work. The author did an excellent job at using this idea as a backdrop while creating a meaningful and entertaining story over it. The story was well told with quick pacing, making for a quick, easy, and enjoyable read.

The characters were so well written. Even the secondary characters had unique, vivid personalities that felt like real people – the entire cast was relatable and engaging. I loved Maisie and Lennon as protagonists as well as their interactions. Maisie is one of the best written female protagonists I’ve run across in a while, and the author did an amazing job with her. The author excelled at character creation, which made this a joy to read. I also thought the romance was excellently done, feeling realistic and not rushed (even though I’m pretty sure it occurred over only a few days).

There was nothing I disliked about this work and can’t recommend it enough! This was an excellent standalone work of YA dystopian fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Publishing for providing a review copy of this work, which will be published on November 8th, 2022. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.