The Q, by Amy Tintera, is an action-packed dystopian novel that immediately piqued my excitement through its captivating yet scarily realistic worldbuilding. Equally captivating are the introductory characters, whose personalities make you forget you’re reading a book as opposed to watching a live-action movie.

The Q, both the title of the book and the area in which majority of the story takes place, is a post-pandemic quarantine zone in what used to be Austin, Texas, separated from the rest of the country in efforts to contain a deadly virus.

The Q’s residents have since adapted to the conditions of the virus in unique ways, which brings me to my first major points of liking:

• Tintera’s masterful worldbuilding, covered especially throughout the first half of the novel, truly sets up the essence of a dystopian society corroded by a virus and abandoned by the rest of the world.
• Ongoing turf wars between the Q’s two ruling clans, the Spencers of the north and the Lopezes of the south, convey that, despite adaptations towards the virus, the residents continue to face societal conflicts.
• The stakes for the upcoming plot, which involves a life-threatening expedition to leave the Q, are also set up thanks to the efforts put into the world’s details.

Of course, no less effort was given to the story’s main characters, teenagers Maisie Rojas and Lennon Pierce, whose points of views alternate throughout the story. Maisie, who grew up in the Q, accompanies Lennon, the son of a US presidential candidate, in his attempts to escape the quarantine zone after a kidnapping which landed him there. In discussing Maisie and Lennon, I have both positive points and critiques:

• The readers receive snippets of internal dialogue from both Maisie and Lennon due to the alternating perspectives, making the two feel all the more alive. The two face internal challenges which the book’s target audience can resonate with, easily making it a far more meaningful read.
• Maisie is the embodiment of a teenager faced with the tragedy of both a dystopian world and personal loss, yet one who has adapted and overcome the challenges thrown at her. She is resilient and realistic, and her occasional bluntness and humorous remarks bring the story to life. 

A personal critique of mine is the romance between the two main characters, or rather, the focus placed on it at around the midway point in which Maisie and Lennon embark on their escape plan. Though many may find this addition to the plot enjoyable, I found it to be both all-too-predictable and a distraction from the already engaging stakes set up. Predictability isn’t always a marker of bad storytelling, however, and the subtly romantic interactions are undoubtedly charming, yet I still found the romance to be an oddity among the fast-paced adventurous plot. The only purpose the addition seemed to serve was acting as a filler as the characters moved from one point of danger to another, yet this could have been done through other, more urgent instances of internal dialogue related to the stakes of escaping the Q. 

The only other, and far more minor, point of dislike of mine was the minimal attention given to likable side characters such as Hadley once the story moves into the point of escaping the Q, though this choice is understandable as highlighting Maisie and Lennon’s journey appears to be the novel’s priority.

All in all, The Q is an exhilarating read that’s impossible to put down thanks to Amy Tintera’s masterful storytelling. Despite criticisms that can easily vary from reader to reader, The Q is definitely a new recommendation of mine for anyone looking to read either a polished dystopian fiction or simply a thrilling new book.

The Q by Amy Tintera is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.