The Limit

by Kristen Landon

Last September I won an ARC of THE LIMIT and got a chance to meet Kristen Landon. Not only was Kristen a delight to talk to, but this book really made me think. Not only does the story offer an interesting, twisty plot, but it has a really good message about spending within your limits. There are times that I read books and feel like the message was shoved down my throat, and this is not the case. The idea of money management is prevalent throughout the book but it is presented in such a way that I don't feel like a bad person for occasionally buying a book instead of getting it from the library.

The story follows thirteen-year-old Matt who is taken from his family because they spent more than their limit. He now lives in a workhouse helping to pay back his parents' debt. While he is working, he learns his high IQ has set him apart from 90% of the others who were taken, and while this means he has some special privileges, not everyone gets to live the same luxurious life he and his new friends have.

THE LIMIT is a dystpoic novel that doesn't delve into the grittiness as much as just making you feel uncomfortable about what is happening. It makes the setting more believable and that is what really makes this book for me. The idea of limiting people's spending has a grain of sensibility in it which for a second almost made me wish there was an outside punishment for it. I wouldn't be surprised if something like this happened somewhere in the world.