Tetherless
by C.K. O’Donnell
Genre: Young Adult / Sci-Fi & Fantasy
ISBN: 9781734506334
Print Length: 336 pages
Reviewed by Lindsay Crandall
A chilling mystery full of lies and betrayal
Set in the not-so-distant future of 2040, Tetherless follows Abbie as she navigates adolescence in her home of Eureka, California, just outside the gates of Port Allegiance.
Life in Eureka is hard. Homelessness and hunger run rampant through the community that was devastated when coronavirus relief programs were cut off. Abbie lives with an alcoholic father and sick mother; both are struggling with guilt over the death of her younger brother. She is in an abusive relationship with Ty, who has never had to face the consequences of his actions, thanks to his father, a local police officer who bails his son out of every infraction. Her biggest supporter and teacher is her Uncle Jesse. It’s Jesse who encourages Abbie to apply for a job in Port Allegiance, a seemingly idyllic city filled with riches and opportunities for a better life.
Contrary to her expectations, Abbie lands a job at Redwood Manor, the home of the most affluent family in Port Allegiance, a job that might finally see her dreams of college come true. She is also able to reconnect with a friend from her past, one she never thought she’d see again. Everything appears perfect, but nothing at Redwood Manor is as it seems. Abbie soon uncovers horrors inside that she couldn’t have ever imagined; “The grass isn’t always greener…”
C.K. O’Donnell has crafted a realistic dystopian world here, drawing some eerily similar parallels to the world as we know it now. Rich corporations and people in power in Port Allegiance are exploiting the poor citizens of Eureka, who are trying their best to survive. O’Donnell provides a first-hand look at how this affects Abbie, through journal entries scattered throughout the novel where she grapples with her actions, both past and present.
“What constitutes morality? Is it enough to be a good person in general? Who decides what’s morally acceptable in society anyways? The people in power have broken the system, and since repairing it seems unlikely, isn’t it justifiable to take matters into my own hands?”
Tetherless is a suspenseful dystopian mystery filled with plot twists and misdirects that keep you guessing. Although it starts a bit slow, the pacing picks up as soon as the mysteries start to unravel. The second half of the book flies by as Abbie and her friends draw closer and closer to the answers and suspects they are seeking. O’Donnell has written Abbie as a complex young woman, while some of her friends and the other characters introduced at Redwood Manor can come across as a bit one-dimensional. I’m hopeful these secondary characters will be explored more as the story continues to unfold in the series.
Tetherless is a strong start to what is sure to be an exciting young adult series.
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