3.5*

Life in a cell. Fifteen radiological miles of farmland, and a set of twin sisters. It’s own small world where balance is everything. Cassie and Becca are polar opposite twins; careful Cassie and radical Rebecca. Making the best of life in their community, with a father in the hospital after an attempted suicide, and mom gone never to return after a mind alteration. It’s the simple life. School and farm, farm and school. Until the Day Becca steals her sister's truck and goes missing. Cassie tries to cover at first, but once she is convinced her sister has been taken, there is nothing to stop Cassie from finding Becca.

Becca wakes up in a prison known as Crazy House. She has no idea how she got there, what is going on, or how to stay alive. That’s right. This prison will beat the crap out of you, and make you happy for death. The prison is full of nothing but children/teens, and anyone can be put to death at any time. The big questions, what do you wish for more; A horrific fight where you are sure to limp away, or a quick and easy death?

As usual Patterson writes a quick story with short chapters. They alternate between various characters, mostly Cassie and Becca. The tagline of the cover says the next Hunger Games, and while I see a little Hunger Games, I see other stories more. It is a derivative novel. It wants to be a mash up of The Maze Runner and Divergent. It does work, but it has been done better. However, as a long time fan of the Maximum Ride series, I do know that sometimes, for Patterson, the first book in the series is not the best. Divergent had an excellent first book, and the rest of the series sucked. The Maze Runner was tedious, but interesting, but not engaging enough to make me finish the series. I lived and breathed the Hunger Games. While I will not live and breath Crazy House, I am intrigued enough to want to read the sequel. But I’m not begging for it right now.

Patterson and Charbonnet have done a good job in the first book, of filling in the what. It has only covered about half of the who, and there is no why in site. I want to know the why. Like the Maze Runner, I don’t have a kinship with the characters, I find them one dimensional and expected. However, unlike the Maze Runner, I want to know the why. Why was this done? Why these divisions? Why these girls? I won't lie. The story is somewhat predictable. However, predictable or not I want to know why.