The Dome by Suzanne Craig-Whytock

I just finished The Dome, a YA dystopian novel by Suzanne Craig-Whytock. It's a story I really enjoyed.

It is the year 2135, almost four decades since the Water Wars ended. Much of the continent is a desert wasteland, and the powerful Consortium rules Adanac, one of the few habitable areas remaining, with an iron fist.

Cee and Dee, 16-year-old twins who share a special, almost psychic bond, are runaways from a Consortium workhouse. Now living as Freeworlders in the largest tent city in Trillium province, they are determined to survive. Dee spends her days thieving with her best friend Rogan, and Cee makes a living selling his handmade woodcarvings to the Fancies, the wealthy elite. Like all Freeworlders, life is a struggle, made worse by the constant threat of The Dome, where punishments for the slightest offense are meted out by the Dome Master.

When devastating circumstances force the twins to become separated, all seems lost until the sudden appearance of Darv Bouchard, leader of an underground resistance movement, who reveals some shocking truths. Rumours become reality, enemies become friends, and old foes resurface. Dee and Cee are tested to their limits as they confront the demons of their past and try to save the future, for themselves and all of Adanac.

The story is interestingly told from two different viewpoints, Cee's and Dee's. Each chapter is told in first person and alternates between the twins. One chapter will be from Cee's viewpoint, the next from Dee's, then back again.

There are interesting twists throughout. It's a great read for anyone who enjoys dark tales from the future.

About Suzanne Craig-Whytok

Suzanne Craig-Whytok's love of literature and writing came at an early age and continued into adulthood, leading her to earn an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language and Literature from Wilfred Laurier University. She has worked in education most of her life and was a high school English teacher in Ontario for over 20 years. 

She has authored both fiction and non-fiction works from short stories and poetry to academic documents and educational resource materials. She regularly publishes humorous essays focused on city life, politics, current events, and popular culture on her website. The Dome is her second published novel.