BREAKOUT by A.M. Rose is an edge-of-your-seat, YA dystopian adventure that will have you turning page after page well past bedtime.

Lezah was imprisoned for a crime she didn’t remember committing, and with six days left until her execution, decided it was time to escape. With help from several other inmates, including the swoon-worthy Seph, Lezah attempted to not only break out of the prison but remember her past and figure out who was controlling the prison.

I loved Lezah as a character and started rooting for her on page one. Even as I struggled to get a real picture of who she truly was, Rose masterfully revealed pieces of the puzzle which came together seamlessly (and unexpectedly!) later in the book.

The world-building was phenomenal and honestly one of my favorite parts of the book. With climate change such a real-world concern and technology advancing at such a tremendous pace, the world depicted in Breakout was certainly not far-fetched, which made the premise all the more terrifying.

The pace of this book was intense, and Lezah and her friends find themselves in constant danger. There were times I actually felt as though I was trapped in hell with them, even to the point of holding my breath.
The favorite element of Breakout, however, was definitely the tight-knit group of friends. In many of the dystopian/sci-fi books I read, the pacing and world-building are tremendous but the character development ultimately falls short, and I end up not caring what happens to them one way or the other. This was not the case for Breakout. Rose expertly blended a gripping storyline with characters that were so well-developed, it was impossible not to connect with them. I loved the sweet romance that developed between Lezah and Seph, and thought it was so completely age appropriate that the teenage heroine managed to fight for her life while still noticing the smell of the cute guy battling beside her. Long live young love!

In all, I give Breakout five glorious stars. Fans of Maze Runner and other high-concept dystopias will love Breakout. Highly recommend to all sci-fi lovers as well.