Young Adult Book Reading Challenges discussion
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Ark Debt
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In a frozen near-future, humanity survives inside a single underground Ark where an AI tracks every breath, calorie, and decision through an unforgiving EcoDebt system. Fall behind, and you are conscripted to hard labor or cast out into the wasteland above. Two older teens on the verge of adulthood, Liam and Maya, face an impossible choice that forces them to confront power, debt, and the cost of compassion. Their fight for freedom becomes a test of identity, love, and leadership as they uncover secrets about the Ark and the people who run it.
Genre: Dystopian sci-fi thriller, upper-YA crossover
Why it qualifies as YA/crossover:
• The story centers on characters transitioning into adulthood who make independent, life-altering choices about work, loyalty, and identity.
• Themes are mature and real-world adjacent, including systemic debt, surveillance, bodily autonomy, and moral gray areas.
• Romantic tension and consequences are written for high-school-age readers and up, with a tone and complexity that aligns with NA shelving, not middle-grade or younger YA.
Heat Level: Mild (romantic tension and kissing, no on-page sex; peril and violence are non-graphic but intense)
Where to find the book:
• Amazon Kindle: Ark Debt – eBook: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F...
• Goodreads: Author page for Ken Cheney
• Official site: ArkDebt.com