Andra Author:Louise Lawrence Two thousand years into the future, Earth's surface is uninhabitable, and humans have survived by building strictly supervised subterranean cities. Then Andra, an already rebellious teenage girl, is given a partial brain transplant to save her vision and her life. The brain comes from a boy who lived in 1987, and suddenly Andra can see the w... more »orld as it used to be, with sunlight, grass, and animals.
No longer able to accept the oppressively regimented life that the government dictates, she begins a youth revolution. She does not know that plans are already being made to send settlers to a faraway Earth-like planet, and that a rival city is working toward the same goal. Lawrence creates a unique world and a strong heroine.
Unlike many science fiction stories, the authority figures are not all malevolent "Big Brother" types. Shenlyn, the ruler of Andra's city, sincerely wants to build a free new world. He is not evil, and is willing to listen to Andra once he recognizes her gifts. By alternating the point of view among several characters, Lawrence builds suspense, gradually unveiling an unwilling betrayal and a devastating twist at the end. At times both hopeful and sorrowful, Andra is a fascinating story about the power of one individual following a dream.« less