The Limit

An eighth grade girl was taken today . . . With this first sentence, readers are immediately thrust into a fast-paced thriller that doesn't let up for a moment. In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhouses if their families exceed the monthly debt limit imposed by the government. Thirteen-year-old Matt briefly wonders if he might be next, but quickly dismisses the thought. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. As long as his parents remain within their limit, the government will be satisfied and leave them alone. But all it takes is one fatal visit to the store to push Matts family over their limitand to change his reality forever. Kristen Landon's The Limit brings the popular dystopian thriller genre toa middle grade audience. In the near future, children are taken from their homes and placed in workhouses if their parents exceed the government's obligatory debt limit. Thirteen-year-old Matt thought it would never happen to him, as his parents are pretty well off. However, an ill-fated trip to the store completely changes Matt's life When His Family Exceeds Its Legal Debt Limit, Thirteen-year-old Matt Is Sent To The Federal Debt Rehabilitation Agency Workhouse, Where He Discovers Illicit Activities Are Being Carried Out Using The Children Who Have Been Placed There.