The Snow Laundry (The Towers, #1)

Sixteen-year-old Ally is one of 400 homeless young people who have been promised new and better lives in exchange for their votes.

The once homeless children and teenagers are now warm and fed. But they are forced to work for the new administration - and their new home is really a prison.

When Ally's boyfriend Bon vanishes into thin air, her search for him leads her to discovering that the homeless kids are really lab rats intended for scientific testing. And as Ally delves deeper into her search for Bon, she learns the frightening truth behind his disappearance.

Ally, her boyfriend Bon, and hundreds of other homeless young people live together in a former hotel converted into a state-run laundry and kitchen. The new home is courtesy of the Administration, who have promised them freedom-once the resistance accepts the outcome of the coup. Ally's perspective is limited to the events within the laundry and kitchens, but she soon starts noticing signs that the Administration are not as benevolent as they claim. The glimpses of the Administration that she sees evoke the extravagant and bloodthirsty Capitol of The Hunger Games, masquerading as saviours. When Bon disappears amid increased terror attacks, Ally begins to unravel the Administration's lies and discovers their plan for the homeless young people they refer to as 'rats'. The tension increases up until an ending that will have readers desperate for the promised sequel. Set in a not-too-distant future, the first YA book by author and playwright Mette Jakobsen is a dystopian novel with traditional themes of totalitarianism and rebellion. The tender relationships between Ally and Bon, and their friends Ollie and Berger, contrast with some very dark moments including attempted sexual assault and the graphic after-effects of a bombing. The Snow Laundry is a valuable addition to the Australian dystopian YA tradition that will appeal to fans of Claire Zorn's The Sky So Heavy, for readers aged 15 and above. Ilona Urquhart is a children's and youth services librarian on the Surf Coast and has a PhD in literary studies.

Originally from Denmark, Mette Jakobsen now resides in Sydney. She is an adventurer, author and playwright. Mette has a PhD in Creative Writing and has graduated from NIDA's Playwright Studio. Her novels have been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book Prize, topped the Indie Book List, and mentioned on Oprah's Booklist. Mette has taught creative writing at universities and several of her plays have been broadcast on ABC Radio National. The Snow Laundry is her first YA title.

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