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I bought this on the basis of a couple of good reviews from usually reliable sources, but this book was really pretty bad in several ways.
In a dystopian near-future, four children of indeterminate age meet up in the uninhabited areas away from the cities. One child, Ren, has been abandoned by the person who was supposed to deliver her from her parents (who have to get rid of her because they had a baby) to her aunts house in another city. One, Brocket, has grown up in this uninhabited area. One, Lil, is a "street person" which seems to be a distinct class of people who can be arrested for no reason... but like most things in this book, it's never explained. And the fourth, Hilary (a boy) is trying to complete the work of his deceased father (which isn't explained.) A baby is abandoned nearby where these kids have holed up. Why the baby was abandoned is (surprise, surprise) not explained. The kids decide they have to take care of the baby, which means taking it from one place to another, for reasons that are never clearly explained. The baby is completely irrelevant by the end of the book, merely a McGuffin to trigger the four kids taking off on a survival trek across these unexplained badlands. They encounter several other people who are totally unexplained; Brocket has a fear of "It" which is totally unexplained... Almost nothing in the book seems to have any point.
But all of that is made worse, because none of these four children are provided with sufficient character development for the reader to feel like we know them, and therefore care about them. We go along with this pointless journey, not even caring what the result is, or how the kids come out, because we don't really know them.
Do not waste your time on this. ( )

Written in 1995, and set in a dystopian 21st century, four children who were left alone for various reasons find allies among one another in an unforgiving environment. Working toward a common goal, they learn teamwork, reliance and strength as they all pitch in for their common survival.

I’m not usually a fan of dystopian books, but I really enjoyed this one. With characters you can root for, a setting from your own memory, yet changed, and a really good YA story, this book is worth seeking out. ( )