Review: Beyond The Fence by Jen Minkman

"People turn their heads when I walk past them. They know where I’m going. My feet almost stumble on the uneven pavement of the cobblestoned street when I sense Mark’s gaze on me. This is the only time he takes notice of me, and it’s for a reason I wish didn’t exist. All the other times I want him to see me, his eyes skip right over me. I’m a wolf in sheep’s clothes to these people. A potential threat.
I already know what will happen once I get to the Clinic. I’ll have to talk to that clueless psychiatrist so he can measure my possibly violent tendencies. Because that stigma has been on me ever since I turned twelve and the person I loved most in the whole wide world was Purged from this city.
My name is Sarah, and my father was a violence offender."
Return to the world of the Island series and meet Sarah, resident of Dartmoor City. She's bitter, she feels trapped, and she wants nothing more than to venture beyond the fence that's keeping her in. She just has no idea how to. But when she discovers a secret that President Jacob would rather keep under wraps, Sarah is forced to make a move for freedom - because she meets a guy who is even more of a prisoner than she is, and he desperately needs her help.

Shona's review 4 of 5 stars

I've been reading books written by Minkman for a few years now and despite their many differences one thing they have in common is that they are all beautifully written. Descriptively written in a way that allows the reader to feel like they are actually there, seeing those things for themselves without bogging you down in minuscule details. This book is exactly the same. Only this time the descriptive text paints a rather haunting image of the world after it has been decimated by years of bombing.

Beyond the Fence is the beginning of a new series all of its own, but it's a spin off from Minkmans The Island Series. If you haven't read that first then you really should. This book is set 5 years after the events that took place in The Deep and there are mention of some of the events from that series.

Rather than another book from an Islanders POV, this time round we get to see what life is really like for those who grow up on the mainland and have to follow the non violence laws. On the surface it seems like such a simple task, but when tone of voice can also be deemed to be too aggressive you run the very real risk of being purged. Which makes the actions of Sarah and Kian far braver than you might originally think. 

I'll be honest and admit that on more than one occasion I did feel like things were working out a little too easily for them, but that ending... I didn't expect that. I cant wait til the next book in the series is available so I can find out what happens next.