The Initiation

In a ruined world, Manhattan is now New America, a walled-in society based on equality. But the perfect facade hides a dark truth. A timid math geek, 16-year-old Drayden, watches his life crumble when his beloved mother is exiled. The mystery of her banishment leads him to a sinister secret: New America is in trouble, and each of its citizens is in jeopardy. With time running out, he enters the Initiation. It’s a test within the empty subway tunnels - a perilous journey of puzzles and physical trials. Winners join the ruling Bureau and move to its safe haven. Failure means death. 

Drayden and his friends thought nothing could be harder than the Initiation. Little did they know it had only been a warmup for the challenge that lay ahead. With New America’s situation dire, Drayden and the pledges venture into the unexplored world beyond the walls, escorted by a team of elite Guardians. The group seeks to contact another civilization in what remains of Boston, but Drayden has secret goals of his own.