The Raging Ones
Book 1 of The
Raging Ones duology
By Krista & Becca
Ritchie
Published: August 14,
2018
Publisher: Wednesday
Books
In Altia, everyone knows the day they’re going to die from
the moment they’re born. But what happens when that day passes and you’re still
alive?
THE RAGING ONES (Wednesday Books; August 14, 2018), a
YA debut for bestselling authors (and twin sisters) Krista and Becca Ritchie
plunges head-first into a sci-fi romance that will keep you guessing until the
last page.
THE RAGING ONES follows three teens who should have
died young: Franny Bluefort, a young orphan who lived fast and hard, only to
wake up the next morning after her death day in the cold, unforgiving city
streets; Mykal Kickfall, who was meant to die at 8 but instead was forced to
flee his rugged home to avoid questions of his survival; and Court Icefort, the
mysterious boy who acts like an Influential, but has a terrible secret. And,
for some inexplicable reason, they can feel each other's emotions as if they
were their own.
With the threat of people learning the teens have dodged
their deathdays, they must flee their planet, Saltare-3, to survive. Who knows
what will happen if people suddenly think they might be able to escape death?
But to do so, all three will have to hide their shared bond as they vie for a
highly sought after spot in the newest mission to space. Against thousands of
people who are far smarter, will live longer, and will never fear death the way
that they do.
The Ritchie sisters have already amassed a large following
for their steamy romances, infusing their young adult novel with romantic
tension and displaying a new talent for excellent world building. Full of
action and adventure, THE RAGING ONES is part space odyssey and part
coming of age story with three teens trying to escape their difficult pasts.
"A potently addictive blend of romance, fantasy, and
science fiction full of unexpected twists."
— Kirkus Reviews, STARRED Review
"…a heartfelt, high-octane saga with gripping twists
that will leave readers hungering for more."
— Booklist Online
Excerpt:
|
On the cobblestone walk of a city sheathed
in ice and snow, I slam my frostbitten fist against
a Plexiglas cashier win dow. “Excuse me!” I call out for assistance that never arrives. Five minutes till closing, and the bank has already
snapped the blinds shut.
“Excuse me!” I shout again. “I’m dying tomorrow!” I bang harder, my frustrated breath smoking the chilled air. My wool coat, missing
four buttons
and brandishing more than a few torn holes, warms me less than my irritation. Which grows with the incoming silence.
I’m truly dying tomorrow, but death is normative. I die. You die. We all die. The only difference between the bankers and me—I will die at seventeen.
I die young.
They die old.
And so it goes.
I spot a bulky camera positioned on the brick of the Bank Hall’s outdoor window. You see me, don’t you? They just refuse to an swer. “I’m allowed my Final Deliverance check! Do you hear me?!” I yell up at the lens while simmering
in place.
Behind me, men in sleek tailored suits and furlined wool coats amble along
the alabasterwhite sidewalk. Their hot,
disparaging gazes heat my neck. They can act all miffed by me, but Fowler Street, Avenue ThirtyFour contains every shop for every type of person: hair salons, dentists, pubs, quaint overnight inns, and most importantly for me—the only bank.
And all the grand streets—all the ones with cigar parlors and highend fabric shops that smell of rose petals and fig—hug the grimy ones. The streets with cheap apartments, crumbling brick, and foul, pungent odors with each step past. So in the end, the rich clothed men have always seen as much of me as I’ve seen of them.
We just might not end up in the same place.
I watch some strut ahead, careful on slick cobblestone, scarves bundled up to their lips. They disappear past the warmth of a stone pub, nestled on the corner of Fowler. The opulent Catherina Hotel is only one block away, and by the men’s attire alone, I imagine that’s their true destination.
Really, they’re not a priority to me.
Not today. Most definitely
not tomorrow.
With numb fingertips, I dig in my pocket for my identifica tion. I raise the card toward the camera lens. “I’m Franny Blue castle,” I declare, possibly speaking to no one. “Can you see
my deathday?” I point at the print beneath my name. “I’m dying tomorrow.”
A shadow passes behind
the window, someone stirring.
Blinds rattle and I press my nose against the chilled glass, scraping my fingers down. “Please! I’m on time!” Backbiting insults and curses nip my tongue, and I swallow them, going down bitter like blood. The blinds
suddenly spring upward, and I’m met with russet curls, thin lips of boredom, and stern, auburn
eyes.
I speak before the fortysomething woman can. “I need to collect my FD check. In bills.” I keep a watchful eye on the old me chanical drawer beside the window. She has to dispense
my cash, and once the drawer opens, it’ll finally be in my hand.
Most plan out their deathday to the finest
detail. At six years of age, I watched my mom die.
I traced her steps around her bed, a singleroom apartment above a butcher shop. The scent of slaughtered pig clung more to our wellworn clothes than to the musty air.
She lit candle after candle and hummed to the gods, casting smiles back at me. Youth sparkled in her gaze.
And I’d known, like any stranger could see, that we did not match. It wasn’t only my cool, beige skin and silky black hair— but the differences of our eyes, the heart shape of my face to her squared, and as I grew, I didn’t develop curves or a chest like hers. Even knowing she’d die by twentyfour, my mother found the will and courage to provide me a home when she was just eighteen. She adopted me as an infant, and I always knew that I’d say goodbye to my mother in only a
handful of years. She prepared me for the day, so I’d be at peace with her.
And I was.
Moments after her smile, she
blew out
the tender
flames and crawled onto the squeaky
bed.
“Be careful of how you die, my little Franny,” she told me. “You can set your terms but not the day.”
Without question, I nodded in reply.
When we’re born, we all know the day we’ll die. It’s been this way for over a thousand years.
Maybe someone solved a mathematical equation.
Maybe a scientist drummed up this revolutionary discovery.
I can’t recall our history front to back like an Influential. I never attended school or read their books, and I didn’t really care to listen.
I only have so much time to live, so why waste it on a history that won’t be mine for long?
My mom snuffed the candles, avoiding Death By Fire as her ending. In my country of Altia, people about to experience their deathday must follow Injury Prevention Laws. Like me tomorrow.
Stay indoors.
Stay away from large groups of people. Relax. Stay calm.
Be at peace.
Defying the first two could lead to mass accidents.
A boy of fourteen dumbly and selfishly took a joyride around Bartholo’s packed and icy city streets on his deathday. The car spun out and collided with Mr. Rosencastle who was innocently locking up the butcher shop.
Since Mr. Rosencastle won’t die until he’s seventyseven, all he lost was an arm. Not his life.
And ever since I witnessed
my mom’s death—the serenity in her upturned
lips, the warm flush in her cheeks
before her heart slowed to a stop—I’ve dreamed of my own deathday.
I might have planned it poorly, but I dreamed well.
I imagined using the last of my money for a onenight stay at the Catherina Hotel. Where harpists welcome guests through
re volving doors, men in tuxes
offer goldfoiled chocolates and sweet liqueur, where feathered pillows and satin sheets blanket beds made for five bodies.
At the orphanage, I sleep on a narrow bunk, coiled springs bruising my back. Only with my Final Deliverance check can I afford this singlenight luxury. I’ve only heard stories,
never seen it with my own eyes, but I still dream.
I want to lie against those sheets and gaze up at the handpainted ceiling mural and smile as I drift off, as my heart slows or as my brain shuts down, as the gods take me.
The banker presses a button, and her monotone voice crackles through the
speakers. “We’ve closed out today. No
more trans fers, deposits, or withdrawals
until tomorrow at six o’morning.” She reaches
for the cord to the blinds.
“No wait!” This is not how I end. “You can’t botch this for
me! Listen to
me. You have to listen to me.” My desperation curdles my stomach,
and I claw at the window, my hot breath fogging the glass. “I need this money now. I could die at midnight.”
The banker scrutinizes my long hair: black roots growing in among vibrant
blue and
green knotted strands
that
contrast her natural hue. She homes in on my silver piercings: stuck along my black brow, a ring beneath my nose and another hooped around my lip.
It’s possible that she ignored me because of the bright dye and piercings.
My Review:
Imagine living in a world where everyone knows the day they
are going to die. In The Raging Ones everyone knows when they are going to die
and there is nothing they can do about it or to prevent it no matter what they
do or don’t do.
If you knew the day you were going to die what would you do
on that day? Would you lock yourself in your bedroom and not get out of bed? Or
would you live life to the fullest and have fun every day? Would you plan
something very special, something that you have always wanted to do but haven’t
yet? What would you do on the last day
of your life?
No one can get out of dyeing on their set date to die. Well
that is until Franny Bluecastle did, Franny had been making plans for her last
day for a long time but her plans didn’t work out. The day after her death day
she woke up in an alley with two people a boy and girl standing over her trying
to rob her. Along came two guys who saved her from these the two people who
were attacking her.
Like Franny her two saviors Court Icecastle and Mykal
Kickfall have passed their death day as well. They don’t know why they are
still alive but they decide to keep it to themselves.
Franny, Court and Mykal have a deep connection with each
other and would do anything for each other. Their relationship is not a
threesome kind of deal. No it is not that kind of connection. Franny loves
Court and Mykal but not in the way that she wants to share her bed with them.
But not the guys they are kind of sweet on each other and sparks do fly when
they are together.
Franny, Court and Mykal just want to survive just like
anyone else and leave their past behind them. They are afraid of what might
happen if anyone finds out that they have passed their death day so they decide
to sign up for a space mission so they can get off the planet and hopefully
keep their secret and to stay alive.
The Raging Ones is unlike anything I have read before and I enjoyed
it tremendously. It has more twist and turns than a roller coaster and will
keep you entertained just as much. I loved the world that was created in The
Raging Ones although I am not so sure about the idea of knowing the day you are
going to die though but it sure does make for some good entertainment.
I would recommend The Raging Ones to anyone who loves a good
science fiction or futuristic stories. I can’t wait to read more of the world
in The Raging Ones.
Interview
with Krista & Becca Ritchie
Working
with another author is hard, let alone WITH YOUR TWIN, what was working
together like and how did you address differing opinions on the work? What are
your favorite and least favorite things about writing with each other?
We’ve been writing together since high
school, so we’ve been able to really fine-tune our process. Being sisters seems
like we’d bicker a ton, but we find our bond a huge strength. We understand
each other’s vision and welcome varying opinions and ideas. We always describe
what we have as a mini “writer’s room” where we constantly bounce thoughts off
one another and try to improve our work. When we have different opinions, it
kick-starts discussions, which often ignites better stories. Our favorite part
of working together is definitely collaborating. We value our time together and
our discussions surrounding our projects. Always having someone equally
passionate and invested in the book fuels our love of writing. Least favorite
part: honestly, there aren’t a lot of negatives! Maybe our three-minute silent
treatments when we’re frustrated, and then we make up almost immediately.
When
did you first get idea for The Raging Ones? What was your inspiration for this
book?
Back in college, one of us (Krista) had
this concept about a world where everyone knows the die they’ll die, but three
teens don’t die on their deathday. We’re huge fans of science fiction and
fantasy, and we’d written several Young Adult novels that never saw the light
of day. But we wanted to write a new story together with new characters, and I
jumped on board once she agreed to add a fantasy element. While writing THE
RAGING ONES, we were really inspired by character-driven stories with science
fiction backdrops. From movies like Interstellar
to television shows like The 100.
THE
RAGING ONES is your first YA novel. What made you decide to move into the
genre, and was the transition difficult? Was writing in a different genre/for a
different age group hard? Was your process different?
Even though THE RAGING ONES is our first
published YA novel, it isn’t the first one we’d written together. In our
childhood, high school, and college, we mostly only wrote YA. The harder
transition for us had been going from writing Young Adult fantasy novels to
writing contemporary romance. In a lot of ways, THE RAGING ONES was like
returning to something we’d started but hadn’t finished yet. We always
attribute our romance books as the reason why we’re better writers, and when we
went back to this other genre, we realized how much more we could do and push
ourselves. Our writing process is pretty much identical across the map for
Young Adult and Adult.
What
is the weirdest thing you had to research for the novel?
Since THE RAGING ONES takes place on a
frozen planet, we had to keep jumping down an Animal Planet rabbit hole. We
paid close attention to the animals that could exist. It’s not too weird, but
there were a lot of times we had to double-check each other and be like,
“Cotton isn’t a fabric here” and “You can’t make them eat chicken. There are no chickens.”
Did
THE RAGING ONES have a certain soundtrack you listened to while writing?
Yes! We always listen to music while we’re
writing, and we complied a public Spotify playlist for the book, which includes
songs that were in our earbuds as we were typing. We love the dramatic scores
from Gravity and Interstellar, but we always say “Keeping Your Head Up” by
Birdy is the essence of the book.
THE RAGING ONES Spotify Playlist: https://spoti.fi/2AkHkXi
What
is your dream cast for THE RAGING ONES?
We love dream casting our books and making
Pinterest boards! For THE RAGING ONES, we can imagine Lyrica Okano as Franny
Bluecastle, Henry Zaga as Court Icecastle, and Noah Teicher as Mykal Kickfall.
THE RAGING ONES Pinterest Board:
https://www.pinterest.com/kbmritchie/the-raging-ones-series/
About the Authors
Krista & Becca Ritchie are New York Times Bestselling
Authors and identical twins, one a science nerd, the other a comic book geek.
With their shared passion for writing, they combined their mental powers as
kids and have never stopped telling stories. Graduates from the University of
Georgia in Biology and English & Journalism, the twin writing duo now lives
in Atlanta. The Raging Ones is their first young adult novel.
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