City of Hidden Children by Victoria Randall

City of Hidden Children is Book 3 of the Children in Hiding Series written by Victoria Randall.

It is the year 2055, thirteen years after Willa, with the help of Thomas Sawyer, successfully rescued her then four year old daughter Katy from Renton Children’s Center, home of unlicensed children. Unlicensed children are those born without the necessary but very expensive reproductive permit also called ‘baby license’ under the No Unwanted Children Act.

After a series of disturbing and recurring nightmares and the discovery of an old picture taken in the Children’s Center, Katy starts to have flashes of blurred memories of two long lost friends. An unexpected encounter strengthens Katy’s resolve to go back to the center. Her naivety and inexperience lead her to believe that she can simply go to the center, find her friends and take them away from that dark and cruel place. She has no idea of the extent of the depravity waiting for her in the center where unlicensed children are not even considered humans but garbage that can be tossed about and dispose of.

Though not as suspenseful as the first two books, this is much more intense and more poignant. The description of the place, the corruption of those in charge, the depiction of cruelty and atrocity and the portrayal of hopelessness and helplessness are done in vivid details that twist the hearts of the readers.

Apparently, however, it seems that the author focused more on the plot as Katy is the only developed character in this book and plays a part bigger than that of all the other minor characters put together. Though Katy is too stubborn, too impulsive and too naïve for my type of main protagonist, she proves herself a worthy heroine with her sharp tongue and steely determination to save her friends and other children in the center.

Just like the other books in the series, this is casually worded and easy to read. However, though this book can be a standalone, I recommend that readers check out the first two books and read the series in proper order to get acquainted with and appreciate the important characters.

Again, my congratulations to Victoria Randall (@Entlover27) on such a great book and a wonderful book series! For more information and updates on the Children in Hiding Series, click HERE.    

Come on Home, Children by Victoria Randall

Come on home, Children is Book 2 of the Children in Hiding Series written by Victoria Randall.

The year is 2042. Under No Unwanted Children Act, anybody who wants to have an offspring is required to acquire a reproductive permit also called a baby license. Otherwise, the pregnancy is illegal and punishable by law.  

Is has been four years since Willa escaped from Renton Children’s Center. She lives with Adele, an older woman who took her when she was pregnant with her daughter Katy. Katy is now a smart nearly four-year old girl and Willa dreams of finding a stable job and a better home for them.

Willa’s hopes and dreams are shattered when she comes home to find Adele’s house locked, with Adele in jail and Katy under the custody of the Bureau of Population Management. She is willing to give everything she has and do everything she can to get Katy back. Being a non-person entity herself, Willa is powerless alone. But with loyal friends and a powerful ally rallying behind her, Willa dares to step up and reinvent herself to rescue the most important person in her life.

Unlike the first book in the series, Get on Board,Little Children, this has a slower pacing and is less suspenseful though just as intense and exciting. Moreover, the plot is a little more extreme while the romance part gives the book an entirely different appeal to readers, especially to those who enjoy a bit of heart-tickling scenes.

The characterization is great with the main protagonist, Willa, portrayed as a tough and strong woman and a patient and loving mother while her daughter Katy is a very smart and a very brave girl. The minor characters, which are given short but enough descriptions for backstories, each plays an important role. Casually worded throughout the entire story, the book is easy to read and understand.  

Needless to say, I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed the first one. Congratulations to Victoria Randall (@Entlover27) on another great book! For updates on this series, click HERE.

Get on Board Little Children by Victoria Randall

Geton Board Little Children is the first book of the Children in Hiding Series written by Victoria Randall.

Sophie has always loved kids. As a kindergarten teacher, she is constantly surrounded by children and would love to have one of her own, though not in the very near future. It’s not because she and her husband Josh are not yet ready, but because they are still saving some money to apply for a ‘reproductive permit’ or what Sophie calls a ‘baby license’ without which getting pregnant is considered unlawful pregnancy or class C felony under the ‘No Unwanted Children Act’ and is punishable by law.

So, when Sophie finds out that she is expecting, she and her husband Josh must find a way to acquire the permit as soon as possible. However, they are not ready for what she learns next. Suddenly, Sophie and Josh are on the run. With the help of the revived Underground Railway, they have to get to the Tijuana border as soon as they can.

This is an exciting, suspenseful and fast-paced dystopian thriller that will keep the readers on the edge of their seats. With an unpredictable plot written in casual and easy-to-read style, the book is simply a page turner. The book has two well-developed protagonists and a variation of minor characters, all of them very interesting. Each introduction of a new character is clouded by doubt and apprehension from not knowing whom to trust. The author is able to maintain the suspense until nearly the end and rewards the readers with a satisfying ending but at the same time leaves the readers anticipating for the next book.

Congratulations to Victoria Randal (@Entlover27) on such an amazing book! For updates on this book series, click HERE.