Last Star Burning — Caitlin Sangster

To escape execution for a crime she didn't commit, seventeen-year-old Sev is forced to run away from the only home she's ever known in this exciting start to a brand-new fantasy series from debut author Caitlin Sangster.

Sev has been tattooed with the white stars of a criminal since she was eight. That's the penalty for being the daughter of the woman who betrayed their entire nation.

Now her mother's body is displayed above Traitor's Arch, kept in a paralyzed half-sleep by the same plague that destroyed the rest of the world. And as further punishment, Sev must do hard labor to prove that she's more valuable alive than dead.

When the government blames Sev for a horrific bombing, she must escape the city or face the chopping block. Unimaginable dangers lurk outside the city walls, and Sev's only hope of survival lies with the most unlikely person -- Howl, the chairman's son. Though he promises to lead her to safety, Howl has secrets, and Sev can't help but wonder if he knows more about her past -- and her mother's crimes -- than he lets on.

But in a hostile world, trust is a luxury. Even when Sev's life and the lives of everyone she loves may hang in the balance.