Winnerland — Julia Barrett

Caleb is fifteen years old. Jael is sixteen. They begin their relationship chained together. As their captors later tell them, they are joined at the hip. If one falls, the other must pick her up. If one breaks the rules, the other is punished. If they are to survive, Caleb, a sheltered only child and Jael, a street-wise orphan, must indeed be joined at the hip, work together to stay alive. And if they can, help their fellow captives survive along the way. "One minute I'm walking home from soccer practice. The next I'm chained to a wall in the back of an old RV. I don't know why. I don't know where I'm headed. And I'm scared to death. There's a girl here too. She says her name is Jael and she's in worse shape than I am. She says she's been locked up for thirty-two days. Thirty-two days? I doubt I can last one hour. Am I tough enough? Am I strong enough? Can I survive anything they throw at me? I don't think so. But Jael believes in me and I believe in her, so maybe, just maybe, I'll get back home." Winnerland is a gripping story of courage, determination, sacrifice and survival. A pre-apocalyptic tale told in vivid terms by our hero, Caleb Wiseman.