June is a military genius, having aced her exams and graduated early from the academy. Her first assignment: track down the elusive Day, the Republic's most-wanted criminal, the boy responsible for killing June's brother, the only family she had left. Day, in contrast, failed all his exams and has been living on the streets ever since, smuggling his gambling winnings to his brother, the only member of Day's family who knows he's still alive. June wants to avenge her brother's death; Day wants to buy the cure to the plague that's ripping through his family's neighborhood. June is about to find out exactly what the Republic government is capable of--and that's something Day has known all along. 
 Post-apocalyptic elements (post-war, post-flooding); apocalyptic elements (plague); dystopian elements (government overreaching, educational testing, human experimentation). Middle school and lower high school. Fast pace and super-agent reminiscent of The Lab (Jack Heath); military genius and strategy call to mind Ender's Game. Wouldn't be surprised by a sequel, but doesn't leave off at a cliffhanger demanding one.