In a post-apocalyptic world, civilization has reformed around a a collection of rules - strict regulations govern mining, weapons, technology... and citizenship. Those who develop special abilities are suppressed and imprisoned in detention centres, unless they can escape. 
 Ashala is written in the standard first person YA voice. It's done well, but the voice isn't a particularly strong one. 
 The plot is your average "main character is the leader of an underclass group that is rebelling against the status quo" format, and the main character is your standard "her strength is that she is just such a good leader, but she struggles with her desire for revenge" character. 
 It's all fairly bog-standard, but it's well executed. The twists are somewhat predictable, but the reveals are fun. I would have liked some more time with a few of the side characters, but I suppose that's what sequels are for. 
 All in all, this book follows the YA template fairly faithfully, which fans of the genre will appreciate and haters will dislike. But while Ashala isn't bringing much new to the table, the execution is solid. If you want to read YA, this is an excellent choice.