Wow! What a thrilling adventure! I wasn't too sure about this story when I first picked it up; I was afraid it might be too similar to the other dystopian books I've read. But I was very wrong! The whole feel of the book is different and instantly intriguing. 
 In the beginning Tella is your basic teenager; her parents have moved her family out in the middle of nowhere and she misses the friends and city she left behind. But above all that, she is terrified for her brother. He is sick and growing weaker by the day. She would do anything to help him. She gets the opportunity to do just that when she gets an invitation to enter the Brimstone Bleed, which is a trek across mountains, desert, and who knows what else to see who can get the end first and win the Cure for any person, any disease they choose. Even though the whole idea seems impossible, she knows she has to do it to at least try and save her brother. But nothing is ever as easy as it looks, and this didn't look easy in the first place. She really has to find her inner strength and learn not to rely on or trust others because after all, there can only be one winner. 
 I absolutely loved this book. I simply flew through it because I couldn't stand to wait to find out what happened next. I felt like I might miss something if I put it down! There are several characters, Tella included, that I just loved right away. They all have to have a certain bravery and loyalty about them to enter into such a dangerous race for a loved one. This is definitely a series I will keep my eye on - I can't wait to see what happens next!