Its 2026 and the pandemic is over for New Zealand ... or is it?
 
Katherine Milton (15) has been trapped on an isolated hillside near Nelson for six years following an abduction by her estranged father whose paranoia increased during the 2020 lockdown. He believes that to be safe from the New World Order they must live away from 5G towers, so he imprisoned her in a cabin on a remote hillside near Nelson. After initial years of conflict and runaway attempts, Katherine is now pretending to be compliant, while actually waiting for her 16th birthday to make an escape so she will not be returned to her father, now her legal guardian. Just when the end seems finally in sight, Katherine is woken by distant gunshots and is soon faced with the choice of becoming embroiled in an all new ‘quarantine’ or ignoring the pleas of the Banning family to help them reveal the truth of what they say is a viral hoax.  This dystopian young adult novel combines humour with adventure, danger and ultimately, a quest for truth, no matter the cost. It was shortlisted for the Tessa Duder Award.