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The Salt Line cover art

The Salt Line

Written by: Holly Goddard Jones
Narrated by: Hillary Huber
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Publisher's Summary

In the spirit of Station Eleven and California, award-winning novelist Holly Goddard Jones offers a literary spin on the dystopian genre with this gripping story of survival and humanity about a group of adrenaline junkies who jump "the salt line".

How far will they go for their freedom - once they decide what freedom really means?

In an unspecified future, the United States' borders have receded behind a salt line - a ring of scorched earth that protects its citizens from deadly disease-carrying ticks. Those within the zone live safe, if limited, lives in a society controlled by a common fear. Few have any reason to venture out of zone, except for the adrenaline junkies who pay a fortune to tour what's left of nature. Those among the latest expedition include a pop star and his girlfriend, Edie; the tech giant Wes; and Marta, a seemingly simple housewife.

Once out of the zone, the group find themselves at the mercy of deadly ticks - and at the center of a murderous plot. They become captives in Ruby City, a community made up of outer-zone survivors determined to protect their hardscrabble existence. As alliances and friendships shift among the hostages, Edie, Wes, and Marta must decide how far they are willing to go to get to the right side of the salt line.

©2017 Holly Goddard Jones (P)2017 Penguin Audio

What the critics say

“Jones' darkly clever worldbuilding creates a nightmare that seems far from unthinkable....It's The Hunger Games meets The Godfather meets Robin Cook, with female characters playing all the key roles. Hell, yeah.” (Kirkus Reviews starred review)

“Social commentary and intense thrills rolled into one seamless story. Outwardly an adventure story, this suspenseful novel uses a thrilling premise to examine the fallout of abandoning universal freedoms in order to ensure collective safety.” (Publishers Weekly)

“The mystery-like structure keeps the reader guessing as Jones switches seamlessly from evocative pastoral descriptions of North Carolina and Tennessee to action-packed scenes of violence....At once dark, disturbing, and highly enjoyable, this is a timely novel bursting with ideas.” (Booklist)  

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Not a vacation

Everything is unpredictable when a vacation outside the safety zone is not as it appears.

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