Grace by Elizabeth Scott

Grace, a member of the rebel Hill People, has been trained since childhood to be a suicide bomber. At 17, she is sent on her big mission to do her part in overthrowing the ruthless dictator of her homeland. Something goes wrong and the story opens with Grace's efforts to escape her country safely. She tells her story in first person present tense, filling in the backstory as she journeys towards the border.

The premise is intriguing and I mostly enjoyed this until it got too preachy in the final 20 or so pages. I was also uncomfortable with the first name of the evil dictator - Keran Berj - which is awfully close to the Islamic holy book when coupled with religious zealot suicide bombers.

I'd recommend this dystopian science fiction to Hunger Games fans in Grade 9 and up, especially those readers who are interested in philosophical questions.