The Initiation

“The Initiation is a hell of a ride...” —MIT's The Tech

Think. Solve. Survive. 

The Confluence destroyed the world as we know it. Manhattan is now New America, a walled-off society whose citizens live on diminishing shares of supplies, food, and hope. The government says everyone is equal but rules with an iron fist, banishing whomever it deems a threat, including Drayden’s mother. Drayden, a timid but gifted teen has only one choice if he wants to save his family and discover the dark secret behind his mother’s exile: enter The Initiation, a series of perilous puzzles and deadly physical trials in the city’s abandoned subway system. Drayden has the brains, but can he summon the bravery necessary to prevail?

“If you like books like Hunger Games and The Maze Runner you will love this one!” —BookedLQ

Chris Babu grew up in North Haven, CT, playing soccer and the violin in his free time. After devouring The Shining under the covers with a flashlight when he was eight, Chris was hooked on fiction. He's always had a thing for young adult books. But he's also a major science and math nerd—physics being his favorite—and he has a math degree from MIT.

For nineteen years, he worked as a bond trader on Wall Street, riding the subway to and from work every day. He traded mortgage-backed securities for Bank of America and then Deutsche Bank, where he eventually ran the MBS trading desk. Now Chris writes full-time, always with his trusted assistant Buddy, a 130-pound Great Dane, who can usually be found on his lap. They split their time between New York City and the east end of Long Island. Their omnipresence at home drives his wife Michelle and daughter Lily crazy. He can be found at chrisbabu.com.