Can you imagine a world where sports are banned for safety reasons? Jump into the creative mind of Pete Hautman and his book Rash and this is what you will see. Bo Marsten, a teenager in the year 2074, has gotten himself in a bit of trouble. Bo is sent to a labor camp in the Canadian tundra for 3 years as a result of his actions. The strict safety rules that had now applied to the USSA (United Safer States of America) do not apply to this camp. Bo soon gets himself involved with a football team called the Goldshirts. But what he didn’t realize is that if he makes a mistake Bo will be thrown out of the camp into the barren tundra all on his own except with the unpleasant company of polar bears.
This book really interested me from the start to the end. Pete Hautman really created a cool look into the future with virtual people that play a big part in the conclusion of the book. I really was engaged by the thoughts of the people living in the future and how they differ from us now. The story line was very unusual which made me unable to put down the book until I had figured out what happened. At one point Bo is at a tryout for the football team. That scene really stuck out to me because it was interesting how the people had neither played nor heard about football, and they were sort of scared of it. This book was very fascinating and is a well-rounded story. The one part of the book that I was disappointed with was the end. I disliked how the book ended because the conclusion was rushed and it didn’t satisfy me.

Overall the book Rash was a great story. If you enjoy science fiction books then Rash is definitely good for you! I finished it in just 2 days because of my curiosity for how it would turn out. Although I didn’t love the ending I highly recommend this very interesting book and I'm sure you will too if you read it!