Relationships

One of the primary themes that runs throughout the novel is relationships. For Luke, it is the relationships he has with his friends that propel him to doing something about overthrowing the government and earning his freedom as a third child. Luke has complicated relationships in his life because he doesn't always know who he can trust and who he cannot trust. Luke has a healthy but secretive relationship with his parents and his brothers. Because Luke is a third children, it is illegal for him to exist. This means that for the first 12 years of his life, Luke's relationships are limited to his family and one friend, his neighbor Jen. These are the only people who know Luke exists until he leaves home at 12 to take on some fake identities to help him enlist in the Population Police.

To escape the Population Police, Luke runs and hides...