The Pearl Savage, by Tamara Rose Blodgett

               I started reading the ebook The Pearl Savage about two days ago. The book is about a future world where, after some sort of cleansing event, the USA's surviving humans live in spheres that protect them from the outside world. The states are now referred to as Kingdoms, like the Kingdom of Ohio, where the book is set. The book is centered around Clara, the princess of the kingdom. Since she was a girl, she loved to work in the oyster fields to harvest pearls, because oyster farming is the primary industry of the Kingdom of Ohio. Her mom, Queen Ada, doesn't approve of this. She doesn't really approve of anything that doesn't compliment her or get her more wine. There's also a group of people who live outside the sphere, the Savages. They can sometimes be spotted in the nearby forest. They also have gills, so they can breathe in the environment outside. So far, The Pearl Savage seems like a good book, although I currently have many questions.

1. What was the cleansing event?
2. Who were the Guardians and why did they initiate the event?
3. Why do the people inside the spheres think the Savages are savage?
4. Why are there kingdoms inside the sphere, instead of democracies?
5. How did the savages get gills?

               I think the book has omitted these answers just to add some suspense, and while I respect that, it does get rather annoying when you're reading it. You have to take almost all of the opening chapters on face value, and that bothers me. I need to know why everything is the way it is, and if it isn't believable and clever, I need to stop reading. I like books with good background stories.