A Ward of the State

The Unborn Child Protection Act, Book 3

By: M. E. Wright

Narrated by: Tara Kulkarni

She was raised to think for herself. Now, she’s being told who to become.

Allison Maxwell has spent the last two years in Hamburg with her father, growing up in a world that values intellect and independence. But when a spike in global tensions forces her to return to Manhattan, she finds herself trapped in a version of home that no longer makes sense.

At Vanguard Preparatory Academy—a school reserved for the children of the powerful elite—boys are trained to lead, while girls are molded to submit. She’s confused by lessons that feel like systemic indoctrination and disturbed by the trap masked by patriotism and prayer.

As Allison resists the rules shaping her future, she bonds with Michelle, a sharp-witted student who sees through Vanguard’s polished façade. Together, they begin to question not just the school but the world that built it. And when family secrets come to light, Allison is forced to confront a chilling reality: the system isn’t broken—it’s working exactly as designed.

Set in 2042, A Ward of the State is a dark, psychological commentary on control, compliance, and the quiet rebellion of a girl who refuses to be reshaped. M. E. Wright deftly explores the interpersonal dynamics of family, agency, and inner resilience in this thought-provoking third novel in The Unborn Child Protection Act saga.

Buy A Ward of the State to understand how the game is played today.

©2025 Michaela Wirtz (P)2025 Michaela Wirtz

A Chilling Future

I was as entertained by this story as I was with the first two books in the series. I felt for Allison Maxwell, not only because of all the changes in her life, but also because her parents were so wrapped up in their own lives that they stopped listening to what Allison was saying. This whole series provoked some in-depth thinking on my part, and it caused me to look around for some of the signs that this story indicated were happening in today's society. There were some elements which sent a chill up my back. I thought Tara Kulkarni's narration was good, and her pronunciation of the foreign words was amazing; however, I found it a little surprising that she mispronounced the word crepes. I was given a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.

when women lose their place in the world

I have read/listen to the previous 3 books in the series, and so off course when I saw this book was disponible to listen I jumped at the opportunity, I accompanied when Rylee first discovered she was pregnant and then how things were rough for Sam and back again to Rylee, and I will tell you, these characters they did grow in me, I enjoyed this books quite a lot, but let me talk about this one, this one is about and told by Allison, the baby that was conceived in the first book and made from Rylee and Sam parents, and I will tell you, she is a 14 years old, but she sound so mature for her years, and yes I felt much more oppressed in this book than in the others before... this dystopian world is ready for a turn for even darker times...

this book is a reaction to the story of her parents and how affects her present, Allison was happy with her life in Germany but notices of war in Europe send her sooner back to America and things are way way different there... I did like this dive into Allison, my main complains about the audiobook, was talking in Chinese or German, giving the translation afterwards, my German is really rusted and I don't talk mandarin so I don't know how it went, but its always a challenge to have foreign languages read. Well she really is the daughter of her parents, and she is clever, witty, and in the end a good girl, she has a dream for her life, that in the present America (in the book) she is no better than an ornament to make her future husband look good... yeah its a great story and at the same time very scary, if we get to this point, because its not religion, its control, and bad people comes in many sizes and shapes...

I really liked this book and I advice all of you who like dystopian stories to grab a copy of this audiobook and listen for yourself.

I've got a free Audible code from StoryOrigin and this is my honest opinion.