Lowering the stakes and piling on the violence makes for a disappointing sequel
Anna and the boys are still on the run from the Branch, the mysterious organization that shaped them into human weapons of mass destruction (Altered, 2013).
Grocery shopping and training for combat, they hide out in a cozy cabin like a heavily armed Snow White and three dwarves, their uneasy domesticity troubled by flashbacks of pre-Branch life. Anna’s primary concern is with the family she’d forgotten: her sister, Dani, and their parents. Learning that Dani is alive and held by the Branch, Anna seeks help from Trev, the fourth boy, admitted Branch agent and questionable ally, to free her. As flashbacks proliferate, the dizzying plot twists and turns (or, like Anna and Nick’s intense relationship, is left dangling). Key developments pivot on characters readers haven’t met or are delivered in lumps of “while you were sleeping” exposition. Combat aside, Anna’s fairly passive: experiencing flashbacks, reading files, listening to witnesses describe events that occurred long before the story’s present timeline. The frantic pacing and underdeveloped characters are dizzying, distancing, occasionally boring—like hearing a detailed account of someone’s dreams—so dramatic events (and an accumulating body count) that should move readers have little emotional resonance. Building suspense is Rush’s strong suit, but, less earth-shattering than foreshadowed, the tidy resolution feels like false advertising.
Lowering the stakes and piling on the violence makes for a disappointing sequel . (Science fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-316-19715-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 19, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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