WHEN THE SUN RETURNED

The rains have ceased, but the sun is deadly.

Now that Aurora and her friend Kota have found Aurora’s foster parents, Niko and Jada, and they’ve all escaped The Hill, they’re hopeful that survival will get easier. But the endless sunshine and heat are brutal. They encounter a band of five men and women from Redfern, a society that’s much kinder than The Hill, though still not a democracy. Redfern’s leader, Devon, doesn’t trust the newcomers, particularly Aurora—and the feeling is mutual. The newly formed family tries to survive the harsh conditions, a life-threatening injury, the politics of their new home, and the threat of ominous, mysterious Dark Pools that erupt into geysers that contain shui gui, or the spirits of drowned people. The meaningfully layered story alternates between Aurora’s and Kota’s first-person points of view. Their perspectives reveal Kota’s belief that he’s responsible for the shui gui (which he learned about from his grandma’s stories), as well as both young people’s thoughts about Niko and Jada and their developing familial relationships. This strongly paced, action-packed sequel will leave readers rooting for Aurora’s and Kota’s survival while also trying to figure out the mystery of the shui gui. The well-developed ensemble cast adds additional depth to the vivid reality of this wholly distinctive world. Most central characters present white. Kota is cued as having East Asian heritage.

A riveting sequel that will leave readers anxiously awaiting the trilogy’s conclusion.