Sunday, March 3, 2013

Sky on Fire by Emmy Laybourne

Sky on Fire (Monument 14, #2)
In this sequel to MONUMENT 14, the group of survivors, originally trapped together in a superstore by a series of escalating disasters, has split in two. Most of the kids are making a desperate run on their recently repaired school bus for the Denver airport where they hope to reunite with their parents, be evacuated to safety, and save their dying friend.

But the world outside is dark and filled with dangerous chemicals that turn people into bloodthirsty monsters, and not all the kids were willing to get on the bus. Left behind in a sanctuary that has already been disturbed once, the remaining kids try to rebuild the community they lost. But when the issues are life and death, love and hate, who can you really trust?


This is the second book in the Monument 14 series, a post-apocalyptic young adult series that actually manages to stay original and very frightening.

It’s rare to find sequels that are better than the first book, but I think this one fits the case. I thought at it was much more tense than the first one, the edge-of-you-seat feeling remains pretty much from beginning to end. The plot is fresh, with no zombies or vampires or anything like that, just basic human nature. Oh, and toxic compounds, but that’s not even the truly important part of the book.

The characters are all pretty well developed, which is a feat when you take into account how many there are. The writing is simple but sharp, keeping the pace at a good clip. The only thing that I lowered the book in my eyes was the ending. The author abruptly sets us up for a third book, which in my opinion, is not needed. The book would have left more of an effect on the reader if it’d ended in this book.

If you like post-apocalyptic stories, then I do recommend this series. You do have to start with the first book, though, otherwise you’ll be completely lost. It’s a fun one.
 
 
 
 
 
 

No comments: