Storm by Evan Angler

This is the 3rd installment of The Swipe Series. The Dust are kind of spread out in this story. Some are left in Beacon to try and find and rescue Eddie(their antics to get the IMPS out are pretty entertaining). Some are looking for a cure for Erin who has the Trumpet disease. They go to the doctor that invented the disease, but find that it is not the original disease that she created. Soon many more Marked will come down with Trumpet and with no known cure many will perish. Logan and Hailey are off on a mission by themselves. It hasn't rained on America for months. It looks like someone has sabotaged the seeding plant and Logan and Hailey are determined to prevent the final sabotage. Meanwhile Cylis and General Lamson begin to distrust each other and plan out their own strategies to become the only leader of one united country.

I really enjoyed the first two books in The Swipe Series. I have to confess that this 3rd installment lacked something that kept me from thoroughly enjoying it. I don't know if there were too many stories involved that kept some sort of cohesiveness from happening in the story or if I was distracted while reading the story(which is entirely possible) and therefore was easily lost while reading. One of the complaints I had in the first two books was that these are marketed as Christian books but yet nothing led me to believe that they were except for the "clean-ness" of them. Storm brought out a bit more "religion" in that Logan is carrying around a Bible that someone gave him in one of the former books. He prays in Storm, but to whom or what we are not told. God is never mentioned and Cylis's name is used as a curse word as people are in the habit of using "god" as a curse word now. Will I read the next book to come out in The Swipe series? YES! I need to find out what happens to Logan and to find out what the author is doing by putting himself into the story. I can't decide whether that is genius or annoying!

Countdown City: The Last Policeman book 2 by Ben H. Winters

In book two of The Last Policeman trilogy COUNTDOWN CITY, the earth has only 77 more days before a giant asteroid destroys it. Once again Hank Palace is on a mission to solve a mystery. An old family friend has asked him to find her husband who has gone missing. As Hank searches for Brett Cavatone his investigation leads him through many twists and turns. Was Brett the devoted husband that his wife led Hank to believe or has he embarked on a crusade that will put him and anyone looking for him in danger? 

I really enjoyed COUNTDOWN CITY. I found Hank’s desire to help a family friend and his tenacious ability to not give up until he completes his mission admirable. In a setting that has turned into “every man for himself” it is refreshing to see Hank’s character caring for his fellow human beings. Hank is an unwitting hero with a desire to fulfill a promise that he has made. I’m looking forward to the last book in the trilogy with the hopes that somehow the earth will be saved and for Hank’s sake set to rights once more. I have a feeling that his sister will be very much involved in that endeavor! An entertaining sequel to THE LAST POLICEMAN. 

For more information about COUNTDOWN CITY visit the publishers site: Quirk Books. There is also a very SHORT bio on the author Ben H. Winters! 

Read my review of the first book in the series The Last Policeman.

I received my copy of COUNTDOWN CITY from the publishers Quirk Books for my honest opinion. The book will be released July 16, 2013. 

Sneak by Evan Angler

It has been a month since Logan has escaped his marking. DOME has been clearing out all of the Markless in an attempt to find Logan. He's managed to stay one step ahead of them so far. Logan is making his way to Beacon where he hopes to find Acheron, a prison that may not exist, and to find his sister who may not even be alive.

Mr. Arbitor is being demoted because of the antics of his daughter Erin. Breaking into DOME, stealing equipment and maybe helping a Markless escape causes Mr. Arbitor's boss to send him back to Beacon. Exactly what Erin wanted to happen. Reunited with her mom, Erin was hoping that they could be a family once again. Also realizing that she can once again help Logan, Erin sets out to find him and Acheron in Beacon.

Using an Underground Network to help get them to Beacon, The Dust also make their way there to help Logan. Finding Acheron is not an easy task and breaking someone out of it could prove even more difficult.

One of the complaints I had about SWIPE(the first book in the series) was that we didn't really get the background of how this dystopian world came about. In SNEAK there is a note from the author filling in some background which was very helpful. While the SWIPE series is marketed as a Christian series I found very little evidence of that in either book. Logan does get his hands on a Bible in SNEAK, but really there is very little said about it. I think that the series becomes more "preachy" about the government role in our lives rather than a religious role. That is very understandable considering that the series takes place in an apocalyptic world that has become "all inclusive." Which really means that the government wants total control.  I really enjoyed SNEAK, and look forward to the next installment of the SWIPE series.

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

It starts out as just another ordinary day for Dean and his brother Alex. Both running to catch their buses to school. Dean is on the high school bus and Alex is on the bus for younger students. Nobody is expecting it when disaster strikes. Large hail starts falling from the sky. Dean's bus driver is inexperienced and immediately crashes the bus. Alex's bus driver is experienced and seems ready for any disaster. She heads her bus of students into the storefront of the Greenway, a superstore. Amidst the wreckage of the bus Dean is saved by fellow students and hauled into the Greenway.

Alex's bus driver decides to go for help. She insists that everyone stay behind to remain safe. She promises to send help. All together there are 6 high school kids, 2 eighth graders and 6 little kids in the Greenway.

After the bus driver leaves the Greenway's safety gates come down and lock the kids inside. Soon after a chemical is released in the the outside air that affects people with certain blood-types differently. Dean becomes filled with rage and wants to kill someone. His brother Alex takes a beating before he is subdued. From then on the kids are truly cut off from outside as they cover all air ducts to keep the outside air from getting in.

Niko becomes the official leader of the group. He helps them get organized and gives them each a job to do to keep them alive. Dean's job is cook. Each day he chooses a helper from the little kids. They all do very well setting up their new home in the Greenway. They have all of the supplies that they will need to survive for a very long time. Of course they don't all get along. Jake and Braydon the "popular" guys are not happy when Niko is voted in as leader. They do very little to help in their new home. Sahalia is an 8th grader but wants to be treated as one of the older students. She tries consistently to get the guys attention. Dean has had a crush on Astrid for a long time, but she is Jake's girlfriend. She too is affected with rage when she breathes the outside air. After a scary episode with one of the little kids she secludes herself from the others. Then there are all of the little kids who miss their parents and just want to go home. How much longer can they live in the Greenway not knowing what has happened with their families? When will they be rescued?

First off I love apocalyptic stories. There is something about survival after disaster happens that make for entertaining reads for me. I thought the story was very good and kept me turning the pages until the end. I'm finding though that I am getting very disappointed in YA literature lately. The use of Jesus Christ as a swear word is very offensive for me. It was used quite frequently in this book. In fact it was almost the exclusive swear word in this book. Normally I would have closed the book and not finished it. The only reason I kept reading was because I had recently closed another YA book for the same reason and thought I should at least try and finish this book. There were also a couple of sexual situations in the book. Was any of that necessary to move the story along? In my opinion NO. Putting those two things aside, the story was entertaining and different enough from other apocalyptic stories. I liked the characters, I liked the idea of being trapped in a super store with all of the possibilities there. But still I am disappointed in what I am seeing in YA reads lately.

This is an ARC from ALA in January. It comes out in publication in June of 2012.