Domino Falls

November 12, 2012
The plot thickens in this engrossing continuation of the postapocalyptic Devil’s Wake. Having outrun zombie-like “freaks” and mercenary pirates, a ragtag “family” of survivors makes it to Domino Falls, the California town that is home to New Age guru Joseph Wales and his Threadrunner Ranch. After the survivors’ ordeal on the road, the town’s comfortable accommodations seem almost too good to be true—and indeed they are, because the “Threadies” are a dangerous cult that has abducted and murdered people to cover up Wales’s role in the apocalypse. The young characters in this novel are likable and credibly drawn, and the problems they wrestle with easily invite reader sympathy. Due and Barnes explode a few genuine surprises at the end to whet appetites for the next book.

November 1, 2012

Due is the American Book Award-winning, Essence best-selling author of Blood Colony, Barnes is the Hugo-nominated, New York Times best-selling author of The Cestus Deception, and here's the second in a series about an alien invasion of Earth signaled by a sweeping infection that causes victims to bite, bite, bite.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 15, 2013
Picking up just after the exciting Devil's Wake (2012), the ragtag group of teens struggling for survival in a world populated by flesh-eating freaks may have finally found a safe haven in the gated community of Domino Falls. Entry isn't easy: the six teens, their self-appointed guardian, and their loyal dog must prove themselves to those in power at Domino Falls. For Terry and Piranha that means going out on dangerous scavenger missions and risking their lives to bring back much-needed supplies. Kendra and Sonia focus on Threadrunner Ranch, the mansion presided over by charismatic former actor Joseph Wales, a veritable cult leader who is the real power behind Domino Falls. When the teens learn that girls have been disappearing after going to the ranch, the group decides to get to the bottom of it. They unexpectedly stumble on shocking answers about the origins of the outbreak that turned most of the world's population into freaks. A standout in the superhot zombie subgenre, the second entry in Barnes and Due's series keeps readers turning the pages fast and furiously, and a tragic twist guarantees that readers will be back for the third installment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)