The Broken Vow

June 15, 2018
Addie has finally made her big score: Does that mean she and her little sister can escape the Spill Zone?When the Spill occurred three years ago, Addie and Lexa's parents became two of the thousands of floating corpses in the wasteland that was Poughkeepsie, New York. Addie has made ends meet by selling photographs of the bizarre conditions inside the Zone, and she possesses growing paranormal abilities thanks to a very close encounter with "the dust." Now that she's sold an artifact from the Zone for $1 million, she can leave. However, Lexa's possessed rag doll, Vespertine, has other ideas for the family, and the North Koreans--who had a similar incident--have sent their Spill survivor, a youth named Don Jae, to investigate conditions in Poughkeepsie. Of course, the American government has their eyes on the situation too. Vespertine's eventual revelations about the nature of the Spill harden Addie's resolve to get out...but also make the situation so much more complex. Bestseller Westerfeld's (Nexus, 2018, etc.) second installment is the quintessential page-turner. Groundwork laid in the first volume pays off in nearly nonstop action here. Puvilland's (Spill Zone, 2017, etc.) colorful, jagged, totally alien art is the perfect partner for this trippy tale. Addie and Lexa are white, Jae is Korean, and there is diversity in secondary characters.The richly satisfying conclusion won't keep readers from demanding a third volume. (Graphic novel. 12-adult)

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September 1, 2018

Gr 10 Up-Addison has returned from a quest in the Spill Zone only to find that her sister's doll, Vespertine, is possessed by a being whose past is intertwined with the Spill's origins. Meanwhile, the North Korean Spill site has given a young man named Don Jae powers. When the sinister connection among Vespertine, the Spill, and Don Jae's abilities is revealed, Addison must fight for her sister's life and avenge their parents. Westerfeld and Puvilland's first volume introduced nightmarish landscapes and a fascinating world and characters but was unable to answer the burning questions it raised. This riveting follow-up goes above and beyond expectations, bringing each plot thread to a close and creating a web of intense intrigue. The art continues to pop off the page, with unsettling, psychedelic flashback and action sequences. The stakes for Addison and her friends are even higher than in the first entry. Though Addison's tale wraps up, the author leaves the door open for future installments. VERDICT Between Westerfeld's masterly storytelling and Puvilland's impeccable art, this is a must-read for Spill Zone fans.-Matisse Mozer, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* As volume one explained, a strange world has leaked into ours, creating a Spill Zone of dire effect. Addison braves this area to make a living but has just pulled off her last big score, though her actions have left her inexplicably infected as well as targeted by a number of larger interests. Among them, an underground art collector, a strange entity inhabiting Addie's sister, and, in a very timely development, the North Korean government. In fact, a North Korean agent, also affected by the zone, is the only one who understands what's happening to Addie and the only one who senses that the zone is about to make a larger, more dangerous move. As as he did in Uglies (2005) and Peeps? (2005), Westerfeld creates a convincing version of our world and gives it a deep injection of weirdness. He also crafts a sprawling, complex plot that he tightens with suspense and distinctive character dialogue, which keeps the story spinning, and brings it all to an action-packed but emotionally satisfying climax. Puvilland supports the cracking tale with baffling and beautiful visions of the otherworldly to balance his cartoon-gritty characters. He also matches the narrative pace with a streamlined visual flow from page to page. The saga, now complete, is as gripping a sci-fi thriller as the form has produced.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)