Sky on Fire

September 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-This action-packed sequel to Monument 14 (Feiwel & Friends, 2012) is darker and more suspenseful than the original.. It begins with a note to "whoever finds this," which reacquaints readers with the characters and plot of the first book. They are then plunged back into the chaos of postapocalyptic Colorado, without a moment lost between the ending of the first book and the beginning of the second. Brothers Alex and Dean are back, alternating chapters with their clear, riveting narratives. Alex, 13, and half of the contingent of children and teens sheltered at a Greenway superstore, set off on a bus to find medical help for severely wounded Jake and a rescue party for those left behind. Dean, 16, remains with the rest, those whose blood type causes them to become psychotic in the post-disaster air. Both Dean and Alex are no longer the children who boarded the school bus on the fateful day the world changed. Their childish optimism has gone. They are both world-weary and have matured, but neither one is fully prepared for the events that befall him in this survival tale. As the days and tragic events mount, patience and tempers wear thin, creating a realistic but less appealing group of characters. The well-paced plot leads to an ending that provides just enough closure to satisfy and a clear opening for a third book. Libraries that own the original need the sequel. Those without it should consider purchasing both titles.-Cindy Wall, Southington Library & Museum, CT

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2013
Grades 8-11 The toxic cloud released in Monument 14 (2012) split our struggling group of kids into two factions: those like Alex, 13, who are using the junked school bus in hopes of reaching the Denver airport, where supposedly assistance awaits; and those who remained barricaded inside the superstore, including Alex's 16-year-old brother, Dean. There is some hastiness to Laybourne's prose here, but the trade-off is a fair one: the split point of view accelerates the drama as the bus is hijacked, the superstore breached, and certain characters learn to use their toxin-induced homicidal rage to reach their goals. Pretty darn breathless by the end.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)