Marked

March 1, 2016
Fugitive Phee and the rebellion face off against villainous tyrant King Charlie in this duology closer. After the events of Tracked (2015) and its climactic ambush, Phee's been safe in the rebel camp on Cyan-Bisera but suffering from severe PTSD--panic attacks, flashbacks, the works. Phee can't seek much support from her white best friend, Bear, as things are romantically awkward between them. As for dark-skinned love interest Cash, he's missing and presumed dead. Cyan, reconsidering their support of the rebels, holds a hearing to question Phee, but she successfully uses it instead to lobby for the cause. In a Mockingjay-esque turn, Phee is unsure of her exact role in the rebellion, prompting a dangerous mission of her own to the Bisera city where her uncle has left her an inheritance--and multiple surprises. With a billion-credit bounty on Phee's head, getting in and out is dangerous. But even more dangerous are the new tactics that Charlie deploys, a no-holds-barred approach to warfare. Although much of the book's focus is on the politics and internal conflict as Phee grapples with trauma (which she deals with through therapy), there's still time for the fancy driving that earned her renown and is Martin's strength. While the climax relies on counterpropaganda and speechmaking (and comes too easily), the penultimate skirmish is heart-pounding and costly. Derivative, fast-paced brain candy. (Dystopian adventure. 12 & up)

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