Scorpion

May 1, 2020

Gr 9 Up-In this sequel to Mayfly, Jemma, Lady, Pico, and Grease have left Ell Aye and found the Old Guys, those scientists who brought about the end of the Long Gone world a hundred years ago. Having perfected nanobots (called the Haze) that could heal humankind, the scientists need an AI to control their technology. However, the entity called Charlie has evolved beyond their expectations and in its quest to understand human life, has developed a taste for the mixture of memories and experiences of people as they are dying. Charlie has put The End in place, and the very few children of those who survived the first purge now fight to achieve dominance over the other tribes and their resources before they die in their late teens. As Jemma struggles to understand her relationship with the Haze among the mostly peaceful Angeleno tribes, Little Man Tommy schemes to come up with a way to connect the blood thirsty Last Lifers and Biters with the rest of the tribes without further losses. Sweat delivers a gritty post-apocalyptic novel with myriad characters and plot threads. There is strong world-building, but this is not a standalone novel and will stymie those who haven't read Mayfly. VERDICT In tandem with the first book, a fine addition to libraries serving older teens, especially where Neal Shusterman's "Unwind" and "Scythe" series circulate well.-Elizabeth Friend, Wester Middle School, TX

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