Author: Lisa M Stasse
Series: The Forsaken (Book 2)
Publisher: Orchard Books
Release Date: 7th November 2013
ISBN13: 9781408318812
Synopsis
In this dystopian sequel to The Forsaken, Alenna has survived the brutality of life on the wheel--but her fight is not over yet.
Alenna escaped. It was expected that she would die on the wheel, the island where would-be criminals are sent as directed by the UNA--the totalitarian supercountry that was once the United States, Mexico, and Canada. But Alenna and her boyfriend, Liam, made it to safety. Except safety, they will soon learn, is relative.
In order to bring down the UNA, they must first gain control of the wheel. If the mission succeeds, the wheel will become a base of revolution. But between betrayals, a new Monk leading a more organized army of Drones, and the discovery of a previously unknown contingent, Alenna, Liam, and their allies might be in over their heads. One thing Alenna knows for sure: There will be a reckoning. And not everyone she loves will make it out alive.
My Review
After finishing 'The Forsaken' I was desperate to know what would happen next, book 1 ended on such a cliffhanger that I was desperate to find out what becomes of Gadya, Alenna and Liam and if the Wheel ever gets defeated. I had to wait 2 days for the book to come in the library (actually very quick service, but feels longer when you are waiting to find out what happens next).
I did enjoy the first book but I wasn't blown away by it, I was just captivated enough that I have to know what happens next so I approached this book with eager hands but not expecting much.
After Alenna escaped from the wheel she wasn't sure what to expect from her life, with her boyfriend by her side but her closest friends left behind amidst the danger of the wheel she has some choices to make. Stay safe in the secret community or fight for freedom from the UNA. Making the choice to return to the wheel means sacrificing her life and being thrown back into a world of violence and uncertainty, but Alenna isn't a scared little girl anymore, she is a fighter and a survivor and she wants to stand up for herself and her friends, and the future of the world. Plus in some ways it seems like she doesn't really have a choice!
I honestly wasn't expecting much from this book, thought it would be like the first, I wanted to read it quickly and see what happened next but that was it. However when I started to read I found myself quickly pulled into the world and really enjoying it. The characters are so much more developed - not just Alenna and Liam but even characters we haven't met before like Dr Barrett and Alenna's mum. The world is really well set up and the imagery is amazing, I could visualize every tunnel, every room, every aspect of the wheel. It really came to life off the page. The storyline is good and well paced, there are a lot of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat and a few curveballs that I certainly didn't predict.
Alenna and Liam put a lot of their trust into people they don't know, mainly scientists running the rebellion and also other rescued survivors. We meet Cass, a sassy girl with a streak of revenge in her blood, she wants to fight back to the ones who ruined her life on the wheel and her friend Emma, a rather meek and quiet young lady but with a fierce intelligence and hidden strength.
When they return to the Wheel it is nothing like the place they have left, the Drones are organized and brutal, bloodthirsty and almost like zombies, but harder to kill. They have all been controlled and being led once more by the mysterious 'Monk' With all their plans going wrong, Alenna, Liam and Cass have a much tougher fight on their hands than they ever expected.
I got this book home and read it in 3 sittings over 3 days, I read it so quickly - I was desperate to find time to sit down and read, I just couldn't get enough, I had to know what happens. This book still has slower moments but they felt more needed and well placed, but overall the action carries you through the pages and I found myself really enjoying the story. It was so much better than book 1.
I am now desperate to know what happens in the third installment and can't wait to get stuck in. This book takes the premise of the first book and ramps it up about a hundred gears! Well worth a read.
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