Thank you for visiting.
This content is exclusive to subscribers only.
As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
Log In
Don't have a Horn Book Account?
Register Now
Register Now
Wells, Robison
5 Reviews
(3)
YA
When a UFO crashes in the Midwest, Alice's NASA-employed dad ships her off to a ritzy boarding school in Minnesota for safekeeping, where the audacious Navajo teen finds herself sharing a suite with one of the mysterious aliens. This standalone novel's Whedonesque-dialogue and fast-paced action delivers as smooth a ride as Bluebell, Alice's beloved BMW 550i Gran Turismo.
Reviewer: Barratt Miller
(4)
YA
Superpowered couple Aubrey and Jack, who were recruited into the U.S. military in Blackout, find themselves on the front lines of a war with Russia in this gory sequel. The teens' extrasensory gifts are impressive, and the constant action reinforces the horrors of battle--though this breathless focus on fighting comes at the expense of exposition and character development.
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith
(4)
YA
The U.S. military is rounding up teenagers to prevent a virus from giving them superhuman powers. Aubrey and Jack are among them; they're then recruited to fight the terrorists (also infected teens) targeting the country's infrastructure and landmarks. Despite a clumsy romance and some frustrating mysteries (like the terrorists' motivation), this is a unique, tense start to a series.
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith
(4)
YA
This sequel abruptly picks up where Variant left off. Benson has escaped from sinister Maxfield Academy and its robot students, only to encounter a town of those robots' human counterparts. They're connected to their robot "dupes"--and to Maxfield--through surgical implants. The story is more confusing than its predecessor, but with its nonstop fighting and bloodshed, it's just as intense.
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith
(3)
YA
Benson's new boarding school is...unusual. There are no adults; student gangs teach, cook, clean, etc., under the gaze of security cameras. And students can't leave, unless they're given "detention" (i.e., killed). When Benson discovers another of the school's menacing secrets, he knows he must escape. Readers won't be able to break away from this tense (and exceedingly violent) sci-fi thriller.
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith
5 reviews
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.