Archon

Gr 6 Up—In this dystopian sequel to Freakling (Candlewick, 2012), 12-year-old Taemon must face the consequences of removing the power of PSI (telekenesis) from those who have it. He thought that taking it away would unite the city of Deliverance and eliminate the segregation between those with PSI and those without it. He was wrong. The city remains in shambles as the people struggle to accept a life of manual labor. The novel begins with Taemon and his close ally, Amma, searching abandoned asylums for his parents, who were separated from him before a great earthquake. He finds his mother and learns that his father has been taken to the Republik; to rescue him, he and Amma must cross Mount Deliverance. Readers who liked the breakneck pacing of the first book will not be disappointed in this one. The action never flags, leaving little time for character development or introspection, which just might appeal to reluctant readers. Archon bears striking similarities to Ally Condie's Crossed (Dutton, 2011), but is a better fit for the middle-grade crowd as it steers clear of romance and relies heavily on battle scenes. Krumwiede has done a masterful job of creating and sustaining suspense.—Jennifer Furuyama, Pendleton Public Library, OR