Deviate

Gr 9 Up—Readers were introduced to Cora and the Scintilla in the first book of the "Light Key Trilogy," Scintillate (Entangled Teen, 2014). In this sequel, Cora Sandoval is fleeing the Arrazi, who are murdering the Scintilla for their powers. Their unique auras, colorful lights that surround them, are what the Arrazi are after. The story is told in two points of view, switching between Cora and Finn Doyle, an Irish boy with whom Cora had a relationship, who also happens to be Arrazi. Cora must learn the truth about her people, the Scintilla, in order to solve the mystery of the Light Key. This installment delves deeper into character development than the previous volume, and the plot is intricate, but the pacing is slow. Illuminate concludes the series. There are three points of view in this volume, and they switch among Cora, Finn, and Giovanni, the third member of the love triangle from the previous books. After the loss of her mother in Deviate, Cora is even more determined to save the Scintilla. There is a more religious element to this installment, which may turn some readers off, but there is also the addition of a conspiracy theory aspect to the Light Key mystery. Clark creates adventures for her characters that will keep teens hooked and finally gives some answers to the questions that have been arising since the first book.