Hero Complex

Gr 8 Up—Devon thought life would get back to normal after she uncovered the truth of Hutch's death in Escape Theory (Soho Teen, 2013). She tries to relax with Cleo at a yacht party on New Year's Eve, but is attacked when she gets lost trying to find Cleo. Assuming this attack is related to Hutch's murder, Devon tries to put the clues together. As in the previous volume, not everyone is willing to believe Devon about the attack or the events that follow. Meanwhile, Reed Hutchins gives Devon his diary right before he dies, with the instructions "Follow our footsteps." Devon works to unravel these puzzles with the help of Bodhi and Raven Elliot, Reed's sole heirs, before the threats become too real. Familiarity with the first book will make this sequel's pace easier to follow. References to drugs, teen pregnancy, and underage drinking still factor in this installment. Devon is the most fully developed, but the secondary characters assert themselves in the narrative once in a while. Twists and turns keep the plot moving. Purchase this title where mysteries and the first book are popular.—Natalie Struecker, Rock Island Public Library, IL