In the End

Gr 9 Up—This sequel picks up the action right where In The After (2013) leaves off. After escaping the eugenic horror of New Hope, Amy finds her way to another survivor's camp, the former Texan prison complex of Fort Black. Instead of fleeing from monsters on the outside, Amy has to protect herself from many dangerous people seeking dubious refuge behind prison walls. It has a complex social structure where the few surviving women (with one exception) need to be claimed by men in order to survive, and while Amy balks at the idea of being property she plays along, allying herself with a kind young man with powerful connections. She's on an intelligence mission, tries to protect her little sister left behind in New Hope, and keeps uncovering truths about the engineered apocalypse. The previous book is a thrilling monster story with an exciting, twisting, conspiracy-driven plot. This entry continues in this style while delving deeper into far more disturbing themes, including addiction, human testing, and sexual predation. This novel is somewhat more intense than the first title, mostly due to the violence (sexual and otherwise), however none of it is gratuitous, and is well suited to the plot. The writing is clear and immediate, and the suspense is tightly crafted. It ends on a satisfying note, with room for hope, but not tied up in too neat a package.—Kyle Lukoff, Corlears School, New York City