Swarm

After the disastrous events of Zeroes (rev. 11/15), the diverse team of supernaturally gifted teens has set up the aptly named Petri Dish, a nightclub/social experiment where they can test and eventually master their powers in relative safety. It's the perfect place, since many of the Zeroes' abilities -- such as leader Nate's influence on the emotions of a crowd -- depend upon connecting energetically to a large group of people. Perfect, that is, until two superpowered strangers wreak havoc at the Dish with their own crowd-manipulating abilities. Wanting to prevent any more chaos, the Zeroes track down the strangers, only to learn of a much bigger threat. Now that readers know the main players, their powers, and their abilities' pitfalls, this second volume accelerates the pace and ups the stakes of the first book. Lots of action sequences, including a handful of truly scary scenes that would be right at home in a zombie flick, add to the suspense. (Spoiler: you really don't want to encounter a "swarm.") But it's not nonstop near-escapes and explosions. The authors develop the teens' platonic and romantic interpersonal dynamics (including one blossoming same-sex relationship), and it's these connections that both endanger the Zeroes and, ultimately, save them. A cliffhanger ending will leave fans eagerly awaiting the Zeroes' next adventure. katie bircher

The Zeroes, a diverse team of supernaturally gifted teens, encounter strangers who wreak havoc with their own crowd-manipulating abilities--and warn of a much bigger threat. This second volume (Zeroes) accelerates the pace and ups the stakes with lots of action sequences, some truly scary. Development of the teens' platonic and romantic interpersonal dynamics (including one blossoming same-sex relationship) adds depth.