Revelations

Gr 8 Up—Readers of Renegade (Tor Teen, 2012) will no doubt be anticipating this action-packed sequel. It's been weeks since surface-dweller Gavin Hunter brought Evie Winters, broken and injured, from the underwater city Elysium to a hospital on the surface. While her cuts and bruises have mostly healed, Evie's memories largely remain locked inside her head. However, she yearns to go "home" and is experiencing fugue states where she cannot remember what she's done. What's worse is that her blackouts make her violent, even deadly, toward herself and those trying to help her. Desperate to help her heal, Gavin reluctantly accepts the help of his former friend, Asher, to take Evie through the treacherous Outlands to Rushlake City, where they hope to find a doctor who can restore Evie's control over her body and mind. Most of the major characters were developed in the previous book, so those who have not read it will have some difficulty understanding their histories, motivations, and relationships. As with many dystopian tales, Revelations is at times violent and bloody, which may disturb sensitive readers. While the romance gets old quickly, teens probably won't mind the frequent kisses and Gavin's mawkish courting of Evie. For those who do, there's plenty of action and conflict to keep the plot moving. Revelations is a must for any library with Renegade on its shelves.—Leigh Collazo, Ed Willkie Middle School, Fort Worth, TX