Shadow of the Mark

Gr 8 Up—In this sequel to Carrier of the Mark (HarperCollins, 2011), the Marked Ones-siblings Adam (Water), Áine (Earth), and Rían (Fire), along with Adam's girlfriend, Megan (Air)-are preparing for the alignment of their elemental powers. Megan and Adam are struggling with their heady forbidden romance (a prophesied, potentially catastrophic union). Meg's powers are reacting with everyone else's in new and dangerous ways thanks to a pivotal role she's meant to play. Rían is hooking up with mysterious newcomer Chloe, yet he and Meg are troublingly drawn to each other. There are several threads and varying agendas in this supernatural romance. An overabundance of almost indistinguishable Mark-related factions and various conspirators complicate matters and make it difficult for the Marked to trust anyone (yet sometimes they do to their detriment). Though peppered with backstory, new readers likely won't be as invested as returning fans. Characters are fairly stock and setting description is spare (a shame as the brunt of the story is set in Ireland). This title relies more on "tell" than "show," with dialogue (internal and spoken) tending toward the melodramatic. While the premise is intriguing and the plot is action driven (pacing really picks up in the last two-thirds), this is strictly an additional purchase for libraries in which supernatural tales still fly off the shelves or the first installment is popular.—Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ