The Lives We Lost: Fallen World, Book 2

Gr 7 Up—In Crewe's sequel (2013) to The Way We Fall (2012, both Hyperion), Kaelyn is on the run with her friends and a new companion, Tobias, who comes to warn the islanders that they are about to be bombed by the military. Kaelyn, who has discovered vials of a potential vaccine for the virus that has destroyed the world, was already planning to leave. Melissa, her three friends, and her love interest try to find a place where doctors might complete the work begun by her father, who created the vaccine. While there are a few improbable situations, the novel's tension and danger (word has gotten out that they possess a vaccine and they are being hunted) is captured by Sisi Aisha Johnson's slow and deliberate reading. There is desolation in her voice as the group discovers the total lack of any society wherever they journey. The narration reflects the full range of the characters' emotions. Listeners will be kept on the edge of their seats throughout and will look forward to the next volume in the trilogy.—Edie Ching, University of Maryland, College Park