The Replaced

Gr 8 Up—Kyra, abducted by aliens and returned with enhanced abilities five years later, continues to evade government agents bent on capturing her and others like her in this intermittently exciting sequel to The Taking (HarperCollins, 2014). Kyra's wracked with guilt that she was responsible for her dying boyfriend Tyler, her father, and an agent being taken by aliens. Seventeen days later, she receives information that Tyler might be alive and held captive at a nearby National Security Agency facility. Kyra is determined to break in and rescue him. The rescue attempt fails, and Willow, another member of their group, is captured. Only Simon, the group's leader, knows the secret Kyra's afraid to tell everyone—she has unique abilities like telekinesis and superhuman strength. She's also freaked out about Simon's newly romantic interest in her. After Tyler, unsurprisingly, turns up alive, the inevitable love triangle develops—despite the fact that Tyler has no memory of their past relationship. Stolen NSA facility files reveal a devastating secret about Kyra. After a fast-paced start, this second series installment slows down considerably in the middle. Hopefully, readers will be rewarded with more action and answers in the concluding book in the trilogy.