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Children of Paranoia #2
Children of the Underground
Even if you have choices, sometimes you only have one worth making.
The war had been raging for as long as anyone could remember. The secret, endless war between two opposing sides—one good, one evil. Neither side knows which is which; it is kill or be killed in an invisible conflict where assassination is the weapon of choice.
When she was just seventeen, Maria was pulled into this secret war and they killed her lover and stole her child. Now they are telling her to go home. To ignore what she knows is going on in the shadows all around her. They told Maria to forget all she’d lost. The trouble is, some things simply can’t be forgotten.
Now, with a loose-cannon killer at her side, Maria is going to do whatever it takes to get back what belongs to her. And that means starting a war of her own…
The war had been raging for as long as anyone could remember. The secret, endless war between two opposing sides—one good, one evil. Neither side knows which is which; it is kill or be killed in an invisible conflict where assassination is the weapon of choice.
When she was just seventeen, Maria was pulled into this secret war and they killed her lover and stole her child. Now they are telling her to go home. To ignore what she knows is going on in the shadows all around her. They told Maria to forget all she’d lost. The trouble is, some things simply can’t be forgotten.
Now, with a loose-cannon killer at her side, Maria is going to do whatever it takes to get back what belongs to her. And that means starting a war of her own…
379 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2013
7 people are currently reading
265 people want to read
About the author
Trevor Shane
5 books71 followersTrevor Shane is the author of the Children of Paranoia trilogy and The Memory Detective series.
His books have been published in countries across the globe. Trevor lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two sons.
His books have been published in countries across the globe. Trevor lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 14, 2013
I hope every likes reading the continuation of the Children of Paranoia trilogy as much as I enjoyed writing it!
April 18, 2013
The War has been raging for as long as anyone can remember. The secret, endless War between two opposing sides - one good, one evil. Neither side knows which one is which; it is kill or be killed in an illusory conflict in which assassination is the weapon of choice.
When she was seventeen, Maria was pulled into this secret War, and they killed her lover and stole her child. Now they are telling her to go home. To ignore what she knows is going on in the shadows all around her. They tell Maria to forget all she's lost. The trouble is, something simply can't be forgotten.
That is the publisher's blurb that instantly drew me into reading these books - first Children of Paranoia , which was intense, gripping and thought-provoking, and now the sequel, Children of the Underground. It's like that blurb was written just for me. It hit all my buttons, and I just HAD to read the books. And what a great impulsive decision that was!
The first book was Joe's story, the journal he kept to explain everything to Maria, whom he fell in love with. Joe is gone, taken from Maria in the tragic, violent climax of Children of Paranoia - and so is their child. According to the rules of the War, any child born to a parent who is underage (Maria was seventeen) is to be handed over to the other side to raise - to essentially become the enemy. They did what they could to escape this rule, this cruel fate, but They are everywhere, in all facets of society across the globe, and there is no hiding from Them.
Maria was not born into the War, and she never married Joe - she is still considered a civilian. Untouchable. And under-estimated. She is determined to get her baby, Christopher, back, to protect him from this senseless War that seeks to claim him as yet another victim who had no choice. Armed with very few clues from Joe's journal, Maria sets out to locate Michael, Joe's other friend and, like him, a skilled assassin (they call them Soldiers) in the War. Michael has dropped out of the War - as he puts it, he hasn't quit, he's just stopped taking orders. But out on the island off the Jersey shore where he always loved to spend downtime, the enemy keeps coming for him.
With Michael's help, Maria has an extra lead: the Underground, something she hadn't even known existed. There are others who've tried to escape the War, and the Underground helps set them up with new identities. But why should they help Maria? After all, Christopher is safe. Until he's eighteen, no one can touch him. And locating the information of where he is is hard enough, let alone the task of getting to it. But there is no one so determined as a mother out to protect her baby, and as Christopher's first birthday approaches - a milestone that would likely mean he'll forget the sound of his mother's voice - Maria is driven to do whatever is necessary to locate him, and save him.
First of all, let me say how much I enjoyed this. Children of the Underground follows seamlessly on from the first book and has all the power and intensity and suspense of its predecessor. New layers are added, and the world in which the War takes place - our world, but also the War itself - broadens and deepens as we learn more about it, much more than Joe ever knew. There is the Underground, who help people escape the War but have no interest in doing anything that will help end the War; and there are also the Rebels, who split from the Underground because they decided they couldn't sit by and watch everyone die without fighting to stop it.
We learn about the Rebels through some alternating chapters that break up Maria's narrative, a young woman called Addy and a civilian teenager called Evan. Evan got caught up in a raid by accident, but They have now made him into a terrorist - all because he and Addy were the only ones to have escaped. All the Rebel bases in California were raided, by SWAT teams no less, the victims disguised as terrorists in the media, and Addy has nowhere to turn but her old friends in the Underground - if they are still there, if they will welcome her.
What we don't learn for quite some time is when these scenes are taking place - past, present, future? I'll leave that for you to discover, as to reveal it now would be to give too much away. I'll just say that it sets up the third (and final?) book admirably.
Where I was slightly disappointed by Children of the Underground was with Maria herself. I really liked Maria in the first book, but I found that what made her a distinct character somewhat evaporated in her own narrative. Certainly, her circumstances have changed and she's not the person she once was. But actually I think it is a simple and unfortunate case of Shane writing her in much the same voice and style as Joe. Both are told as the characters write their journals - Joe for Maria, Maria for Christopher - and this is convincingly done. The writing doesn't get flowery, or too descriptive, though it's certainly better written than the majority of us would write a journal! It wasn't that, it was that Maria's own personality seemed to be missing.
I can make lots of justifications for the way this is written - she's in an extreme situation, she's changed a lot in order to survive, and so on. And it's true: the War makes everyone paranoid, and there's no room for laughter or nostalgia in that. I couldn't help but want to see glimpses of some other side of Maria, though, some evidence that a part of the old Maria had survived. A, dare I say it, more feminine side. But overall, I admired Shane's skill in depicting her, how she'd changed, how relentless and even ruthless she became - as seen in those scenes towards the end, which I can't describe because I don't want to give it away. I suppose what I was really feeling was sadness that the girl Joe first met, who made jokes and flirted and was full of life and vitality and promise, had been scraped away, replaced by a woman who is all hard edges and paranoia and determination. And that, in turn, made me nostalgic for the Maria I first met. (It's great to have the chance to talk myself through these readerly feelings to get to the nuggets of my reactions, and I hope you don't mind me not editing this to remove my thought processes.)
Her most distinctive character trait was the strength of her love and mothering instincts towards Christopher, and that side of her I could completely relate to - as the mother of a young toddler (not yet 2), the thought of someone taking my baby away to be raised by some other family and, after his eighteenth birthday, killed for no bloody reason, makes my gut clench and my blood boil. I felt ill thinking of it, which is great because the best books are ones that really make you feel, and it's something I always want from a book, no matter what the emotion is. When Maria's story began, I had no idea how she could possibly accomplish her aim of getting him back. The War is impenetrable, or so it seems, and ultra secretive, and she had no contacts. There's also the sense of a looming deadline, a sense of urgency, that propels the novel forward with gut-clenching suspense.
But considering Maria was writing her journal for her son, I would have expected - and wanted, myself - to learn more about Maria. If she was writing it partly in the expectation that she wouldn't ever get to tell him any of this herself, later, then wouldn't she have wanted to tell him his maternal history? I wanted to learn more about Maria, about her life before she met Joe, but also what's going through her mind. I've read books that get bogged down with repetitive self-reflection and introspection, to the point where I get completely fed up; then there are other stories that just don't have enough. This would be one of those. There was some, of course, but not enough to really help me connect with her. She still comes across as strong, intelligent, and caught in a life-changing (and totally horrific) situation as she becomes like the very people she is trying to save her son from.
Another part of Maria that seemed to get lost was her Canadian roots. As far as I remember from the first book, she's from Ontario and was going to university in Montreal when Joe met her. I liked this detail about her, but it seemed to have been discarded somewhere along the way. Also, a small side note, but when she mentions spending summers at her parents' cottage in Maine, I felt a bit incredulous. I've lived in Ontario for over 7 years now, and no one here has a cottage in Maine. Ontario IS cottage country! The Kawarthas, Muskoka, Georgian Bay, everywhere - a cottage is for weekend getaways as much as longer holidays, and everyone either has a place here, knows someone who does that they can use, or rents one. I found myself very sceptical on this point. (I had to look it up - Maine is east of Quebec, in a part of the U.S. that looks like it should be Canada. So not too far-fetched if her family lived near the border, but from Ontario...!?)
In the end, I had to put aside my yearning to really know Maria and read this as the suspenseful, violent thriller that it is. The characters are starting to unravel a bit - that's the sense I get - in their unwavering determination to believe in the War. It sustains them, and it gives their lives - and their deaths - hope and meaning. Without it, they're just senseless murderers. The mechanics behind it all are starting to show, too, and they're looking decidedly ugly and scarily inhumane.
When I read the first book, I read the War as an analogy for those conflicts across tenuous borders that occur all over the world. Reading the second book, I was thinking more of gangs. Especially as kids keep getting shot here in Toronto, and it is all just as senseless and stupid and useless as the War in this story. It makes your heart ache. I have no idea how Shane will conclude this, where he will take it, but I am absolutely along for the ride. This is an unforgettable series that takes you right down into the dark, cruel depths of the human heart juxtaposed against the unflinching determination behind a mother's love.
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book.
When she was seventeen, Maria was pulled into this secret War, and they killed her lover and stole her child. Now they are telling her to go home. To ignore what she knows is going on in the shadows all around her. They tell Maria to forget all she's lost. The trouble is, something simply can't be forgotten.
That is the publisher's blurb that instantly drew me into reading these books - first Children of Paranoia , which was intense, gripping and thought-provoking, and now the sequel, Children of the Underground. It's like that blurb was written just for me. It hit all my buttons, and I just HAD to read the books. And what a great impulsive decision that was!
The first book was Joe's story, the journal he kept to explain everything to Maria, whom he fell in love with. Joe is gone, taken from Maria in the tragic, violent climax of Children of Paranoia - and so is their child. According to the rules of the War, any child born to a parent who is underage (Maria was seventeen) is to be handed over to the other side to raise - to essentially become the enemy. They did what they could to escape this rule, this cruel fate, but They are everywhere, in all facets of society across the globe, and there is no hiding from Them.
Maria was not born into the War, and she never married Joe - she is still considered a civilian. Untouchable. And under-estimated. She is determined to get her baby, Christopher, back, to protect him from this senseless War that seeks to claim him as yet another victim who had no choice. Armed with very few clues from Joe's journal, Maria sets out to locate Michael, Joe's other friend and, like him, a skilled assassin (they call them Soldiers) in the War. Michael has dropped out of the War - as he puts it, he hasn't quit, he's just stopped taking orders. But out on the island off the Jersey shore where he always loved to spend downtime, the enemy keeps coming for him.
With Michael's help, Maria has an extra lead: the Underground, something she hadn't even known existed. There are others who've tried to escape the War, and the Underground helps set them up with new identities. But why should they help Maria? After all, Christopher is safe. Until he's eighteen, no one can touch him. And locating the information of where he is is hard enough, let alone the task of getting to it. But there is no one so determined as a mother out to protect her baby, and as Christopher's first birthday approaches - a milestone that would likely mean he'll forget the sound of his mother's voice - Maria is driven to do whatever is necessary to locate him, and save him.
First of all, let me say how much I enjoyed this. Children of the Underground follows seamlessly on from the first book and has all the power and intensity and suspense of its predecessor. New layers are added, and the world in which the War takes place - our world, but also the War itself - broadens and deepens as we learn more about it, much more than Joe ever knew. There is the Underground, who help people escape the War but have no interest in doing anything that will help end the War; and there are also the Rebels, who split from the Underground because they decided they couldn't sit by and watch everyone die without fighting to stop it.
We learn about the Rebels through some alternating chapters that break up Maria's narrative, a young woman called Addy and a civilian teenager called Evan. Evan got caught up in a raid by accident, but They have now made him into a terrorist - all because he and Addy were the only ones to have escaped. All the Rebel bases in California were raided, by SWAT teams no less, the victims disguised as terrorists in the media, and Addy has nowhere to turn but her old friends in the Underground - if they are still there, if they will welcome her.
What we don't learn for quite some time is when these scenes are taking place - past, present, future? I'll leave that for you to discover, as to reveal it now would be to give too much away. I'll just say that it sets up the third (and final?) book admirably.
Where I was slightly disappointed by Children of the Underground was with Maria herself. I really liked Maria in the first book, but I found that what made her a distinct character somewhat evaporated in her own narrative. Certainly, her circumstances have changed and she's not the person she once was. But actually I think it is a simple and unfortunate case of Shane writing her in much the same voice and style as Joe. Both are told as the characters write their journals - Joe for Maria, Maria for Christopher - and this is convincingly done. The writing doesn't get flowery, or too descriptive, though it's certainly better written than the majority of us would write a journal! It wasn't that, it was that Maria's own personality seemed to be missing.
I can make lots of justifications for the way this is written - she's in an extreme situation, she's changed a lot in order to survive, and so on. And it's true: the War makes everyone paranoid, and there's no room for laughter or nostalgia in that. I couldn't help but want to see glimpses of some other side of Maria, though, some evidence that a part of the old Maria had survived. A, dare I say it, more feminine side. But overall, I admired Shane's skill in depicting her, how she'd changed, how relentless and even ruthless she became - as seen in those scenes towards the end, which I can't describe because I don't want to give it away. I suppose what I was really feeling was sadness that the girl Joe first met, who made jokes and flirted and was full of life and vitality and promise, had been scraped away, replaced by a woman who is all hard edges and paranoia and determination. And that, in turn, made me nostalgic for the Maria I first met. (It's great to have the chance to talk myself through these readerly feelings to get to the nuggets of my reactions, and I hope you don't mind me not editing this to remove my thought processes.)
Her most distinctive character trait was the strength of her love and mothering instincts towards Christopher, and that side of her I could completely relate to - as the mother of a young toddler (not yet 2), the thought of someone taking my baby away to be raised by some other family and, after his eighteenth birthday, killed for no bloody reason, makes my gut clench and my blood boil. I felt ill thinking of it, which is great because the best books are ones that really make you feel, and it's something I always want from a book, no matter what the emotion is. When Maria's story began, I had no idea how she could possibly accomplish her aim of getting him back. The War is impenetrable, or so it seems, and ultra secretive, and she had no contacts. There's also the sense of a looming deadline, a sense of urgency, that propels the novel forward with gut-clenching suspense.
But considering Maria was writing her journal for her son, I would have expected - and wanted, myself - to learn more about Maria. If she was writing it partly in the expectation that she wouldn't ever get to tell him any of this herself, later, then wouldn't she have wanted to tell him his maternal history? I wanted to learn more about Maria, about her life before she met Joe, but also what's going through her mind. I've read books that get bogged down with repetitive self-reflection and introspection, to the point where I get completely fed up; then there are other stories that just don't have enough. This would be one of those. There was some, of course, but not enough to really help me connect with her. She still comes across as strong, intelligent, and caught in a life-changing (and totally horrific) situation as she becomes like the very people she is trying to save her son from.
Another part of Maria that seemed to get lost was her Canadian roots. As far as I remember from the first book, she's from Ontario and was going to university in Montreal when Joe met her. I liked this detail about her, but it seemed to have been discarded somewhere along the way. Also, a small side note, but when she mentions spending summers at her parents' cottage in Maine, I felt a bit incredulous. I've lived in Ontario for over 7 years now, and no one here has a cottage in Maine. Ontario IS cottage country! The Kawarthas, Muskoka, Georgian Bay, everywhere - a cottage is for weekend getaways as much as longer holidays, and everyone either has a place here, knows someone who does that they can use, or rents one. I found myself very sceptical on this point. (I had to look it up - Maine is east of Quebec, in a part of the U.S. that looks like it should be Canada. So not too far-fetched if her family lived near the border, but from Ontario...!?)
In the end, I had to put aside my yearning to really know Maria and read this as the suspenseful, violent thriller that it is. The characters are starting to unravel a bit - that's the sense I get - in their unwavering determination to believe in the War. It sustains them, and it gives their lives - and their deaths - hope and meaning. Without it, they're just senseless murderers. The mechanics behind it all are starting to show, too, and they're looking decidedly ugly and scarily inhumane.
When I read the first book, I read the War as an analogy for those conflicts across tenuous borders that occur all over the world. Reading the second book, I was thinking more of gangs. Especially as kids keep getting shot here in Toronto, and it is all just as senseless and stupid and useless as the War in this story. It makes your heart ache. I have no idea how Shane will conclude this, where he will take it, but I am absolutely along for the ride. This is an unforgettable series that takes you right down into the dark, cruel depths of the human heart juxtaposed against the unflinching determination behind a mother's love.
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book.
May 24, 2013
In the first book Maria’s boyfriend, Joe was killed and their son, Christopher taken. Christopher was taken so that he could fight for the other side. Maria will do everything in her powers to get Christopher back.
First she will need some help. She tracks down Michael, a friend of Joe’s that is fighting in the war.
Children of the Underground is the second book in the Children of Paranoia series. I absolutely loved the first book, Children of Paranoia. So I was really amped to read the second book. While I was not in love with this book I still enjoyed reading this book. The way this series is developing as the war rages on is really exciting.
I got to know more about the each side and why and what they were fighting for. Maria became a front runner in this book. She was strong and became a fighter. I have a warning “ Don’t mess with a mother and her child.” The excitement level was high however it did start out a little slow for me. Some of this might have had to do with I had to re-familiarize myself with this series. I read the short sneak peek to the third book, Children of the Uprising and I have to say I can not wait to read about Christopher.
First she will need some help. She tracks down Michael, a friend of Joe’s that is fighting in the war.
Children of the Underground is the second book in the Children of Paranoia series. I absolutely loved the first book, Children of Paranoia. So I was really amped to read the second book. While I was not in love with this book I still enjoyed reading this book. The way this series is developing as the war rages on is really exciting.
I got to know more about the each side and why and what they were fighting for. Maria became a front runner in this book. She was strong and became a fighter. I have a warning “ Don’t mess with a mother and her child.” The excitement level was high however it did start out a little slow for me. Some of this might have had to do with I had to re-familiarize myself with this series. I read the short sneak peek to the third book, Children of the Uprising and I have to say I can not wait to read about Christopher.
August 15, 2013
Just as with his first book Children of Paranoia, Trevor Shane knows how to draw you in with the first few chapters. A sequel to Children of Paranoia, Children of the Underground is written in journal style, this time from Maria's point of view. Maria takes us on her quest to get her son back, and save him from The War.
Maria's journal pulls on heart strings, wraps in suspense, and takes us on adventures. All the while building us to a finale of sorts.
In between the chapters of Maria's journal, there is another story going on. Almost parallel, but not quite. You are left wondering where the story is going til about two thirds of the way through. Then Trevor Shane brings us to a point we know something is just not in sync between the stories.
A delightfully mysterious thriller, packed with action.
Thank you Mr. Shane, I can't wait till the third book Children of the Uprising.
Maria's journal pulls on heart strings, wraps in suspense, and takes us on adventures. All the while building us to a finale of sorts.
In between the chapters of Maria's journal, there is another story going on. Almost parallel, but not quite. You are left wondering where the story is going til about two thirds of the way through. Then Trevor Shane brings us to a point we know something is just not in sync between the stories.
A delightfully mysterious thriller, packed with action.
Thank you Mr. Shane, I can't wait till the third book Children of the Uprising.
February 27, 2015
This book " Children of the Underground" is the sequel to "Children of Paranoia". In this book Maria is trying to kidnap her son back. ( in the war the rules are that if you have a baby before you are 18 the baby goes to the opposite side). She spends her days plotting where her don could be and practicing battle tactics.( gun shooting, close combat)
I enjoyed this book very much because of the action and the roller coaster of emotions. There are moments the Maria is determined to find her kid and times where she falls to the ground and cries.
I would recommend this book to kids ages 11-14. You have to be ready to be disappointed and surprised.
I enjoyed this book very much because of the action and the roller coaster of emotions. There are moments the Maria is determined to find her kid and times where she falls to the ground and cries.
I would recommend this book to kids ages 11-14. You have to be ready to be disappointed and surprised.
December 29, 2014
This series is so intense. I love how the story keeps going from one book to the next without slowing down. Awesome read.
April 16, 2013
You need to read the first book in this series Children of Paranoia(click for review) before you read this book. Children of Paranoia sets the stage for Children of the Underground, plus I think that Children of Paranoia is a must read for those who like Thrillers and Action Adventure but I think this series could be enjoyed by almost anyone. I suggest you stop reading this post now if you have not read Children of Paranoia as reading further will completely ruin the first book for you, so if you choose to read further do not say that I didn’t warn you.
Trevor Shane is back with his long awaited sequel to his first book Children of Paranoia. The war is still occurring and both sides are still suffering losses but Maria is desperate to enter the world she know nothing about in order to get Christopher, her son, back:
Maria does not know how to go about it but all she knows is that she needs to track down her son Christopher to save him from the fate of the war, the same fate as his father endured and to have a normal life. Maria has search throughout Joe's journals looking for a clue as to where she can find help and she thinks she has found it, Michael, one of Joe's best friends. Michael knows the ways of the war as he grew up with them like Joe did, but she does not know where to find him and how dangerous he will be towards her, but she needs to take this chance, finding Christopher is all that matters, even it means putting her own life on the line.
It takes quite a bit for an author to get on my radar to the point where the next book that they have written comes out and I put everything else down that I am reading and doing and just read their book. Well Shane's debut novel blew me away that when I found out that the second book was out, I needed to get a hold of it, and start reading it right away.
Children of the Underground is about Maria's struggle to come to terms with feeling like she let Joe down as well as letting them take Christopher away and her fight to get him back. This book does not have as much action and over all suspense as the first book, and this is due to the fact that Maria is writing them after the fact. She has to rely on what Michael tells her had happened; therefore I found that the action scenes were not as crisp as they were in the first book. However, even with less action I still felt myself drawn into the book through Maria and this struggle and did not want to put it down. Shane definitely hits you with all the high and low points on the scale of emotions as he takes you through Maria’s story. Although there is less action within this book, that does not mean that the book is slow or boring, the reader will really get drawn into Maria's story, just like they were drawn into Joe's. Shane has a great ability to draw the reader in through his characters and write them in such a Real fashion that you are there with them in each event and emotion.
As with the first book, this one was also written in a journal like fashion, however, the books do differ in how the books flowed. While in the first you did not really notice it until the end that you were reading Joe's journal within this book you know that you are reading a journal as Maria is writing to Christopher for him to read when he is older or if something were to happen to her, she wants Christopher to know what the War had done to her and his father. At times Maria's journals are a bit disjointed and you do not know exactly how much time has past, however, I did not find them hard to read or follow and you could feel the true emotion that Maria had with each word that she wrote.
It was interesting that Shane introduced two new characters, Even and Abby, into the story opposite of Maria's. To begin with you don't fully understand why Shane has done this and the reason does not become clear to more than halfway through the book, but rest assured there is a reason and actually a good one, but I know I questioned it when I first started to read these sections. These sections were not written in journal format as they were happening outside of Maria's search for her son, but they do add additional depth to the story once you fully understand why these sections are within the book.
Trevor Shane is an amazing up and coming author that has shown the depth of his ability within the first two books of this series. I cannot stress enough how much I have enjoyed both his books and I am looking forward to reading the third book in the series Children of the Uprising which is schedules to come out October 2013 (Thank for not making us wait another year for the next book). I think that his books are for everyone, as they are much more than thrills and actions. Shane’s characters in his books make you feel every emotion which pulls you more and more into their struggle, this was a fantastic read, this book and series is highly recommended.
Enjoy!!!
Trevor Shane is back with his long awaited sequel to his first book Children of Paranoia. The war is still occurring and both sides are still suffering losses but Maria is desperate to enter the world she know nothing about in order to get Christopher, her son, back:
Maria does not know how to go about it but all she knows is that she needs to track down her son Christopher to save him from the fate of the war, the same fate as his father endured and to have a normal life. Maria has search throughout Joe's journals looking for a clue as to where she can find help and she thinks she has found it, Michael, one of Joe's best friends. Michael knows the ways of the war as he grew up with them like Joe did, but she does not know where to find him and how dangerous he will be towards her, but she needs to take this chance, finding Christopher is all that matters, even it means putting her own life on the line.
It takes quite a bit for an author to get on my radar to the point where the next book that they have written comes out and I put everything else down that I am reading and doing and just read their book. Well Shane's debut novel blew me away that when I found out that the second book was out, I needed to get a hold of it, and start reading it right away.
Children of the Underground is about Maria's struggle to come to terms with feeling like she let Joe down as well as letting them take Christopher away and her fight to get him back. This book does not have as much action and over all suspense as the first book, and this is due to the fact that Maria is writing them after the fact. She has to rely on what Michael tells her had happened; therefore I found that the action scenes were not as crisp as they were in the first book. However, even with less action I still felt myself drawn into the book through Maria and this struggle and did not want to put it down. Shane definitely hits you with all the high and low points on the scale of emotions as he takes you through Maria’s story. Although there is less action within this book, that does not mean that the book is slow or boring, the reader will really get drawn into Maria's story, just like they were drawn into Joe's. Shane has a great ability to draw the reader in through his characters and write them in such a Real fashion that you are there with them in each event and emotion.
As with the first book, this one was also written in a journal like fashion, however, the books do differ in how the books flowed. While in the first you did not really notice it until the end that you were reading Joe's journal within this book you know that you are reading a journal as Maria is writing to Christopher for him to read when he is older or if something were to happen to her, she wants Christopher to know what the War had done to her and his father. At times Maria's journals are a bit disjointed and you do not know exactly how much time has past, however, I did not find them hard to read or follow and you could feel the true emotion that Maria had with each word that she wrote.
It was interesting that Shane introduced two new characters, Even and Abby, into the story opposite of Maria's. To begin with you don't fully understand why Shane has done this and the reason does not become clear to more than halfway through the book, but rest assured there is a reason and actually a good one, but I know I questioned it when I first started to read these sections. These sections were not written in journal format as they were happening outside of Maria's search for her son, but they do add additional depth to the story once you fully understand why these sections are within the book.
Trevor Shane is an amazing up and coming author that has shown the depth of his ability within the first two books of this series. I cannot stress enough how much I have enjoyed both his books and I am looking forward to reading the third book in the series Children of the Uprising which is schedules to come out October 2013 (Thank for not making us wait another year for the next book). I think that his books are for everyone, as they are much more than thrills and actions. Shane’s characters in his books make you feel every emotion which pulls you more and more into their struggle, this was a fantastic read, this book and series is highly recommended.
Enjoy!!!
April 21, 2013
I finished reading Children of the Underground today. I am really enjoying this Children of Paranoia series and Book #2 did not disappoint. It was a page-turner just like the first book and I just couldn't put the book down until I found out what was going to happen with Maria trying to find her son, Christopher. Now I must await Book #3 in order to get more answers to this on-going saga.
Book Description:
The war had been raging for as long as anyone could remember. The secret, endless war between two opposing sides—one good, one evil. Neither side knows which is which; it is kill or be killed in an invisible conflict where assassination is the weapon of choice.
When she was just seventeen, Maria was pulled into this secret war and they killed her lover and stole her child. Now they are telling her to go home. To ignore what she knows is going on in the shadows all around her. They told Maria to forget all she’d lost. The trouble is, some things simply can’t be forgotten.
Now, with a loose-cannon killer at her side, Maria is going to do whatever it takes to get back what belongs to her. And that means starting a war of her own…
Book Description:
The war had been raging for as long as anyone could remember. The secret, endless war between two opposing sides—one good, one evil. Neither side knows which is which; it is kill or be killed in an invisible conflict where assassination is the weapon of choice.
When she was just seventeen, Maria was pulled into this secret war and they killed her lover and stole her child. Now they are telling her to go home. To ignore what she knows is going on in the shadows all around her. They told Maria to forget all she’d lost. The trouble is, some things simply can’t be forgotten.
Now, with a loose-cannon killer at her side, Maria is going to do whatever it takes to get back what belongs to her. And that means starting a war of her own…
April 23, 2013
A rare sequel that matches or possibly surpasses its predecessor. Shane keeps his CoP series fresh with a new narrator and a new setting. However, the key elements that made the first book gripping are still in place: the secret war, the us vs. them struggle, the exotic locales, and the rules. This book adds to the CoP mythology by explaining some more of the mechanics of the CoP world (like tithing - who knew?). Plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, and a few classic CoP missions thrown in for old times sake. Overall, a great read, and a great setup for the third book (a few preview chapters are included at the end of the paperback edition). If you liked the first book, you'll love the new one.
NOTE if you haven't read Children of Paranoia already you should definitely read that before this one - it sets up a lot of the story.
NOTE if you haven't read Children of Paranoia already you should definitely read that before this one - it sets up a lot of the story.
September 6, 2021
Maria guides us through the second chapter of the trilogy from the perspective of a mother writing to her child. As a mother I could relate to the relentless need to find and protect her son from the war and willingness to pursue the myriad risks and sacrifices it took to attempt it. It is bleak and desperate, yet aggressively hopeful at the same time.
Without giving anything away, this book is better than the first and the perfect segue into the final book. Enjoy the trilogy for what it is but I encourage you to look under the hood as well, there’s a lot going on with each character’s motivations & the overall story itself. Trevor Shane is a wonderful talent that can weave stories within stories and bring every single sense to life.
Without giving anything away, this book is better than the first and the perfect segue into the final book. Enjoy the trilogy for what it is but I encourage you to look under the hood as well, there’s a lot going on with each character’s motivations & the overall story itself. Trevor Shane is a wonderful talent that can weave stories within stories and bring every single sense to life.
June 7, 2013
This book hooked me from the first page, just like the first in the series. It also mislead me about the demise of a lead character, not to be a spoiler. I am impatiently awaiting the third book in the series. The highest compliment I can give this book is that when it ended, I was so upset and entangled with the story, I couldn't start another book right away, just couldn't shake it off. I loved this book, even though it is not the type of book I normally read.
April 7, 2013
I just love this series. The concept is well thought out and realistic in an in depth way. The characters are well scripted and well liked. I am just sorry it will only be a trilogy. Two thumbs up Mr Shane.
April 28, 2013
"Children of the Underground" is the second book in the Children of Paranoia series by Trevor Shane. The Children of Paranoia series is an action packed, dystopian series that's geared for adults. I really enjoyed the first book in the series and have been eagerly anticipating this latest book. Needless to say, I was not disappointed and now I'm awaiting the next book in the series. Before delving into "Children of the Underground," you should read "Children of Paranoia" in order to fully grasp the world of the books. It has been almost two years since I read "Children of Paranoia" and even I was sort of wishing that I had re-read it before digging into "Children of the Underground."
Most of the story is told from the point of view of Maria. I loved, loved, loved her as the narrator. I really, really liked her character. She is pretty young but she is so strong and so brave. You really have to admire her. She has a lot of chances to run away from the war that she really has no dog in but she is willing to put herself in danger fighting for what she believes in. It's definitely a difficult road to go. In this book, she is mainly trying to find her son, Christopher, who was taken from her as a baby after her husband, Joseph is killed.
I liked this book a little bit better than "Children of Paranoia." While the first book was very solid, I thought that you got a much better sense of the characters like Maria and Michael. There is not as much world building, which I missed but again, if you've read the first book, you know what the world looks like. And I must mention that I did like that some parts of the book took place in D.C. (although Crystal City is not within walking distance of Georgetown unless you really want a long walk). Meridian Hill park, which is also mentioned, is one of my very favorite places in D.C. and after reading this book, I am not sure I'm going to be able to see it the same way after reading this book!
Overall: This is a great pick for when you want your dystopian with a whole lot of action!
Most of the story is told from the point of view of Maria. I loved, loved, loved her as the narrator. I really, really liked her character. She is pretty young but she is so strong and so brave. You really have to admire her. She has a lot of chances to run away from the war that she really has no dog in but she is willing to put herself in danger fighting for what she believes in. It's definitely a difficult road to go. In this book, she is mainly trying to find her son, Christopher, who was taken from her as a baby after her husband, Joseph is killed.
I liked this book a little bit better than "Children of Paranoia." While the first book was very solid, I thought that you got a much better sense of the characters like Maria and Michael. There is not as much world building, which I missed but again, if you've read the first book, you know what the world looks like. And I must mention that I did like that some parts of the book took place in D.C. (although Crystal City is not within walking distance of Georgetown unless you really want a long walk). Meridian Hill park, which is also mentioned, is one of my very favorite places in D.C. and after reading this book, I am not sure I'm going to be able to see it the same way after reading this book!
Overall: This is a great pick for when you want your dystopian with a whole lot of action!
June 5, 2013
Now THIS is how you do a book in the middle of a series: give the reader a satisfying resolution to a few of the subplots and conclude by teasing the next book. Don't just end in the middle of several stories. I'm looking at you George R. R. Martin.
Like Star Wars, I suspect I will like this second book in the trilogy the best. It successfully expanded my understanding of The War but kept the characters front and center. It also featured a rather cool literary device that I didn't catch on to until the author intended to reveal it. Plus, it's cool that there's a character named Evan. He seems like a solid dude.
I believe the success of this series will rest on what information is hidden on the fifth floor of the intelligence building. Namely, how and why did The War start? I'm hoping for more of a Serenity/Firefly reveal and less of a Battlestar Galactica, "I dug myself in a hole and don't know where I'm going" ending. Given how this second book has played out, I think Trevor Shane has the chops to pull it off.
Can't wait until book three!
Like Star Wars, I suspect I will like this second book in the trilogy the best. It successfully expanded my understanding of The War but kept the characters front and center. It also featured a rather cool literary device that I didn't catch on to until the author intended to reveal it. Plus, it's cool that there's a character named Evan. He seems like a solid dude.
I believe the success of this series will rest on what information is hidden on the fifth floor of the intelligence building. Namely, how and why did The War start? I'm hoping for more of a Serenity/Firefly reveal and less of a Battlestar Galactica, "I dug myself in a hole and don't know where I'm going" ending. Given how this second book has played out, I think Trevor Shane has the chops to pull it off.
Can't wait until book three!
June 3, 2013
This one picks up right were the first one left off. The action starts pretty early and doesn't let up. I like how you are following the two stories of Maria & Michael, and Addy & Evan. There were a few times that I knew what was going to happen in a chapter like when Maria is writing about what happened and so you know that she survived whatever she is about to tell us about, but that given that it is supposed to be like reading her journal it makes sense. I was glad that the final reveal was for me at least unexpected and after reading the preview chapter at the end of the book, I can't wait till the next installment.
August 4, 2013
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
What a sequel! Maria is now alone without her husband and her child has been taken away from her and taken to the other side. She must find someone and depend on them to help her get back her child and find safety for the both of them.
What a sequel! Maria is now alone without her husband and her child has been taken away from her and taken to the other side. She must find someone and depend on them to help her get back her child and find safety for the both of them.
June 26, 2013
Such a terrific follow-up to Children of Paranoia......! Trevor, can't wait for the next one! I actually yelled "argh" when I got to the last page and turned it only to find it was the end! :)
2013-german-releases
May 10, 2013:: Die Rache
May 2, 2013
Is it October yet? I cannot wait for the third book!
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