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Blackout #2
Dead Zone
Homeland meets Marie Lu’s Legend in the explosive sequel to Blackout, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Ally Condie called “a thrilling combination of Wells’s trademark twists and terror. Fantastic!”
America is at war—and five teens are caught in the crossfire.
It began with a virus. Then a series of attacks erupted across the nation. Now the true invasion has begun, and a handful of teenagers with impossible powers are America’s only defense.
Robison Wells blew readers away with his first novel, Variant, which Publishers Weekly called “a chilling and masterful debut” in a starred review. In Dead Zone, he delivers his most nail-bitingly tense read yet—and an electrifying conclusion to a two-book series that’s perfect for fans of The Maze Runner and I Am Number Four.
Praise for Blackout
“Wells knows how to snare readers’ attention and hold them spellbound.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“In a world where terrorism is an increasing threat, this fast-paced book brings it home.”—Kirkus Reviews
“This eerie look at an all-too-possible future is tense and gripping.”—Michael Grant, New York Times bestselling author of the Gone series
America is at war—and five teens are caught in the crossfire.
It began with a virus. Then a series of attacks erupted across the nation. Now the true invasion has begun, and a handful of teenagers with impossible powers are America’s only defense.
Robison Wells blew readers away with his first novel, Variant, which Publishers Weekly called “a chilling and masterful debut” in a starred review. In Dead Zone, he delivers his most nail-bitingly tense read yet—and an electrifying conclusion to a two-book series that’s perfect for fans of The Maze Runner and I Am Number Four.
Praise for Blackout
“Wells knows how to snare readers’ attention and hold them spellbound.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“In a world where terrorism is an increasing threat, this fast-paced book brings it home.”—Kirkus Reviews
“This eerie look at an all-too-possible future is tense and gripping.”—Michael Grant, New York Times bestselling author of the Gone series
400 pages, ebook
First published September 30, 2014
72 people are currently reading
2109 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
February 9, 2015
This book felt rushed and incomplete at the end. And, while I really think the action scenes were excellent - certainly among some of the best and most visual I've read in a YA novel - the characters and the story arc didn't live up to that standard at all. So in the end, this had no real stakes for me. I wasn't emotionally connected to 90% of the characters and the remaining 10% I was ambivalent about at best. I needed more from their motivations, especially in light of what they were being asked to do. And, with that epilogue, I'm left with more confusion than ever
Really, though, I think my main issue is that the characters ages did not fit the book. I think this series would have been more engaging and more believable had we had a wider, older age range so that the characters were each going through something different - so I didn't have to spend every chapter reading Tabitha tell every single character about how they were just kids and man I bet the rebellion would never use us like this.
I also, as in the last book, thought the "bad guy" points of view were totally wasted and added nothing to the story. Instead, they just watered down the tension because, as a reader, I knew exactly what was happening and was frustrated at the actual main characters for not figuring it out. Plus, don't put a totally morally bankrupt asshole demon child like Alec into a book as a point of view character and then give him nothing to do and no one to interact with. THAT was probably my biggest disappointment.
Overall, this series was a weird one for me. Not nearly as nuanced and interesting as Robison Wells's Feedback series.
Really, though, I think my main issue is that the characters ages did not fit the book. I think this series would have been more engaging and more believable had we had a wider, older age range so that the characters were each going through something different - so I didn't have to spend every chapter reading Tabitha tell every single character about how they were just kids and man I bet the rebellion would never use us like this.
I also, as in the last book, thought the "bad guy" points of view were totally wasted and added nothing to the story. Instead, they just watered down the tension because, as a reader, I knew exactly what was happening and was frustrated at the actual main characters for not figuring it out. Plus, don't put a totally morally bankrupt asshole demon child like Alec into a book as a point of view character and then give him nothing to do and no one to interact with. THAT was probably my biggest disappointment.
Overall, this series was a weird one for me. Not nearly as nuanced and interesting as Robison Wells's Feedback series.
May 14, 2015
Have you ever started reading a book and wished you hadn't but just couldn't put it down? I have, and this was the book. I really wanted to like it! It's got all the right elements-action: check! conflict: check! teens doing great things to pull adults butts out of the fire: check! a pinch of romance: check! Unfortunately, all of these things weren't enough to compensate for the lack of depth, lack of emotion, and lack of descriptive language.
I didn't realize just how much I hate "info dumps"-bunches of information the author wants the reader to know to move the story forward but doesn't want to take the time to let it develop within the story, so they just dump it out on a page as background info or have a character, say one with super sensitive hearing?, inform his team all about what the army has planned for them and what's going on in the war because he's just happened to hear all the conversations taking place everywhere on the base.
And descriptions? I know I said this before, but, really? Two books now and I still have no idea what Jack or Aubrey look like. No picture of them at all. Another character-Rich-this is the description we get of him: "Little guy. Fifteen. Black. You'd recognize him". That's it. Nothing else, and he plays a large part in this book!
The plot was tighter here, not so scattered, and easier to follow. The distracting random blog posts are gone. There is something happening on every page. There isn't any lack of action! Alec is still hanging around, sowing his brand of discontent and confusion behind American lines. You know, I kept hoping it would get better, that I would start caring about the characters and the places that were getting blown up. But I never did. Maybe you will, though, so...don't take my word for it. :)
I didn't realize just how much I hate "info dumps"-bunches of information the author wants the reader to know to move the story forward but doesn't want to take the time to let it develop within the story, so they just dump it out on a page as background info or have a character, say one with super sensitive hearing?, inform his team all about what the army has planned for them and what's going on in the war because he's just happened to hear all the conversations taking place everywhere on the base.
And descriptions? I know I said this before, but, really? Two books now and I still have no idea what Jack or Aubrey look like. No picture of them at all. Another character-Rich-this is the description we get of him: "Little guy. Fifteen. Black. You'd recognize him". That's it. Nothing else, and he plays a large part in this book!
The plot was tighter here, not so scattered, and easier to follow. The distracting random blog posts are gone. There is something happening on every page. There isn't any lack of action! Alec is still hanging around, sowing his brand of discontent and confusion behind American lines. You know, I kept hoping it would get better, that I would start caring about the characters and the places that were getting blown up. But I never did. Maybe you will, though, so...don't take my word for it. :)
February 26, 2023
I thought there would be more explanation in this book, but no. I still have no idea of the why behind everything.
March 22, 2025
.
Dead Zone (2014) by Robison Wells is the continuing tale of Jack Cooper and Aubrey Parsons, which began in book 1 Blackout (2013). Jack and Aubrey contracted a mutated virus and developed certain superhuman abilities along with a large number of the country's youth.
The virus infected teenagers and imbued them with unusual and varied powers. Aubrey can appear invisible to other people when they're within sight, a kind of limited mind control that also wears her out. Jack has extremely heightened senses of vision, hearing and sense of smell. He can hear someone breathing or talking at a great distance and can see in the dark.
Once teenagers started developing these unusual traits, they were rounded up and kept in military quarantine camps and where they’re referred to as Lambdas. They are mutants, perhaps superheroes or misfits. They had been confined to the quarantine camps until further notice, however, those with extraordinary new abilities could be released if they volunteered for military service. At about the same time devastating terrorist attacks were occurring throughout the country. Additionally, a number of Lambdas banded together as a rebel force attacking quarantine installations, trying to free the mutant teens.
Now America is at war with the Russian Federation. Emboldened by having their own Lambdas and a secret weapon that can instantly turn off the enemy's electronics, the Russians attacked Alaska and Canada, securing the oil fields for themselves. Enroute to invade the Pacific Northwest and the Seattle area, the Russians are able to destroy the Pacific Fleet, including air support.
The EMP-like weapon temporarily shuts down all electrical equipment in a 16 mile area. From wrist watches to street lights, from jets to aircraft carriers, everything in the dead zone loses power. Fighter jets fall out of the sky, powerless naval ships are easily bombed and on land tanks, radar, artillery and more are useless while the enemy attacks.
After rushed military training, a group of six gifted Lambda teenagers and a team of Green Berets set out to identify the Russian's secret weapon and destroy it. When the Russians invaded Seattle they forced everyone to leave and a huge line of refugees were now driving east over the pass, crossing the Cascade mountains into Eastern Washington. The teens first mission was recon on Snoqualmie Pass where they encountered a Russian roadblock and discovered the enemy's equipment and vehicles also lost power in the dead zone.
The group of six Lambdas were chosen for their ability to operate as a team without the need for anything electrical. Aubrey could be invisible, Jack could see and hear at great distances, Tabitha could relay information telepathically, Josi could remember details of everything she saw or heard, Krezi was a weapon that could ignite fires, blow things up or shoot bolts of energy from her fingers and Matt could understand and operate any device, weapon or vehicle, etc that he touched.
.
It’s a YA series and the science fiction mutations and military details are limited, but much of the action is intriguing. The author doesn’t make it clear that the terrorist attacks all over the country were a prelude to the Russian invasion. It only hints at it.
The story suffers as the author forces his young characters to lament over killing the enemy and defensive warfare in general. It seems to be an ongoing theme in the book and the boohoo, I-killed-enemy-invaders-today nonsense just gets so tedious.
Here's how it ends.
Turns out the secret weapon involves two Russian Lambdas, one can fly and the other is given a drug cocktail to boost his dead zone, electrical power blocking bubble ability. The flyer, Zasha, carries her drugged up pal Fyodor in a special harness. As she flies around the battle zone, Fyodor's ability shuts down the enemy's equipment, allowing her Russian army to devastate the American forces.
The team of teenagers figure out a way to track the dead zone bubble and from the edge of the zone to the center, it’s about 8 miles. Since everything electrically powered doesn't work in the dead zone, the Lambda teens road bicycles to quickly reach the center of the bubble where the flyer and her collaborator were located. While the bubble is stationary over the frontlines, invisibly Aubrey sneaks in the last couple hundred yards to make the kill.
Tabitha the telepathy gal has decided to desert her team of Lambda soldiers and relays false information to Aubrey which causes a firefight with the approaching Russian forces. In the confused battle, Tabitha and her 15-year-old Lambda pal Krezi escape the battlefield, but the team's CO is killed as well as the Green Berets. Aubrey is able to shoot the flyer dead, but the boy in the harness isn't killed. Soon the dead zone bubble is active again with the Lambda kid circling the battlefield in a glider, shutting down the American's military equipment, again.
Aubrey, Jack and the remaining Lambda soldier kids suspect the glider will need to take off and land at the airport in Ellensburg, Washington. And that's where they battle the Russians. Wounded, Aubrey repeatedly shoots at the cockpit as the tow plane taxied down the runway, pulling the glider plane. Finally she tosses in a grenade destroying the glider and killing the dead zone Lambda kid.
The US military orders the remaining Lambda soldiers to shelter underground, in the basement of houses, while the American military rains down hell on the enemy. The teens survive and Aubrey is awarded the Medal of Honor. The Russian forces are driven out, but still have a presence in Alaska where it's expected they'll soon give up that area as well.
Krezi the Lambda who can shoot bolts of energy from her fingers is wounded, but survives. Her deserter pal Tabitha didn't make it and was vilified in the news for having caused the death of the Green Berets.
..
.
Dead Zone (2014) by Robison Wells is the continuing tale of Jack Cooper and Aubrey Parsons, which began in book 1 Blackout (2013). Jack and Aubrey contracted a mutated virus and developed certain superhuman abilities along with a large number of the country's youth.
The virus infected teenagers and imbued them with unusual and varied powers. Aubrey can appear invisible to other people when they're within sight, a kind of limited mind control that also wears her out. Jack has extremely heightened senses of vision, hearing and sense of smell. He can hear someone breathing or talking at a great distance and can see in the dark.
Once teenagers started developing these unusual traits, they were rounded up and kept in military quarantine camps and where they’re referred to as Lambdas. They are mutants, perhaps superheroes or misfits. They had been confined to the quarantine camps until further notice, however, those with extraordinary new abilities could be released if they volunteered for military service. At about the same time devastating terrorist attacks were occurring throughout the country. Additionally, a number of Lambdas banded together as a rebel force attacking quarantine installations, trying to free the mutant teens.
Now America is at war with the Russian Federation. Emboldened by having their own Lambdas and a secret weapon that can instantly turn off the enemy's electronics, the Russians attacked Alaska and Canada, securing the oil fields for themselves. Enroute to invade the Pacific Northwest and the Seattle area, the Russians are able to destroy the Pacific Fleet, including air support.
The EMP-like weapon temporarily shuts down all electrical equipment in a 16 mile area. From wrist watches to street lights, from jets to aircraft carriers, everything in the dead zone loses power. Fighter jets fall out of the sky, powerless naval ships are easily bombed and on land tanks, radar, artillery and more are useless while the enemy attacks.
After rushed military training, a group of six gifted Lambda teenagers and a team of Green Berets set out to identify the Russian's secret weapon and destroy it. When the Russians invaded Seattle they forced everyone to leave and a huge line of refugees were now driving east over the pass, crossing the Cascade mountains into Eastern Washington. The teens first mission was recon on Snoqualmie Pass where they encountered a Russian roadblock and discovered the enemy's equipment and vehicles also lost power in the dead zone.
The group of six Lambdas were chosen for their ability to operate as a team without the need for anything electrical. Aubrey could be invisible, Jack could see and hear at great distances, Tabitha could relay information telepathically, Josi could remember details of everything she saw or heard, Krezi was a weapon that could ignite fires, blow things up or shoot bolts of energy from her fingers and Matt could understand and operate any device, weapon or vehicle, etc that he touched.
.
It’s a YA series and the science fiction mutations and military details are limited, but much of the action is intriguing. The author doesn’t make it clear that the terrorist attacks all over the country were a prelude to the Russian invasion. It only hints at it.
The story suffers as the author forces his young characters to lament over killing the enemy and defensive warfare in general. It seems to be an ongoing theme in the book and the boohoo, I-killed-enemy-invaders-today nonsense just gets so tedious.
Here's how it ends.
Turns out the secret weapon involves two Russian Lambdas, one can fly and the other is given a drug cocktail to boost his dead zone, electrical power blocking bubble ability. The flyer, Zasha, carries her drugged up pal Fyodor in a special harness. As she flies around the battle zone, Fyodor's ability shuts down the enemy's equipment, allowing her Russian army to devastate the American forces.
The team of teenagers figure out a way to track the dead zone bubble and from the edge of the zone to the center, it’s about 8 miles. Since everything electrically powered doesn't work in the dead zone, the Lambda teens road bicycles to quickly reach the center of the bubble where the flyer and her collaborator were located. While the bubble is stationary over the frontlines, invisibly Aubrey sneaks in the last couple hundred yards to make the kill.
Tabitha the telepathy gal has decided to desert her team of Lambda soldiers and relays false information to Aubrey which causes a firefight with the approaching Russian forces. In the confused battle, Tabitha and her 15-year-old Lambda pal Krezi escape the battlefield, but the team's CO is killed as well as the Green Berets. Aubrey is able to shoot the flyer dead, but the boy in the harness isn't killed. Soon the dead zone bubble is active again with the Lambda kid circling the battlefield in a glider, shutting down the American's military equipment, again.
Aubrey, Jack and the remaining Lambda soldier kids suspect the glider will need to take off and land at the airport in Ellensburg, Washington. And that's where they battle the Russians. Wounded, Aubrey repeatedly shoots at the cockpit as the tow plane taxied down the runway, pulling the glider plane. Finally she tosses in a grenade destroying the glider and killing the dead zone Lambda kid.
The US military orders the remaining Lambda soldiers to shelter underground, in the basement of houses, while the American military rains down hell on the enemy. The teens survive and Aubrey is awarded the Medal of Honor. The Russian forces are driven out, but still have a presence in Alaska where it's expected they'll soon give up that area as well.
Krezi the Lambda who can shoot bolts of energy from her fingers is wounded, but survives. Her deserter pal Tabitha didn't make it and was vilified in the news for having caused the death of the Green Berets.
..
.
March 20, 2015
Excellent ending to the duology. It's true, I tease Rob about writing duologies, but he does an excellent job, introducing a conflict in book one, then wrapping it up nicely in book two. As I read this one I was trying to think of any other books for teens that could be classified as military sci fi, and I just couldn't. This book hits all the sweet spots of war books, sci fi, romance. . . it's got it all, but very well blended together. Super fun!
March 3, 2015
This book was definitely a 5 star book. I think that Robinson Wells could probably make another book and I would buy that one too. The story line of this series with Aubry and Jack being Lambdas is just really interesting. Overall, 5/5 from me.
July 1, 2015
Jesus Christ did I read that right? Five characters? I can't handle it!
November 16, 2014
This is a little more like it. War, action, mayhem. Less boring stuff than the first book, and it brings the story to a fairly satisfying conclusion.
December 12, 2015
2.5 stars
January 26, 2015
I read it in one sitting. The poor Russian lambda who created the dead zone - he deserved better. I wonder if there will be a sequel or is this it?
Read
January 3, 2017I think that this book is better than Blackout...definitely worth the read!
January 14, 2022
I listened to the Audible release of this book with the fantastic voice talents of Ray Porter. As usual, he does a fantastic job of bringing the book to life.
I picked up this book not realizing that it was the second book in a duology. It becomes apparent as you first get into the story, but while someone who read the first book may recognize the characters, I don't think my not having read the first book detracted from enjoying this one - any gaps were filled as we went along.
The summarization accompanying this book does nothing to give insight into what this book is about, and for that reason, I will give a quick explanation. This is a young adult novel taking place in a somewhat dystopian setting in the United States. Some teenagers across the world have developed "powers". These powers may differ from kid to kid and could be advanced hearing, telepathy, strength, speed, or other powers. These teenagers are called Lambdas. Each country is attempting to take advantage of these Lambdas.
Russia has a lambda that can disrupt electrical equipment much in the way an EMP would. Working with another lambda who can fly, Russia invades Alaska and virtually walks in by disrupting all jets, and aircraft carriers in the war zone. Any electronic or electrical device that is within the "dead zone" generated by the lambdas is instantly disabled.
The US has a group of teenage lambdas who are joined with a Green Barret unit to infiltrate the war zone, seak out the cause of the dead zone, and take it out. Each member of the lambda team has his/her own powers that, when combined, make them an effective team. At first they don't know that the dead zone is being created by a Lambda.
As a YA novel, teenage angst is front and center as they all try to cope with the situation, their friendship, and the roles they must take (i.e. Kill soldiers rather than just being spies). There are plenty of action sequences but I have to admit I was losing interest as it felt like all the battle scenes were getting in the way of progressing the plot. The concept of Lambdas was okay, but because each of them had different power, it felt a bit contrived during certain situations. Like oh good, Rich
who can understand any machine is the perfect choice to steel the Russian tank .
The character development was okay (I don't know how well we knew the characters in the first book) - particularly with the main character Aubrey who's thoughts are represented in the book's summary. The ending was satisfactory and there is no hint of a 3rd book.
I gave it 3 stars because I started to drift during the battle scenes and the somewhat contrived nature of the superpowers.
I picked up this book not realizing that it was the second book in a duology. It becomes apparent as you first get into the story, but while someone who read the first book may recognize the characters, I don't think my not having read the first book detracted from enjoying this one - any gaps were filled as we went along.
The summarization accompanying this book does nothing to give insight into what this book is about, and for that reason, I will give a quick explanation. This is a young adult novel taking place in a somewhat dystopian setting in the United States. Some teenagers across the world have developed "powers". These powers may differ from kid to kid and could be advanced hearing, telepathy, strength, speed, or other powers. These teenagers are called Lambdas. Each country is attempting to take advantage of these Lambdas.
Russia has a lambda that can disrupt electrical equipment much in the way an EMP would. Working with another lambda who can fly, Russia invades Alaska and virtually walks in by disrupting all jets, and aircraft carriers in the war zone. Any electronic or electrical device that is within the "dead zone" generated by the lambdas is instantly disabled.
The US has a group of teenage lambdas who are joined with a Green Barret unit to infiltrate the war zone, seak out the cause of the dead zone, and take it out. Each member of the lambda team has his/her own powers that, when combined, make them an effective team. At first they don't know that the dead zone is being created by a Lambda.
As a YA novel, teenage angst is front and center as they all try to cope with the situation, their friendship, and the roles they must take (i.e. Kill soldiers rather than just being spies). There are plenty of action sequences but I have to admit I was losing interest as it felt like all the battle scenes were getting in the way of progressing the plot. The concept of Lambdas was okay, but because each of them had different power, it felt a bit contrived during certain situations. Like oh good, Rich
who can understand any machine is the perfect choice to steel the Russian tank .
The character development was okay (I don't know how well we knew the characters in the first book) - particularly with the main character Aubrey who's thoughts are represented in the book's summary. The ending was satisfactory and there is no hint of a 3rd book.
I gave it 3 stars because I started to drift during the battle scenes and the somewhat contrived nature of the superpowers.
September 22, 2017
Book 2
Russia is attacking the U.S. There are few that can stop them because of a machine that shuts down all power around for a diameter of 8 miles. But there are the Lambdas. Aubrey and Jack are in military training with other Lambdas. After graduation they are sent out on their first mission. Aubrey screws up and ends up having to kill 9 men. She also causes most of the Lambdas on their team to be injured. During their second mission Aubrey is given the wrong orders and it goes horribly. The team gets split up. Jack finds Aubrey right before she is about to be shot by an enemy soldier. They find the rest of the group that is still alive and plan to finish their mission.
At the beginning Aubrey is sweet and would try to find another way to do things if it meant not killing anyone. After her first mission with her new team she decides that she will not mess up again. She will do anything to prove that she is a good soldier. During her second mission she is given the wrong orders and then has to kill even more to try and fix things. Near the end Aubrey is no longer the sweet, fun girl that she was, her heart was hardened from the war. But there will always be a place for Jack.
Some of the things that I liked in this book was the way that the author developed the character. I really liked how it was told from more than one person's point of view, it made the story more interesting. The story overall was very well developed and it made it very easy to read. Something that I didn’t like was that the author made some of the character that made mistakes seem like they were some of the bad guys. I also didn’t like how Tabitha was portrayed, it made her seem like a very bad girl.
Russia is attacking the U.S. There are few that can stop them because of a machine that shuts down all power around for a diameter of 8 miles. But there are the Lambdas. Aubrey and Jack are in military training with other Lambdas. After graduation they are sent out on their first mission. Aubrey screws up and ends up having to kill 9 men. She also causes most of the Lambdas on their team to be injured. During their second mission Aubrey is given the wrong orders and it goes horribly. The team gets split up. Jack finds Aubrey right before she is about to be shot by an enemy soldier. They find the rest of the group that is still alive and plan to finish their mission.
At the beginning Aubrey is sweet and would try to find another way to do things if it meant not killing anyone. After her first mission with her new team she decides that she will not mess up again. She will do anything to prove that she is a good soldier. During her second mission she is given the wrong orders and then has to kill even more to try and fix things. Near the end Aubrey is no longer the sweet, fun girl that she was, her heart was hardened from the war. But there will always be a place for Jack.
Some of the things that I liked in this book was the way that the author developed the character. I really liked how it was told from more than one person's point of view, it made the story more interesting. The story overall was very well developed and it made it very easy to read. Something that I didn’t like was that the author made some of the character that made mistakes seem like they were some of the bad guys. I also didn’t like how Tabitha was portrayed, it made her seem like a very bad girl.
February 7, 2024
I picked up this YA novel because it was touted as a “nail-bitingly tense read … that’s perfect for fans of The Maze Runner and I Am Number Four.”
It was not, I’m afraid.
Perhaps it’s because I missed out on reading Book One of this two-book series, but what was originally sold as a standalone-worthy book was lukewarm. #meh
Russia has invaded the Pacific Northwest, using an incredibly powerful mutant who has the super-ability to knock out all power within an 8 mile radius. Aubrey and Jack are in the American army now, along with a couple of new lambda (as the mutants are referre—
Confused? Me, too. I feel like I walked in to a class halfway through the semester just in time for a pop quiz. I don’t know these characters and had a tough time getting oriented. Often, authors will provide a bit of grounding before they dive in, but Wells did not.
The war machinations (guns and vehicles) were overly descriptive, which slowed the pace and felt like padding. The ending was abrupt and lazy.
Honestly, the only reason I finished it was that the #audible version was narrated by Ray Porter. Which is likely why I got the second book without buying the first.
It was not, I’m afraid.
Perhaps it’s because I missed out on reading Book One of this two-book series, but what was originally sold as a standalone-worthy book was lukewarm. #meh
Russia has invaded the Pacific Northwest, using an incredibly powerful mutant who has the super-ability to knock out all power within an 8 mile radius. Aubrey and Jack are in the American army now, along with a couple of new lambda (as the mutants are referre—
Confused? Me, too. I feel like I walked in to a class halfway through the semester just in time for a pop quiz. I don’t know these characters and had a tough time getting oriented. Often, authors will provide a bit of grounding before they dive in, but Wells did not.
The war machinations (guns and vehicles) were overly descriptive, which slowed the pace and felt like padding. The ending was abrupt and lazy.
Honestly, the only reason I finished it was that the #audible version was narrated by Ray Porter. Which is likely why I got the second book without buying the first.
December 10, 2019
Sequels sequels sequels. I have come to develop a love/hate relationship with sequels and book series. Writing past the first book is always a challenge to get a reader to be invested like they were in the first book. Some of the conflicts felt irrelevant from the main focus of the story, but I understand it was a way to hook different storylines together to make sense as a whole. With that being said, I did actually genuinely enjoy this second installment in the Blackout universe. The way it pulled other countries into the picture was interesting. Biological warfare mixed with terrorism in place of the Cold War was shown to be truly devastating. I liked the growth of our two protagonists Jack and Aubrey in this second book, though I felt that many of the other characters were more static, especially the antagonists, even Alec from the first book. I liked the military element implemented into the story, making the kids go through bootcamp to actually prepare them in some way for the war they get thrown into fighting.
April 18, 2023
It took me a long time but I finally got to and finished the second book to the Blackout series. I thought this book was better than the first one. It was more action pact and we got to meet more of the characters. So much was happening and of course at the book says this is war which meant things were happening pretty fast. I would have love to meet or get to know more of the characters introduced in this book. One person in particular I did not like at all and it lead to her downfall. The worldbuilding was better but I really wish there was another book to this series because it did feel rushed at the end and there is so much potential with the characters and how the story was at the end. I think I would come back to Dead Zone and read it again because I did like how it ended but it hurts knowing there won't be anymore to this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2019
Like it was good and fun, parts of it were repeated over and over again, I understood things the first time.
Characters were silly minded teens who thought they knew better, and military over-enforcing was annoying as always. I enjoyed the abandoned American Town vibes and descriptions, how once sprawling homes and neighborhoods, to even whole cities were brought down to crumble and chaos as literal War was ravaged around the characters.
The ending was somewhat abrupt, and some character storylines cut short as suddenly as their lives were. I still enjoyed the story, and you can tell the author had a great amount of military research behind him in order to make the jargon and tactis feel authentic in these extraordinary circumstances.
Characters were silly minded teens who thought they knew better, and military over-enforcing was annoying as always. I enjoyed the abandoned American Town vibes and descriptions, how once sprawling homes and neighborhoods, to even whole cities were brought down to crumble and chaos as literal War was ravaged around the characters.
The ending was somewhat abrupt, and some character storylines cut short as suddenly as their lives were. I still enjoyed the story, and you can tell the author had a great amount of military research behind him in order to make the jargon and tactis feel authentic in these extraordinary circumstances.
May 7, 2024
This book is definitely not the same as the first and has a lot more focus on the military and war. I saw a review that you don't need to read the first book to enjoy this one and I agree that it is different enough for that to be the case. However, you still will probably enjoy the book more if you read the first one and don't mind and like the heavy military theming. This book could definitely be triggering with the use of weapons, war, war trauma, and topics of death. So I wouldn't read this book if you are not in the headspace to handle it. Also I have read Marie Lu's Legend and this book in my opinion is completely different especially because of the military theming.
September 15, 2017
This book had amazing action sequences and I liked the basis of the plot: take out whatever is disrupting the electronics. Wells kept it more simple and it worked. It was cool to see the new powers and how the military uses them in tandem to create a more useful team. All of that was excellent. But the teenage romance was way too much. Aubrey can't go a minute without thinking about Jack or saying how much she likes/loves him. Kind of pathetic. Take that out and it would be a way better book, but could be great for teens.
June 8, 2020
This was a fun read. The characters are likeable. However, it felt like the author was more focused on pushing the story from point A to point B, and he did not flesh out the characters or their relationships as deeply as he could have. I also was a little bothered by some of the devices used to further the plot, especially later in the book. It almost felt like the author just wanted to move on but realized that he still needed to answer some outstanding questions. Points, though, for resolving those questions. Overall, a fun read.
June 2, 2022
Let's start this off strong, Tabitha. Listen, I don't like her much, because she was being stupid and selfish, but at the same time I understand completely. She was a kid, and she did some stupid things, but *spoiler* she didn't deserve to die. Same said for Krezi, even though she didn't die, i still felt bad for her.
On another note, I have so much respect for Aubrey, she did so many difficult things, things she never thought she would have to, but it was necessary. Same for Jack, Josi, and Rich. All very respectable kids.
Alec was just either brainwashed or psychotic. No in-between.
On another note, I have so much respect for Aubrey, she did so many difficult things, things she never thought she would have to, but it was necessary. Same for Jack, Josi, and Rich. All very respectable kids.
Alec was just either brainwashed or psychotic. No in-between.
May 25, 2017
This book was pretty good. It's a sequel to Blackout, and picks up a few months after it left off. Jack and Aubrey are now members of the army as special "lambada" soldiers, and are helping to fight the Russians, who invaded Alaska after terrorists weakened the military. This book is full of action and overall is a pretty exciting read. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action and excitement (and has read the first one, obviously).
August 21, 2018
I'm the type of person where 90% of my reviews are five stars. And that just means I finished the book and wasn't offended by the content. This one though, was something specail. The emotions and doubts experienced thought the story by the characters was very well done. Technical explanations were not glossed over or left out. All in all strongly recommend.
October 31, 2016
The story from Blackout continues in Dead Zone and is just as compelling as the first novel except certain people are the bad victims of kharmic justification. It is a high octane war zone thriller with young adult superheroes. It is worth the read.
April 2, 2018
I still feel so incomplete with this story. After two books I still have no idea what Aubrey or Jack would look like and I should at this point. This book was rushed but the action in it was good. The ending feels incomplete. We got the one thing we needed peace out bad guys... really? So ya... 3.5
October 1, 2020
It was a very interesting book that was a little bland and not near as interesting to me as the first book of the series. It still is a good book that kept me sort of interested in the story and the characters which were written very well
May 15, 2024
I read this to bond with my teenage son. He'd give it a four or five and I'd give it a two or three, so I gave it a three. I can see why my son likes it. Lots of action. Teen heroins and villains. World ending catastrophes.
January 31, 2017
4.5 stars. This was definitely an improvement off of Blackout, but is seemed a little rushed at the end. Still a great read!
August 5, 2017
Great book! Finished in two days which doesn't happen often anymore.
December 31, 2017
The sequel built more on the world and events from the first book. I thought it was definitely a better read. It definitely left me wanting more.
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