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The Survival Trilogy #2
Arena 2
“Shades of THE HUNGER GAMES permeate a story centered around two courageous teens determined to buck all odds in an effort to regain their loved ones. ….A believable, involving world and is recommended...for those who enjoy dystopian novels, powerful female characters, and stories of uncommon courage.”
--Midwest Book Review, D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer (re Arena One)
ARENA 2 is book # in the Bestselling Survival Trilogy series, which begins with ARENA 1, a free download on Amazon.
Having just escaped from the treacherous island that was once Manhattan, Brooke, Ben, Logan, Bree and Rose make their way up the Hudson river in their stolen boat, low on fuel, low on food, and desperately needing shelter from the cold. On their tails are the slaverunners, who will stop at nothing until they capture them and bring them back.
As they make their way upriver in this post-apocalyptic, action-packed thriller, on their way to try to find the mythical city in Canada, they will need to use all their ingenuity and survival skills to stay alive. Along the way they will encounter crazed survivors, roving gangs of predators, cannibals, wild animals, a desolate wasteland, and an unstoppable blizzard. They sustain injuries, get sick, and the Hudson freezes over as they do their best to salvage what they can and avoid the slaverunners’ pursuit. They find a small island and think they have found respite—until events don’t go their way. It is not until they board a mysterious train to nowhere that they find that things can always get worse.
Along the way, Brooke’s feelings for Logan intensify, as do her feelings for Ben. Torn between these two boys, caught between their jealousy, she is unsure how she feels—until events choose for her.
As they find themselves thrown back into an arena, they are shocked to discover that Arena Two is even worse. Thrown into a barbaric fighting stage, equipped with weapons, pitted against other teenagers—and against themselves—Brooke and the others will be forced to choose what’s important, and to make the most difficult sacrifices of their lives. Because in Arena Two, no one survives. Ever.
ARENA 3 (Book #3) is now available for pre-order!
"Addicting...ARENA ONE was one of those books that you read late into the night until your eyes start to cross because you don’t want to put it down."
–Dallas Examiner
--Midwest Book Review, D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer (re Arena One)
ARENA 2 is book # in the Bestselling Survival Trilogy series, which begins with ARENA 1, a free download on Amazon.
Having just escaped from the treacherous island that was once Manhattan, Brooke, Ben, Logan, Bree and Rose make their way up the Hudson river in their stolen boat, low on fuel, low on food, and desperately needing shelter from the cold. On their tails are the slaverunners, who will stop at nothing until they capture them and bring them back.
As they make their way upriver in this post-apocalyptic, action-packed thriller, on their way to try to find the mythical city in Canada, they will need to use all their ingenuity and survival skills to stay alive. Along the way they will encounter crazed survivors, roving gangs of predators, cannibals, wild animals, a desolate wasteland, and an unstoppable blizzard. They sustain injuries, get sick, and the Hudson freezes over as they do their best to salvage what they can and avoid the slaverunners’ pursuit. They find a small island and think they have found respite—until events don’t go their way. It is not until they board a mysterious train to nowhere that they find that things can always get worse.
Along the way, Brooke’s feelings for Logan intensify, as do her feelings for Ben. Torn between these two boys, caught between their jealousy, she is unsure how she feels—until events choose for her.
As they find themselves thrown back into an arena, they are shocked to discover that Arena Two is even worse. Thrown into a barbaric fighting stage, equipped with weapons, pitted against other teenagers—and against themselves—Brooke and the others will be forced to choose what’s important, and to make the most difficult sacrifices of their lives. Because in Arena Two, no one survives. Ever.
ARENA 3 (Book #3) is now available for pre-order!
"Addicting...ARENA ONE was one of those books that you read late into the night until your eyes start to cross because you don’t want to put it down."
–Dallas Examiner
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2012
276 people are currently reading
1351 people want to read
About the author
Morgan Rice
584 books3,375 followersMorgan Rice is the #1 bestselling and USA Today bestselling author of the epic fantasy series THE SORCERER’S RING, comprising seventeen books; of the #1 bestselling series THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, comprising twelve books; of the #1 bestselling series THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY, a post-apocalyptic thriller comprising three books; of the epic fantasy series KINGS AND SORCERERS, comprising six books; of the epic fantasy series OF CROWNS AND GLORY, comprising 8 books; of the new epic fantasy series A THRONE FOR SISTERS, comprising eight books (and counting); and of the new science fiction series THE INVASION CHRONICLES. Morgan’s books are available in audio and print editions, and translations are available in over 25 languages.
TURNED (Book #1 in the Vampire Journals), ARENA ONE (Book #1 of the Survival Trilogy), A QUEST OF HEROES (Book #1 in the Sorcerer’s Ring) and RISE OF THE DRAGONS (Kings and Sorcerers—Book #1) are each available as free downloads!
Morgan loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.morganricebooks.com to join the email list, receive a free book, receive free giveaways, download the free app, get the latest exclusive news, connect on Facebook and Twitter, and stay in touch!
TURNED (Book #1 in the Vampire Journals), ARENA ONE (Book #1 of the Survival Trilogy), A QUEST OF HEROES (Book #1 in the Sorcerer’s Ring) and RISE OF THE DRAGONS (Kings and Sorcerers—Book #1) are each available as free downloads!
Morgan loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.morganricebooks.com to join the email list, receive a free book, receive free giveaways, download the free app, get the latest exclusive news, connect on Facebook and Twitter, and stay in touch!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
October 29, 2013
Does this author even have an editor? Another sentient human who can read?
I'm only chapters in and the grammatical errors, continuity errors and purely implausible scenarios have driven me to delete the book and begin searching the web for a way to warn others to not waste money on this poorly produced piece of garbage!
Okay, the story is kind of cute, and I did manage to battle my way through Arena One. Free, from my library. No way would I have paid for this follow-up novel, but, again, free from my library, so let's see if our heroes continue to survive... Shouldn't have bothered wasting the bandwidth to download it!
This is not a stand-alone book, really. Our heroes were never introduced nor was their situation defined; if you didn't read the first book, you'll be completely lost.
Grammar! Good lord, the grammar! The radiation-wounded marauding survivors are named Crazies, but at least half the time capitalization is neglected. A line of speech was attributed to the mis-spelled name of the first-person character. It would appear that the only editing performed on this text was spell-check, even Word would pick up many of the errors that make my eyes cross.
Continuity!!! This is the beginning of where Ms. Rice began to lose me. For pages the pet dog was referred to by name, then the naming occurred! Our heroes are driving a powerboat full-speed up the Hudson River in early winter when only days before it had been frozen solid enough to drive a motorcycle across. Our first-person speaker has "heard rumours for years about bands of cannibal crazies" yet she and her sister have been living in isolation up a Catskills mountain. From whom do did she hear the rumours?
Implausibilities!!!!!! The weak, whimpering, demanding, spoiled-brat younger sister should have died years ago or forced to fend for herself. All characters should have died of hypothermia before this story ever began. Pursuers are repeatedly just-behind, hundreds of yards back, take your pick. I put the book down at the point that our heroes have reached a point on the river they physically couldn't have reached without re-fueling, driven their boat at 90 degrees to their path if flight (pursuers only a turn of the river away) full-speed to a piling, stopped on a dime (can't do that in a boat), tied a rope to the piling and driven, full-speed, back across the river to loop the rope around a tree (where are those darned pursuers? Did they stop to eat lunch?) and then set themselves up in the middle of the river with a handy-dandy trip-line hidden below the surface of the water. NOW the pursuers arrive, full-speed, to be cut in half when our heroes pull on the line to raise it (and our heroes and their boat stays in place, how?) I mean, come on!
All fiction requires a basic level of believability. This dystopian novel's apocalypse does not provide a basis for super-powers nor changes is the laws of physics. I can't believe this ever got published.
I'm only chapters in and the grammatical errors, continuity errors and purely implausible scenarios have driven me to delete the book and begin searching the web for a way to warn others to not waste money on this poorly produced piece of garbage!
Okay, the story is kind of cute, and I did manage to battle my way through Arena One. Free, from my library. No way would I have paid for this follow-up novel, but, again, free from my library, so let's see if our heroes continue to survive... Shouldn't have bothered wasting the bandwidth to download it!
This is not a stand-alone book, really. Our heroes were never introduced nor was their situation defined; if you didn't read the first book, you'll be completely lost.
Grammar! Good lord, the grammar! The radiation-wounded marauding survivors are named Crazies, but at least half the time capitalization is neglected. A line of speech was attributed to the mis-spelled name of the first-person character. It would appear that the only editing performed on this text was spell-check, even Word would pick up many of the errors that make my eyes cross.
Continuity!!! This is the beginning of where Ms. Rice began to lose me. For pages the pet dog was referred to by name, then the naming occurred! Our heroes are driving a powerboat full-speed up the Hudson River in early winter when only days before it had been frozen solid enough to drive a motorcycle across. Our first-person speaker has "heard rumours for years about bands of cannibal crazies" yet she and her sister have been living in isolation up a Catskills mountain. From whom do did she hear the rumours?
Implausibilities!!!!!! The weak, whimpering, demanding, spoiled-brat younger sister should have died years ago or forced to fend for herself. All characters should have died of hypothermia before this story ever began. Pursuers are repeatedly just-behind, hundreds of yards back, take your pick. I put the book down at the point that our heroes have reached a point on the river they physically couldn't have reached without re-fueling, driven their boat at 90 degrees to their path if flight (pursuers only a turn of the river away) full-speed to a piling, stopped on a dime (can't do that in a boat), tied a rope to the piling and driven, full-speed, back across the river to loop the rope around a tree (where are those darned pursuers? Did they stop to eat lunch?) and then set themselves up in the middle of the river with a handy-dandy trip-line hidden below the surface of the water. NOW the pursuers arrive, full-speed, to be cut in half when our heroes pull on the line to raise it (and our heroes and their boat stays in place, how?) I mean, come on!
All fiction requires a basic level of believability. This dystopian novel's apocalypse does not provide a basis for super-powers nor changes is the laws of physics. I can't believe this ever got published.
April 26, 2013
Just an extension of the first poorly written book. A few parts need special mentioning. The part where they named the dog that they already knew the name of. Then they kill a deer and only 4 of them eat any but the next night they have to go out and kill another one. Twice Brooke gets attacked by fat or overweight kids! People are dying of starvation but there's fat kids I don't think so. Ben takes a sword and then ends up with a bow and arrow in the arena. The author repeats phrases like "this doesn't bode well". Hey author we know if someone can hardly walk and they going into a fight to the death that it doesn't bode well we don't need to be told! There's plenty of other things that make this book so frustrating to read but I think the worst thing is that this had great potential but falls very short.
December 13, 2013
MAJOR SPOILERS INCLUDED.
i literally rolled my eyes at a couple parts of brooke's lovesick thoughts. no girl who is fighting for her life, protecting her sister, hungry, and freezing, is worried about whether the boy(s) with her like(s) her. but then again, i'm an adult and the teens this was written for probably love it.
some random annoyances: they kill and cook a deer. 5 people- one dying- and a dog eat. yet it is somehow all gone so they need another one the next day? it's an ENTIRE DEER. it would not be all gone, and even with voracious appetites, being the survivors they are they'd save some for future use.
speaking of the one dying- being the people they have to be to survive, i'd think brooke or logan (or even ben!) would put rose out of her misery when bree was sleeping.
at one point they go less than 24 hours without food and brooke says they're so famished they're going to pass out. the author has apparently never gone hungry.
brooke being amazed at logan's strength in lifting and smashing down the anchor- "must weigh at least 30 lbs!" have you ever lifted 30 lbs, author? it's not that heavy. brooke could have done it. even bree, with some adrenaline, for that matter!
logan getting slashed by the bear- almost to the bone, it says. yet he's practically fine. one dose of we-hope-it's-penicillin clears up any infection and magically partially heals the gash in his leg that sounds like it should have made him bleed to death before now. suuuuure....
when they leave the boat to explore the town- they wouldn't be so stupid as to leave all their belongings on it. yet they do.
brooke's feelings for ben and logan are ridiculous. but the author kills one off, so her problem is solved. there is also a comment when bree and charlie first meet that is ridiculous- something like "i can see right away they like each other." again, romantic feelings are the last thing on a girl's mind in a situation like this! especially those of her little sister!
i also feel like there should have been some mention of sanitation! they must be filthy and at least comment on it!
3 stars seems a bit high, but overall, besides the major annoyances and the juvenile writing style, i did enjoy the book. it would just make a much better movie. maybe the author should get into writing screenplays instead.
i literally rolled my eyes at a couple parts of brooke's lovesick thoughts. no girl who is fighting for her life, protecting her sister, hungry, and freezing, is worried about whether the boy(s) with her like(s) her. but then again, i'm an adult and the teens this was written for probably love it.
some random annoyances: they kill and cook a deer. 5 people- one dying- and a dog eat. yet it is somehow all gone so they need another one the next day? it's an ENTIRE DEER. it would not be all gone, and even with voracious appetites, being the survivors they are they'd save some for future use.
speaking of the one dying- being the people they have to be to survive, i'd think brooke or logan (or even ben!) would put rose out of her misery when bree was sleeping.
at one point they go less than 24 hours without food and brooke says they're so famished they're going to pass out. the author has apparently never gone hungry.
brooke being amazed at logan's strength in lifting and smashing down the anchor- "must weigh at least 30 lbs!" have you ever lifted 30 lbs, author? it's not that heavy. brooke could have done it. even bree, with some adrenaline, for that matter!
logan getting slashed by the bear- almost to the bone, it says. yet he's practically fine. one dose of we-hope-it's-penicillin clears up any infection and magically partially heals the gash in his leg that sounds like it should have made him bleed to death before now. suuuuure....
when they leave the boat to explore the town- they wouldn't be so stupid as to leave all their belongings on it. yet they do.
brooke's feelings for ben and logan are ridiculous. but the author kills one off, so her problem is solved. there is also a comment when bree and charlie first meet that is ridiculous- something like "i can see right away they like each other." again, romantic feelings are the last thing on a girl's mind in a situation like this! especially those of her little sister!
i also feel like there should have been some mention of sanitation! they must be filthy and at least comment on it!
3 stars seems a bit high, but overall, besides the major annoyances and the juvenile writing style, i did enjoy the book. it would just make a much better movie. maybe the author should get into writing screenplays instead.
February 26, 2013
Issues as I'm reading the book: it refers to the dog by name and then a few pages later there's a whole conversation about what the dog should be named...um, hello editor? Next one--they kill a deer on the island and the next day they have to hunt for the other deer because they have no food. Seriously? One deer is gone in one meal for five people (and one of them doesn't really eat anything because she's so ill)? I'd talk about how unrealistic it is, but basically the book itself is unrealistic. Despite all this, I can't help but finish the book because I'm curious as to what else will happen. Thankfully there's not a lot of words on each page so it's a fast read. Maybe I'll entertain myself by looking for more editing mix-ups.
Now that I've finished the book...well, I'm not sure why I wasted my time. It was ridiculously similar to the first book. Way too similar to Hunger Games (kids fighting to the death in a rigged arena while the spectators cheer--throwing in a crazed sea monster doesn't make it an original idea). Soooooo many errors that could have been easily caught by simple editing (let's try capital letters at the beginning of a sentence!). Sentences that were repeated too often ("I've never been so cold in my life" or "It hurt like hell"). Use a thesaurus if you're stuck on one word/phrase.
She tried a hook at the end, but it's not enough to get me to read the next book. Judging from the title, it's going to be just like books one and two.
I won't be recommending this series--unless it's to an English class. Maybe as an assignment they could take chapters and count up all the errors. It would be great editing practice.
Now that I've finished the book...well, I'm not sure why I wasted my time. It was ridiculously similar to the first book. Way too similar to Hunger Games (kids fighting to the death in a rigged arena while the spectators cheer--throwing in a crazed sea monster doesn't make it an original idea). Soooooo many errors that could have been easily caught by simple editing (let's try capital letters at the beginning of a sentence!). Sentences that were repeated too often ("I've never been so cold in my life" or "It hurt like hell"). Use a thesaurus if you're stuck on one word/phrase.
She tried a hook at the end, but it's not enough to get me to read the next book. Judging from the title, it's going to be just like books one and two.
I won't be recommending this series--unless it's to an English class. Maybe as an assignment they could take chapters and count up all the errors. It would be great editing practice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2015
Where do I start?
Uh...well. This was horrid.
I am disappointed about this book because wow, speechless and not in a good way either.
Great story line, I saw some movie ideas being borrowed like from Mad Max as well as I am Legend. I enjoyed it because it was able to put images into my head. I'll give her that.
However, there were more faults to this and the first book than anything.
Morgan Rice, please get someone to edit all your work before you submit it.
There were grammatical errors and spelling errors that definitely was not a printing mistake as I first thought. It is clear no one edited this before it was submitted to be published. And any writer knows, editing is very important.
Inconsistent story line.
There was a flow issue here. The pet was named in the beginning and then about 10 pages in, you decide they should name her. It made no sense. It actually makes the book look like it was a rough draft, even more so than the grammatical and spelling errors.
Romance gig was awkward. Like super awkward and shouldn't have been added.
When writing adventure type novels, please do research beforehand.
This isn't a James Bond movie where he'll survive everything.
They were starving, cold and had injuries that should have killed them in the first book.
The inconsistency of the novel was horrible. It just had nothing for me.
It was possibly the worst book I've ever read and I can honestly say that Arena Three will not be read by me, even though I'm stubborn and generally try to give every book series a fighting chance. But I can't. The second story line just killed it for me.
Uh...well. This was horrid.
I am disappointed about this book because wow, speechless and not in a good way either.
Great story line, I saw some movie ideas being borrowed like from Mad Max as well as I am Legend. I enjoyed it because it was able to put images into my head. I'll give her that.
However, there were more faults to this and the first book than anything.
Morgan Rice, please get someone to edit all your work before you submit it.
There were grammatical errors and spelling errors that definitely was not a printing mistake as I first thought. It is clear no one edited this before it was submitted to be published. And any writer knows, editing is very important.
Inconsistent story line.
There was a flow issue here. The pet was named in the beginning and then about 10 pages in, you decide they should name her. It made no sense. It actually makes the book look like it was a rough draft, even more so than the grammatical and spelling errors.
Romance gig was awkward. Like super awkward and shouldn't have been added.
When writing adventure type novels, please do research beforehand.
This isn't a James Bond movie where he'll survive everything.
They were starving, cold and had injuries that should have killed them in the first book.
The inconsistency of the novel was horrible. It just had nothing for me.
It was possibly the worst book I've ever read and I can honestly say that Arena Three will not be read by me, even though I'm stubborn and generally try to give every book series a fighting chance. But I can't. The second story line just killed it for me.
February 25, 2013
Some of the escapades are getting too far-fetched. And the bad writing is really getting to me. "Lay" instead of "lie." "Rack" instead of "wrack." And screaming, always screaming, many times "like crazy." Needed to be tightened and seriously: pay for a copyeditor, for heaven's sake. The redundancies are out of hand.
Despite all that, the story pulled me along, but the writing got in the way for me many, many, MANY times. I would have given it four stars except for the sheer number of easily-corrected errors.
Despite all that, the story pulled me along, but the writing got in the way for me many, many, MANY times. I would have given it four stars except for the sheer number of easily-corrected errors.
November 23, 2012
This book had me at the edge of my seat the entire way through! Amazing read; can't wait for Arena 3 to come out
June 8, 2019
For some reason, I think I enjoyed this one even better than the one before it. Finally, Brooke's little sister showed that she wasn't so helpless after all (my only problem with the first book was how Brooke babied her little sister and didn't raise her to be as strong as she had been) and there was lots of suspense that just made the story even more impossible to put down.
April 9, 2022
I dont think i can handle the last book,this one made me want to die
August 26, 2023
Hunger games meets Mad Max. Easy and mindless read.
December 15, 2013
Okay, if you thought that the first book of this series was good? Well, take a look at this one, this one will blow it out of the water. Its crazy, and i am in love with it
but i also rolled my eyes a lot. For one, does this author know how to spell? Or pronounce? Because I did finish, and was glad. but i was only chapters in and found about ....counts on fingers....about a dozen spelling mistakes.
Their escape was also WAY to easy. I may they just got off WAY to easy. Its a prison for christ sake, wont there be THOUSANDS OF GUARDS GUARDING EVERYWHERE?
As much as i loved it, and the story plot, i also got annoyed and frustrated at things. Like Logan, i mean, yes in every book or movie the COOL GUY HAS TO DIE, but he should've gone down fighting i think, and i think many would agree.
Flo, yes i actually didn't really like her. She said stay away from me, far away, but yet she ended up running along side them and helping them. also what got me annoyed is that she did see the attacks, i mean you dont have to always rely on a sword to kill someone, just like Brooke, she used her brains, and thats how Flo was killed, well, which led to her death. And whats with these favours? I mean yes okay i get it. But seriously, your going to die and you save someone who might be your killer? Not thinking.
And Charlie, as much as i love him, i also hated him. Okay so yes, we do need romance in a book, but seriously, your fighting for your lives?! if that was me, i wouldnt be thinking of if anyone loved or liked me. I would just fight.
Ben, no faults there really. Liked him, and Brooke, and Logan.
But what got me at Brooke was that she was too kind. When they were coming back from their fathers home, and that guy who came running out. Why couldnt she have just driven over him? Another stupid, stupid mistake. Shouldve listened to Logan, Brooke.
And you know how much fighting she did? Okay, she went for days without a proper meal, or water, or sleep. Okay so i admit the author did describe their hunger well, but not well enough.
I mean i know from personal experience that with lack of food and lack of sleep combined, you are just wasted.
But i guess she had family to look after, but i mean. Her broken ribs? They wouldve been killing her by then. When i had mine broken, it took six months for them to properly heal, even now, almsot 12 months later, im still in pain from them.
so yes, i love this book, i would say anyone who loves a good fighting book, should give it a try, dont worry too much about the spelling. i mean, if you have a good education, you can properly work it out, like i did.
But yes, all in all, i give it a 4 out of 5 star rating.
but i also rolled my eyes a lot. For one, does this author know how to spell? Or pronounce? Because I did finish, and was glad. but i was only chapters in and found about ....counts on fingers....about a dozen spelling mistakes.
Their escape was also WAY to easy. I may they just got off WAY to easy. Its a prison for christ sake, wont there be THOUSANDS OF GUARDS GUARDING EVERYWHERE?
As much as i loved it, and the story plot, i also got annoyed and frustrated at things. Like Logan, i mean, yes in every book or movie the COOL GUY HAS TO DIE, but he should've gone down fighting i think, and i think many would agree.
Flo, yes i actually didn't really like her. She said stay away from me, far away, but yet she ended up running along side them and helping them. also what got me annoyed is that she did see the attacks, i mean you dont have to always rely on a sword to kill someone, just like Brooke, she used her brains, and thats how Flo was killed, well, which led to her death. And whats with these favours? I mean yes okay i get it. But seriously, your going to die and you save someone who might be your killer? Not thinking.
And Charlie, as much as i love him, i also hated him. Okay so yes, we do need romance in a book, but seriously, your fighting for your lives?! if that was me, i wouldnt be thinking of if anyone loved or liked me. I would just fight.
Ben, no faults there really. Liked him, and Brooke, and Logan.
But what got me at Brooke was that she was too kind. When they were coming back from their fathers home, and that guy who came running out. Why couldnt she have just driven over him? Another stupid, stupid mistake. Shouldve listened to Logan, Brooke.
And you know how much fighting she did? Okay, she went for days without a proper meal, or water, or sleep. Okay so i admit the author did describe their hunger well, but not well enough.
I mean i know from personal experience that with lack of food and lack of sleep combined, you are just wasted.
But i guess she had family to look after, but i mean. Her broken ribs? They wouldve been killing her by then. When i had mine broken, it took six months for them to properly heal, even now, almsot 12 months later, im still in pain from them.
so yes, i love this book, i would say anyone who loves a good fighting book, should give it a try, dont worry too much about the spelling. i mean, if you have a good education, you can properly work it out, like i did.
But yes, all in all, i give it a 4 out of 5 star rating.
July 23, 2014
This writer can tell a story. Far Fetched? Yes. Repeats certain phrases? Yes. Characters all pretty much speak the same? Yes. In serious need of an editor? Oh yes! But this story grabbed me and I stayed up late (really late) to finish them. The second one ends all nicey nicey but it says there will be a third one so more harrowing experiences to come.
The story is about a young girl/woman Brooke and her little sister Bree who are living in the apocalypse after a war that has destroyed the cities. What remains are the Slaverunners who have taken over the cities, and the Crazies who are bio monster type of people, damaged from the radioactive fallout and angry. The slaverunners go around looking for young people, kids, who will fill their Arenas which they run for entertainment and of course no one is reported to have ever survived the Arena.
Brooke and her little sister live in a mountain cabin that their father had before he left years ago to fight the war. Brooke eventually realizes they are not really safe there anymore and when she finds an hidden cabin further in the woods she plans to move there.
Then things happen. So this is a good exciting story that captures you and doesn't let go.
The story is about a young girl/woman Brooke and her little sister Bree who are living in the apocalypse after a war that has destroyed the cities. What remains are the Slaverunners who have taken over the cities, and the Crazies who are bio monster type of people, damaged from the radioactive fallout and angry. The slaverunners go around looking for young people, kids, who will fill their Arenas which they run for entertainment and of course no one is reported to have ever survived the Arena.
Brooke and her little sister live in a mountain cabin that their father had before he left years ago to fight the war. Brooke eventually realizes they are not really safe there anymore and when she finds an hidden cabin further in the woods she plans to move there.
Then things happen. So this is a good exciting story that captures you and doesn't let go.
November 18, 2012
I was hang out to read Arena Two after loving Arena One, only to have my happy ending side of me wanting to live happily ever after at the start of the book. But we know that can't be the case. Another action packed ride and yet again I am left hanging on again for the third instalment.
December 11, 2013
This book needs an editor. So bad. Holy crap. Both for spelling and continuity. The fact that within the first few pages we had unnamed dog, reference to a Penelope, then hey lets name the dog, how about Penelope was the first tip off. And the repetition of the same phrases over and over. Yeesh.
December 15, 2016
Sorry. Very late on this. :) I did complete the series and enjoyed the stories. Very good read and would make a great TV show. :)
November 25, 2014
See review for "Arena One."
February 21, 2024
This book starts from where the previous book ended. There is a lot of action, not a lot of character development, horrible editing, and like the first book, it makes no sense.
Where did these "arenas" come from and how are the slaverunners so organized? The entire world (in the book) should be in survival mode, especially since it is so close to the event/war that caused the disaster, and not hunting children to fight to the death for entertainment.
Also, they are on an island and kill a deer with a single bow and arrow shot, drag it back to a cave to eat, and it only feeds 5 kids (minus the one who is dying and doesn't eat) for a single day? Has the author ever seen a deer in real life?
Horrible editing. It was either Clippy from MS Office or no editor at all.
From these examples, you can see that they are all spelled correctly, but are the incorrect word for the context.
Examples:
- Penelope the dog has no name, we should name her, let's call her Penelope.
- Care instead of Car
- below instead of blow
- do instead of die.
- using incorrect character names.
Quote:
Bree elbows me. “Is it okay if I give Penelope some of my cookie?” she asks ... “Wait,” I say. “If you’re going to feed her, she should have a name, shouldn’t she?” “But she has no collar,” Rose says. “Her name could be anything.” “She’s your dog now,” I say. “Give her a new one.” Rose and Bree exchange an excited glance. “What should we call her?” Bree asks. “How about Penelope?” Rose says. “Penelope!” Bree screams. “I like that.”
Where did these "arenas" come from and how are the slaverunners so organized? The entire world (in the book) should be in survival mode, especially since it is so close to the event/war that caused the disaster, and not hunting children to fight to the death for entertainment.
Also, they are on an island and kill a deer with a single bow and arrow shot, drag it back to a cave to eat, and it only feeds 5 kids (minus the one who is dying and doesn't eat) for a single day? Has the author ever seen a deer in real life?
Horrible editing. It was either Clippy from MS Office or no editor at all.
From these examples, you can see that they are all spelled correctly, but are the incorrect word for the context.
Examples:
- Penelope the dog has no name, we should name her, let's call her Penelope.
- Care instead of Car
- below instead of blow
- do instead of die.
- using incorrect character names.
Quote:
Bree elbows me. “Is it okay if I give Penelope some of my cookie?” she asks ... “Wait,” I say. “If you’re going to feed her, she should have a name, shouldn’t she?” “But she has no collar,” Rose says. “Her name could be anything.” “She’s your dog now,” I say. “Give her a new one.” Rose and Bree exchange an excited glance. “What should we call her?” Bree asks. “How about Penelope?” Rose says. “Penelope!” Bree screams. “I like that.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2017
These books are extremely poorly edited. Entire words are missing or have been added. Typos abound on every page. Nonsensical words appear randomly throughout. ICYMI de-thaw isn't a real word. It's like irregardless. Makes no sense. The author's two favorite words are: luckily and suddenly. Every single thing that happened in this book happened either suddenly or through pure luck. I would have gone back through and counted how many times variants of either of these two words appeared on each page if I could have stomached reading through the atrocious (non) editing a second time. While the storyline was decent, it felt redundant. Teenagers killing each other for the amusement of adults in arenas. Once you've read one story like this you've read them all, it feels like. I was extremely bored one day and read the first two books in the series in less than 24 hours. I had to pause and set the books down for a few minutes to clear my head of all the teenage nonsense and lack of editing every so often. Maybe if it had been better edited and things happened for a reason instead of by pure dumb luck every single time I could have enjoyed the story more. The main character is what I look for in books these days: a strong, independent woman who has the gall to get things done. But two seconds after meeting a cute boy she falls head over heels. Have a little more respect for yourself girls.
July 22, 2025
This book was the middest of mids. First of all, Logan was the best character—why on earth kill him instead of Ben??? And also, the streak of unbeatable Brooke continues, where she continues to get into accidents that would result in death and somehow gets back up on her feet and walks away unharmed.
And yes, there are multiple grammar mistakes, like when Brooke mentions the name Penelope in the first couple of pages, and only a chapter later does Bree decide to name the dog Penelope 😂
On a side note, Rose's death was sad and was also stupid bc if she gets bitten on the arm and dies within several days, HOW CAN BROOKE SURVIVE THE ENTIRE SERIES ALREADY?
blah
Anyways, the action in this book was good--once again I stayed up really late turning pages because I just couldn't go to bed without knowing what happened next.
Also, the lack of character development was disappointing. Logan had a bit of development as did Bree, but Ben is still boring and not fun to read about. I wanted Logan to be with Brooke, but now he's dead sooooo
And yes, there are multiple grammar mistakes, like when Brooke mentions the name Penelope in the first couple of pages, and only a chapter later does Bree decide to name the dog Penelope 😂
On a side note, Rose's death was sad and was also stupid bc if she gets bitten on the arm and dies within several days, HOW CAN BROOKE SURVIVE THE ENTIRE SERIES ALREADY?
blah
Anyways, the action in this book was good--once again I stayed up really late turning pages because I just couldn't go to bed without knowing what happened next.
Also, the lack of character development was disappointing. Logan had a bit of development as did Bree, but Ben is still boring and not fun to read about. I wanted Logan to be with Brooke, but now he's dead sooooo
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2018
Actually 3.5 stars.
This sequel is far superior to the previous book. The characters no longer possess indestructible superhuman powers, but get injured and infected and are susceptible to proper emotions. The storyline is also much better, creating more of the survival element aspect, rather than the full on, gung ho Hollywood cheese of book one. The Arenas also are much more interesting. It appears that the author took more time with this follow up - Creatively at least. Unfortunately, this book is let down badly by repeated dialogue, missing / incorrectly placed words and spelling errors that really should have been raised by proof readers. This detracts from the enjoyment of this sequel, which is why I say 3.5 rather than 4 stars. It is still not a realistic dystopian series, but a worthy read nonetheless.
This sequel is far superior to the previous book. The characters no longer possess indestructible superhuman powers, but get injured and infected and are susceptible to proper emotions. The storyline is also much better, creating more of the survival element aspect, rather than the full on, gung ho Hollywood cheese of book one. The Arenas also are much more interesting. It appears that the author took more time with this follow up - Creatively at least. Unfortunately, this book is let down badly by repeated dialogue, missing / incorrectly placed words and spelling errors that really should have been raised by proof readers. This detracts from the enjoyment of this sequel, which is why I say 3.5 rather than 4 stars. It is still not a realistic dystopian series, but a worthy read nonetheless.
July 19, 2017
This could have been a good book but instead it counts as one of the absolute worst reads of my life! The editing (if there is any!) sucks, the spelling sucks and then, of course, there is the vocabulary. I won't list everything but there are two instances that stick out like the proverbial sore thumb: "de-thaw." They appear in chapters 7 & 13 respectively. If you de-thaw somebody or something it means that you are re-freezing it. I hope you get my drift. Bottom line: get it right!
November 7, 2018
While I liked the first book in the series enough, I thought this one fell very flat for me. My main issue with this book are the inconsistencies within the story and the grammatical errors. It distracted me from an already shaky story. I had a hard time getting into Arena Two because I felt like it moved a bit slow for me. I would have appreciated a whole lot more action throughout the story-but I will say that I enjoyed the Arena scenes towards the end very, very much.
March 12, 2018
Part two of this harrowing survival story is fast-paced and brimming with action...battles on many fronts.
It has a great writing style though numerous typos, editing errors and repetition. The characters are engaging as is the plot. The cruelty is horrendous - mostly a product of fallout and mob temperament. All that seems to be left of this wintry world is disgusting entertainment.
Great suspense and descriptions make this a compelling read, alongside characters you are willing to succeed.
Recommended.
It has a great writing style though numerous typos, editing errors and repetition. The characters are engaging as is the plot. The cruelty is horrendous - mostly a product of fallout and mob temperament. All that seems to be left of this wintry world is disgusting entertainment.
Great suspense and descriptions make this a compelling read, alongside characters you are willing to succeed.
Recommended.
March 11, 2019
I really enjoyed the second installment of this series. In a world trying to kill her, the main character doesn't lose her humanity. She faces every challenge, afraid but determined to get her sister and her friends out which the author portrayed brilliantly. And all I can say before I start the third...nothing better happen to penelope the dog!
March 25, 2020
Tout autant palpitant et pleins de rebondissements que le premier. L'écriture reste simple et les scènes dramatiques sont de fait dénuées d'émotions. Le schéma narratif est identique au premier volet et les sentiments de l'héroîne sont confus.
+ : De l'action
- : Manque de clarté sur les sentiments, schéma répétitif, trop léger pour l'histoire dont il est question, erreurs grammaticale.
+ : De l'action
- : Manque de clarté sur les sentiments, schéma répétitif, trop léger pour l'histoire dont il est question, erreurs grammaticale.
March 30, 2020
Great story, many typos, didn’t really feel things on important deaths because of being abrupt and hardly reflecting later. I get the whole fast pace thing, but *character* was very important. Describe how those close react. Describe how Protagonist reacts. Describe, and then it’s five star, because I am addicted to this story.
August 26, 2020
Following on from Arena #1, Arena #2 carries with it the same action and creative story telling of survival. The problem, not only does it continue with the useless love theme but it also severely lacked proof reading! Paragraphs were in the wrong order, wrong names used and basic sentence structure was found lacking. If it were not for these issues, it would have been a fantastic read.
December 3, 2024
This book was okay, but the spelling mistakes and predictable plot-line made it feel as though the author threw the story together just to appease their publishers. I get that she has other series to work on and this one wasn't her main series at the time, but seriously, she could have put in more effort or at least hired an editor/proofreader.
June 1, 2021
Better than book one. Good story but could have used some clean up in editing. I noticed the author tends to repeat themselves, using the same word or phrase close together (think same paragraph) multiple times.
January 9, 2022
Unfortunately, there were quite a few grammatical or spelling errors which distracted from the story. But overall, this was an extension of the adventurous first book and I’m interested to read the final book of the series.
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