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Exodus / Raging Earth #2
Zenith
The thrilling sequel to internationally acclaimed Exodus.
In this compelling continuation of Julie Bertagna's timely trilogy, the search for a future remains a terrifying fight for survival. Sixteen-year-old Mara and her ship of refugees are tracking the North Star in search of land in the mountains of Greenland to call home. A Gypsea boy named Tuck, orphaned when Mara's ship plows through his floating city, becomes inextricably linked to their fate. Meanwhile, back in the drowned ruins at the feet of the towering sky city, Fox begins his battle with the cruel, corrupt rulers of the New World. Forced to make their own new beginnings in a savage world, three teens must struggle to make sense of the past, overcome the harsh dangers of the present, and build a future worth living.
In this compelling continuation of Julie Bertagna's timely trilogy, the search for a future remains a terrifying fight for survival. Sixteen-year-old Mara and her ship of refugees are tracking the North Star in search of land in the mountains of Greenland to call home. A Gypsea boy named Tuck, orphaned when Mara's ship plows through his floating city, becomes inextricably linked to their fate. Meanwhile, back in the drowned ruins at the feet of the towering sky city, Fox begins his battle with the cruel, corrupt rulers of the New World. Forced to make their own new beginnings in a savage world, three teens must struggle to make sense of the past, overcome the harsh dangers of the present, and build a future worth living.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2007
22 people are currently reading
1309 people want to read
About the author
Julie Bertagna
19 books114 followersJulie Bertagna was born in Ayrshire and grew up near Glasgow, where she now lives with her family. After a degree in English Language and Literature, she was the editor of a small magazine, a teacher and a freelance journalist. She has written many critically-acclaimed, award-winning novels for teenagers and younger readers. She speaks in schools, libraries and at book festivals across the UK.
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February 16, 2020
This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd
MY THOUGHTS
While I did not love Exodus, I was curious enough to see what would happen next. There are some interesting developments in this book, but I still have an indifferent opinion on the series.
This book starts where Exodus left off, with Mara leading the ships to Greenland in hopes that that will be a safe place to settle, without fear of the ocean overtaking them. But things are still not going to be easy for Mara. Meanwhile, a young boy, Tuck lives in a floating city of ships and becomes orphaned after Mara hits his city. And the Fox lives below New Mundo in hopes to dismantle the city's corruption.
The plot is pretty similar to book one, with Mara going on an adventure through various settings. She, of course, encounters more problems. That's a big reason why I kind of thought Exodus was fine by itself because sequels always bring more conflict and I would be fine believing that Mara was living happily in Greenland. One of the main reasons why I continued was because there were still threads to tie-up in New Mundo, but that was never resolved in this book. We see the Fox, but it's mostly him just hiding in the old university and worrying about Mara. He doesn't do anything, so his scenes frustrated me. We do see new characters, such as Tuck, and I do think the series does a great job of showing the different types of societies that crop up after an apocalyptic event.
It took me a while to get into this book because, like book one, the pacing is slow, but once I got about midway through the book I became intrigued by this cast of characters. There are a lot of difficult and hard situations in this book, but that is to be expected. Near the end of the book some major plot points came, which really drew me in, but the last few chapters were a bit confusing.
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, this was an okay read. I did like it and I think it had a lot of interesting elements, but I felt like some areas dragged and like the last book I felt disconnected. The book left off on a curious and odd note, but the third book was never published in America so it's unlikely that I will read it.
MY THOUGHTS
While I did not love Exodus, I was curious enough to see what would happen next. There are some interesting developments in this book, but I still have an indifferent opinion on the series.
This book starts where Exodus left off, with Mara leading the ships to Greenland in hopes that that will be a safe place to settle, without fear of the ocean overtaking them. But things are still not going to be easy for Mara. Meanwhile, a young boy, Tuck lives in a floating city of ships and becomes orphaned after Mara hits his city. And the Fox lives below New Mundo in hopes to dismantle the city's corruption.
The plot is pretty similar to book one, with Mara going on an adventure through various settings. She, of course, encounters more problems. That's a big reason why I kind of thought Exodus was fine by itself because sequels always bring more conflict and I would be fine believing that Mara was living happily in Greenland. One of the main reasons why I continued was because there were still threads to tie-up in New Mundo, but that was never resolved in this book. We see the Fox, but it's mostly him just hiding in the old university and worrying about Mara. He doesn't do anything, so his scenes frustrated me. We do see new characters, such as Tuck, and I do think the series does a great job of showing the different types of societies that crop up after an apocalyptic event.
It took me a while to get into this book because, like book one, the pacing is slow, but once I got about midway through the book I became intrigued by this cast of characters. There are a lot of difficult and hard situations in this book, but that is to be expected. Near the end of the book some major plot points came, which really drew me in, but the last few chapters were a bit confusing.
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, this was an okay read. I did like it and I think it had a lot of interesting elements, but I felt like some areas dragged and like the last book I felt disconnected. The book left off on a curious and odd note, but the third book was never published in America so it's unlikely that I will read it.
October 19, 2013
The sequel to Exodus. I read Exodus when it came out over 10 years ago, but it’s taken me quite a while to find the rest of the trilogy. Not surprising since it was five years later between the publication of Exodus and Zenith.
It took me most of Zenith to realise that there’s a hidden theme in this series: the character of Mara is based on the legendary Teneu, the mother of Kentigern, patron saint of Glasgow.
I should have realised earlier.
However, in the first book, all that connects Mara to Teneu is that her looks resemble the ‘Face in the Stone’ – the statues and symbols of the life story of Kentigern’s mother which are actually to be found in presentday Glasgow. In Exodus, however, all that gives away the identity of the drowned cathedral city below the sky metropolis of New Mungo is ‘Mungo’ itself (an alternative for ‘Kentigern’) and the names the Treenesters give themselves — suburbs of Glasgow like Gorbals and Broomielaw, Clayslaps and Molendinar, Candleriggs and Pollock.
In Zenith, Mara’s story is beginning to align itself with that of Theneu more closely. At the end of Exodus, Fox — the grandson of New Mungo’s founder — helped her engineer an escape for the city’s slaves on a ship which he has set on automatic. It’s heading north, hopefully to find land. Mara believes, clinging fervently and fearfully to the prospect that when the polar ice melted (and drowned most of the world) then Greenland, released from the vast weight of ice covering it, ‘popped up’ like a cork.
Mara discovers she is pregnant with Fox’s child — and now she regrets not trying to talk him out of staying behind in the drowned city. He’s holed up in the spire of the old university with a ‘godbox’, a device which allows him to access the Noos within New Mungo. He hopes he can find a way to let the people there know the truth about their society: that it’s built on slavery, that hidden from their gaze in a squalid sea city below their eyrie are refugees desperate to enter the paradise above.
Fox has been sheltered all his life and the grim world in which he finds himself is almost too bleak to endure. As he finds it almost impossible to get through the new cyber-security devised by the ‘rooks’, he thinks of giving up his plans for revolution; hoping against hope his grandfather will forgive his part in the escape of the slaves — only to slowly and inexorably realise his family know nothing about love or compassion.
Mara’s only connection with Fox is her cyberwizz – but it loses power without sunlight.
When the Arkiel, the ship heading north, crashes into a pirate sea-city of Pomperoy, the inhabitants set off in pursuit, intent on revenge. The Arkiel eventually finds land in the far north, beyond a field of icebergs. Atop a coastline of high cliffs, a set of giant statues points the way to shelter. Only Pollock is suspicious and warns of a trap.
This story has a curious sense of perspective. Like the first, I felt that it was almost told from the point of view of the world itself, as if the drowned and dreaming landscape was narrating the action on its surface.
In fact, it follows three different characters: Tuck, a boy on the pirate sea-city the Arkiel crashed into; Mara and Fox.
It has quite a disjointed feel since Fox and Mara are now completely separated and Tuck only interacts with Mara once the Arkiel has fallen into the wrecker’s trap on the isle in the far north.
It took me most of Zenith to realise that there’s a hidden theme in this series: the character of Mara is based on the legendary Teneu, the mother of Kentigern, patron saint of Glasgow.
I should have realised earlier.
However, in the first book, all that connects Mara to Teneu is that her looks resemble the ‘Face in the Stone’ – the statues and symbols of the life story of Kentigern’s mother which are actually to be found in presentday Glasgow. In Exodus, however, all that gives away the identity of the drowned cathedral city below the sky metropolis of New Mungo is ‘Mungo’ itself (an alternative for ‘Kentigern’) and the names the Treenesters give themselves — suburbs of Glasgow like Gorbals and Broomielaw, Clayslaps and Molendinar, Candleriggs and Pollock.
In Zenith, Mara’s story is beginning to align itself with that of Theneu more closely. At the end of Exodus, Fox — the grandson of New Mungo’s founder — helped her engineer an escape for the city’s slaves on a ship which he has set on automatic. It’s heading north, hopefully to find land. Mara believes, clinging fervently and fearfully to the prospect that when the polar ice melted (and drowned most of the world) then Greenland, released from the vast weight of ice covering it, ‘popped up’ like a cork.
Mara discovers she is pregnant with Fox’s child — and now she regrets not trying to talk him out of staying behind in the drowned city. He’s holed up in the spire of the old university with a ‘godbox’, a device which allows him to access the Noos within New Mungo. He hopes he can find a way to let the people there know the truth about their society: that it’s built on slavery, that hidden from their gaze in a squalid sea city below their eyrie are refugees desperate to enter the paradise above.
Fox has been sheltered all his life and the grim world in which he finds himself is almost too bleak to endure. As he finds it almost impossible to get through the new cyber-security devised by the ‘rooks’, he thinks of giving up his plans for revolution; hoping against hope his grandfather will forgive his part in the escape of the slaves — only to slowly and inexorably realise his family know nothing about love or compassion.
Mara’s only connection with Fox is her cyberwizz – but it loses power without sunlight.
When the Arkiel, the ship heading north, crashes into a pirate sea-city of Pomperoy, the inhabitants set off in pursuit, intent on revenge. The Arkiel eventually finds land in the far north, beyond a field of icebergs. Atop a coastline of high cliffs, a set of giant statues points the way to shelter. Only Pollock is suspicious and warns of a trap.
This story has a curious sense of perspective. Like the first, I felt that it was almost told from the point of view of the world itself, as if the drowned and dreaming landscape was narrating the action on its surface.
In fact, it follows three different characters: Tuck, a boy on the pirate sea-city the Arkiel crashed into; Mara and Fox.
It has quite a disjointed feel since Fox and Mara are now completely separated and Tuck only interacts with Mara once the Arkiel has fallen into the wrecker’s trap on the isle in the far north.
Bits to relish about words and other things:
The name for the northern lights in Norse is skauf or fox fire from their resemblance to foxes’ tails on fire.
A beaver is the ultimate bridge-builder or pontifex. In ancient times, people thought the making of a bridge was such a miraculous skill it must be inspired by the gods. A pontifex was almost a sacred title. A great bridge-builder was treated like a god.
'The Man in the Middle’ looked up to as semi-divine in the sea-city of Pomperoy is clearly (though never identified) Colonel Sanders and the sign belonging to KFC.
March 20, 2011
'Zenith' is the sequel to 'Exodus' and continues the story of Mara as she searches for a home in the North. Now aboard a ship with refugees from New Mungo, Mara has a terrifying journey ahead of her as she seeks to find Greenland and a safe place where she can begin to build a new home. Having left Fox behind to fight his own battle, she has to face loss and heartbreak as she clings to survival.
When the ship she's aboard crashes into a city of boats, barges and bridges, they cause untold chaos and destruction. Tuck, a gypsea who has only ever lived at sea, joins the chase for revenge as they hunt down the ship. But new struggles face both Mara and Tuck as their paths cross and they face new dangers and challenges to their very existence.
The book's chapters alternate between the stories of Mara, Tuck and Fox and their viewpoints are told in the present tense as they cope with an uncertain future. I did find that in places the story was a little slow and not quite as exciting as the first installment. A lot of plot threads were set up but a lot was still left hanging at the end and I didn't find the ending satisfying at all. There's so much that needs to be sorted out. I can only imagine that people reading this book back in 2007 must have been tearing their hair out at the end! Luckily, I don't have long to wait as the final part of the trilogy, 'Aurora' is published on 3rd June 2011.
This is a brutal depiction of a future which has been marred by environmental devastation. Stark and terrible, the book itself is a warning about the treatment of our planet. Although I didn't enjoy it as much as 'Exodus', I thought that the character development was extremely good and there were a number of surprising twists which kept me in suspense. There's a sense of adventure and excitement throughout and I found all the new discoveries that they made extremely fascinating.
The second book in a trilogy is always difficult but although I think it suffered slightly for this reason, I'm definitely still looking forward to seeing what Julie Bertagna has in store for the big finale.
When the ship she's aboard crashes into a city of boats, barges and bridges, they cause untold chaos and destruction. Tuck, a gypsea who has only ever lived at sea, joins the chase for revenge as they hunt down the ship. But new struggles face both Mara and Tuck as their paths cross and they face new dangers and challenges to their very existence.
The book's chapters alternate between the stories of Mara, Tuck and Fox and their viewpoints are told in the present tense as they cope with an uncertain future. I did find that in places the story was a little slow and not quite as exciting as the first installment. A lot of plot threads were set up but a lot was still left hanging at the end and I didn't find the ending satisfying at all. There's so much that needs to be sorted out. I can only imagine that people reading this book back in 2007 must have been tearing their hair out at the end! Luckily, I don't have long to wait as the final part of the trilogy, 'Aurora' is published on 3rd June 2011.
This is a brutal depiction of a future which has been marred by environmental devastation. Stark and terrible, the book itself is a warning about the treatment of our planet. Although I didn't enjoy it as much as 'Exodus', I thought that the character development was extremely good and there were a number of surprising twists which kept me in suspense. There's a sense of adventure and excitement throughout and I found all the new discoveries that they made extremely fascinating.
The second book in a trilogy is always difficult but although I think it suffered slightly for this reason, I'm definitely still looking forward to seeing what Julie Bertagna has in store for the big finale.
September 25, 2014
It was OK, I wasn't thrilled with it, I didn't hate it. I'm not sure I will go actively looking for other books by this author. I felt some times it was too long and drawn out, and other times there wasn't enough detail. I think that a person that cared enough about their family to try to find a new place for them to live, would not have been selfish enough to sorta do their own thing while friends and family suffer elsewhere... then it suddenly clicks, 'Oh! I need to do something soon!" Duh!! I did read the first one in the set as well, 'Exodus'. I liked it better than Zenith. Unless you know the meaning of the word Zenith, one would not understand the title at all and/or why the book was titled as such, the story never makes mention of a zenith in the writings using the actual word. Over all it left me a little put off and grasping for the actual point. Maybe it was too 'tree huggerish' (no pun intended) for me? I guess that those that are into the global warming junk that is being fed us would maybe like this story a lot more than I did. I was also disturbed that a 15 year old meets up and mates with a fellow a few years older than her (in my state that's sexual assault on a child)and then she becomes pregnant, and then is too stupid to know she is pregnant... I am assuming that she is 16 by the time she gives birth, but it is hard to say, the time line was not clearly drawn. I was discouraged that in the story a child gave birth to a child..... Over all, Not a very good read for me!
August 15, 2011
At first the book was really good. Everything fit in well and I was not confused at all. When Tuck came in I was okay with it. But half way through...things got really weird.
The characters were all good and believable. I was upset when several of the characters disappeared or died. Tuck was a nice addition, Mara was wonderful as in the last book, and Fox was pretty good too. As were the rest of the characters.
But when Mara suddenly got pregnant, then things just got plain confusing. I wasn't really sure who's child it was, but eventually it said that it was Fox's. But then I remembered that Mara had pointed out that they couldn't touch. So if they couldn't then how could Mara have had his child? Plus I couldn't even remember how old Mara was. I think she's sixteen but I'm not sure.
The plot was good and exciting, I rooted for the characters the whole time. Although the ending confused me too. What happened to Fox and his new friend? What happened to Tuck? And Lily...I'm not sure about her in the end.
Overall it was a good book and I enjoyed it. Although I'm going to say that Mara's pregnancy kinda ruined it for me. It was just plain bizarre and it seemed kinda random to me. Will I read the third book? Probably not.
The characters were all good and believable. I was upset when several of the characters disappeared or died. Tuck was a nice addition, Mara was wonderful as in the last book, and Fox was pretty good too. As were the rest of the characters.
But when Mara suddenly got pregnant, then things just got plain confusing. I wasn't really sure who's child it was, but eventually it said that it was Fox's. But then I remembered that Mara had pointed out that they couldn't touch. So if they couldn't then how could Mara have had his child? Plus I couldn't even remember how old Mara was. I think she's sixteen but I'm not sure.
The plot was good and exciting, I rooted for the characters the whole time. Although the ending confused me too. What happened to Fox and his new friend? What happened to Tuck? And Lily...I'm not sure about her in the end.
Overall it was a good book and I enjoyed it. Although I'm going to say that Mara's pregnancy kinda ruined it for me. It was just plain bizarre and it seemed kinda random to me. Will I read the third book? Probably not.
January 22, 2016
In this sequel to Exodus, Mara is on a search for land - any land - where their ship of refugees can finally let its passengers free. Along with Mara's story in the cold waters of the north, we still watch the Fox in his struggle to right his city's injustices. We also meet a new group of survivors on a floating boat city that eventually wind their way into the rest of Mara's story.
In a world where, for most, life is still a daily struggle for survival, Zenith is another interesting look at our own past and at a future that could be. I really enjoy survival stories and as a sequel, this one does not disappoint. While it was vaguely predictable in parts, it also has me guessing enough that I wasn't annoyed. I like the life in the characters and the way our story is a fable, a fireside mystery - it makes the brain imagine "what if."
In a world where, for most, life is still a daily struggle for survival, Zenith is another interesting look at our own past and at a future that could be. I really enjoy survival stories and as a sequel, this one does not disappoint. While it was vaguely predictable in parts, it also has me guessing enough that I wasn't annoyed. I like the life in the characters and the way our story is a fable, a fireside mystery - it makes the brain imagine "what if."
March 21, 2021
⚠️SPOILERS AHEAD⚠️
⛵ As the ice caps melt and the world drowns Mara stands at the bow of her ship, determined to believe that somewhere there is land still. But a floating city is about to throw her of course…
And in the ruins beneath the towers of a sky-city, the boy Mara loves plots a lonely revolution of his own and hopes for the day when they will be together again. ⛵
❄️ This was published in 2007, following from the events of Exodus. Mara struggles to keep up hopes after travelling through the oceans with a dwindling food supply and discontent among the ship’s refugees. Meanwhile, Fox is stuck in the netherworld learning how to survive and wondering how he will help the sky cities.
❄️They finally make it to land, but are captured by natives and narrowly escape being sold into slavery. They manage to get to the centre of the land, where a lake has formed and trees exist – they have found a place to call home and can survive. It seems strange that no one has already explored this bit of land.
❄️I enjoyed this book, it was fast-paced and exciting – I didn’t know what to expect. Mara and Fox are wonderful characters, I always remembered that sweet first kiss – or so I thought. Reading it back made me realise the night before there was something more between then, I was just too young to understand so I was shocked when we find out about her pregnancy.
❄️ I’m happy with the outcome, and probably could have left it there – though sad Mara and Fox lose their connection to each other.
⛵ As the ice caps melt and the world drowns Mara stands at the bow of her ship, determined to believe that somewhere there is land still. But a floating city is about to throw her of course…
And in the ruins beneath the towers of a sky-city, the boy Mara loves plots a lonely revolution of his own and hopes for the day when they will be together again. ⛵
❄️ This was published in 2007, following from the events of Exodus. Mara struggles to keep up hopes after travelling through the oceans with a dwindling food supply and discontent among the ship’s refugees. Meanwhile, Fox is stuck in the netherworld learning how to survive and wondering how he will help the sky cities.
❄️They finally make it to land, but are captured by natives and narrowly escape being sold into slavery. They manage to get to the centre of the land, where a lake has formed and trees exist – they have found a place to call home and can survive. It seems strange that no one has already explored this bit of land.
❄️I enjoyed this book, it was fast-paced and exciting – I didn’t know what to expect. Mara and Fox are wonderful characters, I always remembered that sweet first kiss – or so I thought. Reading it back made me realise the night before there was something more between then, I was just too young to understand so I was shocked when we find out about her pregnancy.
❄️ I’m happy with the outcome, and probably could have left it there – though sad Mara and Fox lose their connection to each other.
February 13, 2025
I was so excited to find that Exodus had a sequel that maybe I'd set my expectations too high.
I thought there would've been more focus on Mara, Fox and the Treenesters but we were introduced to more characters and I couldn't get behind them.
*spoiler*
The pace of this book is slow. I thought there would've been more progress with both Mara's & Fox's missions, but we only got to Mara's zenith right at the end and Fox's wasn't in sight. I understand that it's probably more realistic, but the timeline Bertagna chooses to focus on vs what she skips just isn't for me, unfortunately.
I thought there would've been more focus on Mara, Fox and the Treenesters but we were introduced to more characters and I couldn't get behind them.
*spoiler*
The pace of this book is slow. I thought there would've been more progress with both Mara's & Fox's missions, but we only got to Mara's zenith right at the end and Fox's wasn't in sight. I understand that it's probably more realistic, but the timeline Bertagna chooses to focus on vs what she skips just isn't for me, unfortunately.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2021
I really enjoyed this. I felt like the author managed her timelines better, in Exodus I would often find myself confused as a scene dissolved too quickly into another, but I didn’t feel jarred in this book.
I enjoyed having more perspectives and characters, though am not sure how I feel about the end which shows a chunk of time has passed.
Can’t wait to read the finale and find out how all my faves come together, if at all, again :)
I enjoyed having more perspectives and characters, though am not sure how I feel about the end which shows a chunk of time has passed.
Can’t wait to read the finale and find out how all my faves come together, if at all, again :)
February 4, 2018
Exodus #1 sucked so I'm not wasting time on this one either.
December 21, 2021
annual holiday regression into YA faves is so fun
October 18, 2022
O mais parado da trilogia
April 25, 2025
I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did the first one. The end was a bit ambiguous and I wish the author had explored our failure to address climate change a bit more
September 13, 2025
So so sweet, I Rember this series many years later
December 14, 2016
great, easy to read, light in some ways but thought-provoking.
April 25, 2021
As a young readers post apocalyptic tale, touching on all the major issues of the day, pre Covid-19, it doesn’t offer much hope.
September 29, 2016
This book starts right where the last one ended - Mara and her friends, a group of refugees, are on a boat on their way to Greenland, hoping that there is land there to live on. It’s 100 years into the future, and the Earth is basically a huge ocean due to global warming and ice melting. The first half of the book is them sailing to the hope of a new life.
Mara is having a hard time leaving Fox, and knowing that they’ll never meet again for real really hurts. But she’s hanging onto the idea of being a leader, and bringing the group of people she met in the sky city to safety from the rising waters.
In this book, a new character is introducted - Tuck, an pirate. Tuck is about Mara’s age, and sees his home destroyed... by her ship. Through several circumstances, he decides to abandon his group of pirates to to go a better future, and join Mara’s group.
The rest of the book is basically them hiking through the mountains to find a big freshwater lake.
I really enjoyed the whole environment aspect - at one point, Mara researches what Earth was like before the floods - it really emphasizes the idea that we know that the world is warming up, and that we should at least try to do something, before it’s too late. We know about sea levels rising, why can’t we do anything about it?
(I swear, reviewing the middle books in a series is so hard! You already know the setting, yet there’s cliffhangers for book 3, so it’s like a filler book.. yet there’s spoilers and important stuff happening too! Get what I mean?)
I feel like I could relate to Mara more in this book - she felt more realistic and had some reactions to little things that actually made sense! However, there’s some strange love-triangle-+1 thing going on that I’m really confused about. I’m planning on reading book 3 sooner than later, hopefully that problem will be resolved :)
Anyway, that’s pretty much all I can say without spoiling it! I didn’t like this book as much as book 1, because I feel like this story was almost like an exoskeleton or something - it’s an amazing shell, but I feel like it could have gone so much deeper into the story!
Mara is having a hard time leaving Fox, and knowing that they’ll never meet again for real really hurts. But she’s hanging onto the idea of being a leader, and bringing the group of people she met in the sky city to safety from the rising waters.
In this book, a new character is introducted - Tuck, an pirate. Tuck is about Mara’s age, and sees his home destroyed... by her ship. Through several circumstances, he decides to abandon his group of pirates to to go a better future, and join Mara’s group.
The rest of the book is basically them hiking through the mountains to find a big freshwater lake.
I really enjoyed the whole environment aspect - at one point, Mara researches what Earth was like before the floods - it really emphasizes the idea that we know that the world is warming up, and that we should at least try to do something, before it’s too late. We know about sea levels rising, why can’t we do anything about it?
(I swear, reviewing the middle books in a series is so hard! You already know the setting, yet there’s cliffhangers for book 3, so it’s like a filler book.. yet there’s spoilers and important stuff happening too! Get what I mean?)
I feel like I could relate to Mara more in this book - she felt more realistic and had some reactions to little things that actually made sense! However, there’s some strange love-triangle-+1 thing going on that I’m really confused about. I’m planning on reading book 3 sooner than later, hopefully that problem will be resolved :)
Anyway, that’s pretty much all I can say without spoiling it! I didn’t like this book as much as book 1, because I feel like this story was almost like an exoskeleton or something - it’s an amazing shell, but I feel like it could have gone so much deeper into the story!
November 5, 2012
Reviewed by JodiG. for TeensReadToo.com
Once again, Mara is setting sail, fleeing from one unstable place to the promise of others. Again she is headed north and again she is bringing bedraggled and hopeful survivors with her. Everyone is searching for the same thing. A safe place. A home. Land.
In a world where global warming has melted all of the polar ice caps and the world has been flooded, there doesn't seem to be much to hope for anymore. Mara led her family and friends north only to find that the New World city of New Mungo wasn't the salvation they had hoped for. Mara's cyberworld friend, Fox, has stayed behind to battle the corruption, while she sails north with Rowan, the Treenesters, the Urchins, and other escapees from New Mungo in search of the land Mara is sure exists.
Along the way, Mara will meet Tuck, a boy who has only ever lived on the sea. He lives on a floating "city" of connected boats, barges, and bridges, among people with a history of piracy. The navigational course that Fox programmed for Mara's ship didn't include such a civilization - and the ship causes damage to Tuck's people. He joins his people in pursuing the great ship with vengeance in his mind.
But, Tuck's people aren't the biggest threat facing Mara and the refugees of New Mungo. The safety of a distant land may also offer more danger than they ever imagined. And the very act of living is a hard-earned accomplishment as lives are won and lost in this inhospitable new world.
ZENITH is an exciting sequel to EXODUS; I found it to be even more intense and thrilling than the first novel. Julie Bertagna continues to describe a world that could be all too real if threats of global warming aren't taken to heart.
Once again, Mara is setting sail, fleeing from one unstable place to the promise of others. Again she is headed north and again she is bringing bedraggled and hopeful survivors with her. Everyone is searching for the same thing. A safe place. A home. Land.
In a world where global warming has melted all of the polar ice caps and the world has been flooded, there doesn't seem to be much to hope for anymore. Mara led her family and friends north only to find that the New World city of New Mungo wasn't the salvation they had hoped for. Mara's cyberworld friend, Fox, has stayed behind to battle the corruption, while she sails north with Rowan, the Treenesters, the Urchins, and other escapees from New Mungo in search of the land Mara is sure exists.
Along the way, Mara will meet Tuck, a boy who has only ever lived on the sea. He lives on a floating "city" of connected boats, barges, and bridges, among people with a history of piracy. The navigational course that Fox programmed for Mara's ship didn't include such a civilization - and the ship causes damage to Tuck's people. He joins his people in pursuing the great ship with vengeance in his mind.
But, Tuck's people aren't the biggest threat facing Mara and the refugees of New Mungo. The safety of a distant land may also offer more danger than they ever imagined. And the very act of living is a hard-earned accomplishment as lives are won and lost in this inhospitable new world.
ZENITH is an exciting sequel to EXODUS; I found it to be even more intense and thrilling than the first novel. Julie Bertagna continues to describe a world that could be all too real if threats of global warming aren't taken to heart.
March 10, 2013
Continues where Exodus left off. At the end of Exodus, Mara had freed the slaves of the sky city, New Mungo, and led the escape of these slaves and the other people kept outside the walls of the sky city to a promise of a new land. We follow Mara as she's on her big, white boat plowing toward the north pole.
It was an okay read. Am I getting tired of this world? It just didn't capture me like the first book, Exodus, and another book with a post apocalyptic world in search of a gentler Earth, Through the Ever Night.
And I just wasn't feeling and the love triangle (or quadrangle?). If anything, I'm rooting for Rowan. I like that they've had such a history together, whereas I feel that Mara hasn't even known Fox or Tuck that long.
Not sure if I'll read #3. When I checked, it wasn't available at our library. *shrug*
Here are some quotes:
"Panic is a bad judge."
"Don't build a bridge into thin air."
"How much wreckage and destruction justifies the creation of a better world?"
It was an okay read. Am I getting tired of this world? It just didn't capture me like the first book, Exodus, and another book with a post apocalyptic world in search of a gentler Earth, Through the Ever Night.
And I just wasn't feeling and the love triangle (or quadrangle?). If anything, I'm rooting for Rowan. I like that they've had such a history together, whereas I feel that Mara hasn't even known Fox or Tuck that long.
Not sure if I'll read #3. When I checked, it wasn't available at our library. *shrug*
Here are some quotes:
"Panic is a bad judge."
"Don't build a bridge into thin air."
"How much wreckage and destruction justifies the creation of a better world?"
June 5, 2009
This picks up right where the book Exodus leaves off. Mara is on a ship headed toward the top of the world after escaping New Mungo, the futuristic city in the sky. Mara isn’t completely happy with this escape because she had to leave behind her beloved boyfriend (Fox). Fox decides to stay behind and cyber-fight the new city while Mara chooses to stay with her people and travel north—one of the only areas left in the world that has not been flooded by the oceans. When Mara and her people hit land, they are overjoyed…until they realize that people already living there plan to capture them and sell them as slaves.
Meanwhile, Tuck is on board a ship that is chasing Mara’s ship north because he and his people want revenge for an accident Mara’s ship caused. When they see Mara’s ship being attacked, Tuck and his people use their weapons to fight the land-dwellers. When the battle is over, they head away but Tuck decides to stay on the land. Eventually, he joins Mara’s group as they all search for a livable space on this strange new land at the top of the world.
This is a good story describing what Mara and the others go through as they fight for survival in a world that is nearly completely covered in water. Although they endure many hardships and lives are lost, they don’t give up. We’ll see what becomes of them in the upcoming final book in this series.
Meanwhile, Tuck is on board a ship that is chasing Mara’s ship north because he and his people want revenge for an accident Mara’s ship caused. When they see Mara’s ship being attacked, Tuck and his people use their weapons to fight the land-dwellers. When the battle is over, they head away but Tuck decides to stay on the land. Eventually, he joins Mara’s group as they all search for a livable space on this strange new land at the top of the world.
This is a good story describing what Mara and the others go through as they fight for survival in a world that is nearly completely covered in water. Although they endure many hardships and lives are lost, they don’t give up. We’ll see what becomes of them in the upcoming final book in this series.
January 31, 2015
In defence of this book it was my own fault that I didn't enjoy it. I went into it thinking that it was a stand alone book and only when I was a few chapters in and had no idea what was happening did it dawn on me that it was possibly a sequel to a previous book.
I was going on a 12 hour flight to Shanghai and so I thought that it would be a good idea to take a few of the smaller books in my TBR so that I could battle through them and get them read and had I read the first book, Exodus, then I probably would have really enjoyed it because of the situation which it is set with the seas rising and taking over all of the land due to the melting of the ice because people didn't change their behavior. In respect to this I think that the series is amazing for showing young children of 10/12 the importance of living green becuase of the consequence that it is going to have later in time for future generations.
One other thing with this book that I had a problem with was the fact that at such a young age Mara fell pregnant and for a book that is set to a young audience I felt like this was content that was too mature and it actually made me cringe thinking of these young children who were about 14-16 having children.
I was going on a 12 hour flight to Shanghai and so I thought that it would be a good idea to take a few of the smaller books in my TBR so that I could battle through them and get them read and had I read the first book, Exodus, then I probably would have really enjoyed it because of the situation which it is set with the seas rising and taking over all of the land due to the melting of the ice because people didn't change their behavior. In respect to this I think that the series is amazing for showing young children of 10/12 the importance of living green becuase of the consequence that it is going to have later in time for future generations.
One other thing with this book that I had a problem with was the fact that at such a young age Mara fell pregnant and for a book that is set to a young audience I felt like this was content that was too mature and it actually made me cringe thinking of these young children who were about 14-16 having children.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2011
Sequel to Exodus. Mara has left the floating city of New Mungo with a cargo ship full of refugees, and Fox has stayed behind to try to change his grandfather's government. Mara believes in the idea that there is land in the far north, and the ship is pointed in that direction. On the way, the ship accidentally destroys part of another floating city, Pomperoy, and the people there sail north, tracking the ship and plotting revenge. Tuck is a boy in Pomperoy whose mother was killed in the accident, and though he has much reason for revenge, he is more interested in the land -- something he has never seen before. Can those who have only known water make a life on the land, and will the violent people of Greenland allow them to stay and live in peace? The first book is stronger in plot and depth, but I have a feeling the events of the second are setting up an amazing conclusion to this trilogy. Good apocalyptic flooded world sci-fi: some battle scenes and more mature themes. For 7th grade and up,
August 11, 2016
Not really good enough for four stars, but definitely better than three.
A good sequel that progressively improved. Story didn't remain stagnant, despite the circumstances allowing it to (so much waiting and lull in the action was handled well). Interesting prose, I'm a sucker for descriptive writing with allusions to the sea, sky, stars, moon and wind, so it was forceful and I loved it (icebergs being pieces of the moon and whatnot - brilliant)!
However, as usual, I always find some reason to be frustrated with our main character, though I liked her better in the end, and I question the necessity for Tuck's place in the novel too. Also, the final chapters were blurry and made very little sense to conclude the story. Now that I know there's to be another book, I understand better, but it wasn't a good way to leave your readers.
Overall, a strong sequel, which is hard to do. Even if I didn't like the first book immensely, this one kept the standard (and possibly did better?) so props to the author. Not bad at all.
A good sequel that progressively improved. Story didn't remain stagnant, despite the circumstances allowing it to (so much waiting and lull in the action was handled well). Interesting prose, I'm a sucker for descriptive writing with allusions to the sea, sky, stars, moon and wind, so it was forceful and I loved it (icebergs being pieces of the moon and whatnot - brilliant)!
However, as usual, I always find some reason to be frustrated with our main character, though I liked her better in the end, and I question the necessity for Tuck's place in the novel too. Also, the final chapters were blurry and made very little sense to conclude the story. Now that I know there's to be another book, I understand better, but it wasn't a good way to leave your readers.
Overall, a strong sequel, which is hard to do. Even if I didn't like the first book immensely, this one kept the standard (and possibly did better?) so props to the author. Not bad at all.
February 19, 2017
I'm sort of on the fence about this book. I read and loved Exodus and couldn't wait to read the next one.
And to begin with I thought it was great, the addition of Tuck was good and as with the first book the characters were great.
But when Mara suddenly was pregnant, the story became confusing to me and the pregnant seemed so strange and out of the blue and the different characters' point of views and storylines because confusing and I couldn't find me way through them.
And the ending confused me even more. I'm going to search my library and see if they have Aurora, so I can finish the series and hopefully understand the story better.
As with the first one, the book did leave me with a sort of haunted feeling, because all the Wat through I couldn't help but think of how we're still talking about the world flooding today and it is something that I think we all need to stop and think about and do something about before it is too late. The kind of haunting a good dystopian story should leave you with in my opinion.
And to begin with I thought it was great, the addition of Tuck was good and as with the first book the characters were great.
But when Mara suddenly was pregnant, the story became confusing to me and the pregnant seemed so strange and out of the blue and the different characters' point of views and storylines because confusing and I couldn't find me way through them.
And the ending confused me even more. I'm going to search my library and see if they have Aurora, so I can finish the series and hopefully understand the story better.
As with the first one, the book did leave me with a sort of haunted feeling, because all the Wat through I couldn't help but think of how we're still talking about the world flooding today and it is something that I think we all need to stop and think about and do something about before it is too late. The kind of haunting a good dystopian story should leave you with in my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2015
This skated between a 2 and a 3 for me and I'm still undecided which to rate it. I really enjoyed the first one but the second certainly fell flat. I the beginning I found myself sympathising more with the passengers and their bitter feelings about there being no purpose or proof to the trip. I also didn't really understand Tuck and the Gypseas, no explanation was given as to where they came from and why they live in boats. The section once they made it to wherever was better and made it more a 3 star but there wasn't enough of Fox and his mission and the ending was awful. It was too rushed. It seemed like it should have just ended rather than did what they did with the time jump. It confused everything. I struggled to understand what was going on, especially the passage with the character The ending is what has pushed it down to a 2 star book for me. I will probably read Aurora though.
August 11, 2009
Mara Bell is leading a boat of Treenesters, urchins, and freed slaves in search of Greenland. But as they head toward what they think is land, their boat crashes into a floating city of barges and bridges.
Whilst definitely intriguing and with fascinating settings, Zenith is not quite as grabbing as its predecessor, Exodus. Maybe it's due to the lack of technology, or that I just didn't connect with the characters. Mara was awesome in Book 1, but here...she's less fabulous. However, the imagery is simply splendid, making me wish I could see aurora borealis (I don't think it's visible here in the Southern Hemisphere). The writing is lush, almost poetic at times, and I can't wait to read what'll happen in Book 3, Aurora. However, its publication is at least a year away, I'm guessing, but it leaves newcomers with plenty of time to acquire and devour Books 1 and 2. Futuristic YA is all the richer with Julie Bertagna's innovative contributions.
Whilst definitely intriguing and with fascinating settings, Zenith is not quite as grabbing as its predecessor, Exodus. Maybe it's due to the lack of technology, or that I just didn't connect with the characters. Mara was awesome in Book 1, but here...she's less fabulous. However, the imagery is simply splendid, making me wish I could see aurora borealis (I don't think it's visible here in the Southern Hemisphere). The writing is lush, almost poetic at times, and I can't wait to read what'll happen in Book 3, Aurora. However, its publication is at least a year away, I'm guessing, but it leaves newcomers with plenty of time to acquire and devour Books 1 and 2. Futuristic YA is all the richer with Julie Bertagna's innovative contributions.
March 29, 2009
Didn't hold my interest the way the first one did. This sort of plods along without any big surprises or reveals along that way (and things that are supposed to be big surprises are telegraphed long in advance). There's very little sense that anyone's situation is as bad as it is--the words say it but the tone is ho-hum. In several places there are too-clever elements thrown in, like the discovery of a Tupperware box ("my great-grandmother used to have one of these; it keeps things fresh"), which pulled me out of the story due to my eyes rolling pretty far from the page.
There's a third book coming. I'll probably read it because I'm a completest that way, but I don't really care that much what happens to any of these characters. (Note: if you're going to read this anyway, try to keep details from the first fresh in your brain, because there's not a lot of recap here.)
There's a third book coming. I'll probably read it because I'm a completest that way, but I don't really care that much what happens to any of these characters. (Note: if you're going to read this anyway, try to keep details from the first fresh in your brain, because there's not a lot of recap here.)
November 26, 2011
I really wanted to like this sequel to Exodus more than I did. It starts off strongly enough but somehow unravels after the halfway mark. Hopefully it'll turn out to be a consequence of setting out the plot strands for the final volume but not much, well, happens in the latter half. And there is a teeny bit of Waterworld/Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome about some of the new settings. On the plus side, the writing is even more fluidly poetic then the first volume, the fragility of those we love is a movingly told, ever-present reality and Mara continues to be a compelling, driven character. The earlier scenes on the boat they escaped on at the beginning of the first book are genuinely harrowing. I'm thoroughly looking forward to the final book. I just wish the second half of this one had allowed itself more of a plot.
February 18, 2011
Not as enjoyable as first book, Exodus. I felt it got off to a slow start what with having to come up to speed with what was happening on Mara's ship, what was up with Fox back at the tower city and introducing the new character Tuck and his people. Once things began to gel the storyline got more interesting. I like seeing hints of how we got to this point in world history and seeing little relics of the past and how they were perceived by Mara & the rest. As this is more or less the bridge book in the trilogy the ending was only a set-up for book three which I will look forward to reading one day.
May 29, 2009
Didn't hold my interest the way the first one did. This sort of plods along without any big surprises or reveals along that way (and things that are supposed to be big surprises are telegraphed long in advance). There's very little sense that anyone's situation is as bad as it is--the words say it but the tone is ho-hum.
There's a third book coming. I'll probably read it because I liked the first one so much and the second books in trilogies tend to be the worst, but I am sadly losing interest in what happens to any of these characters.
There's a third book coming. I'll probably read it because I liked the first one so much and the second books in trilogies tend to be the worst, but I am sadly losing interest in what happens to any of these characters.
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