The Fallout

The Warning #2

by Kristy Acevedo

They chose survival...but at what cost? A fast-paced, empowering YA dystopian novel for anyone who's ever felt betrayed, then came back stronger. The sequel to The Warning.

Senior year would have been stressful enough without an apocalypse. When the holograms arrived, allegedly offering safe passage to those who stepped through their vertexes, Alexandra Lucas thought going or staying would be the hardest decision of her life. She was wrong.

Because she is the one person who knows the truth, a truth that will change everything: the holograms lied.

Alex can't deny this new world is mesmerizing. Holo technology lets her customize everything from her clothes to her surroundings. But she can't let it distract her from searching for her boyfriend, best friend, and brother. They need to know what happened. Because there's a rebellion brewing, and every utopia has a breaking point. What price must they all pay to survive?

Genres: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, War

368 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2023

About the author

Kristy Acevedo loves to write stories that make people think and give people hope. She is a public high school English teacher, gardener, and Star Trek fan. When she was a child, her “big sister” from the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program fostered her love of books by bringing her to the public library every Wednesday for seven years.

She earned her master’s degree in English and Secondary Education and has been teaching teens for over twenty years. Her debut novel won the PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Children’s Book Discovery Award, was a finalist for the Philip K. Dick award for distinguished science fiction, and was touted as one of Barnes & Noble Teen’s Top 13 Anticipated YA sci-fi books. She is also the accidental founder of the Monthly Twitter Writing Challenge. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, two daughters, and two cats.

Reviews

[Jane ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

After loving The Warning I just had to finish this duology and it wasn't bad! I rather liked where it was going most of the time. There were a couple of things I didn't find logical/ good for the story, but overall I think it is a decent series! The second book takes place on alien territory so the world-building was truly interesting to read. Not only that, some new characters are introduced and I liked them :D Rating: 3.5 stars

The things I disliked:
- all of the genius ideas that would change the course of the book came from the MC who is a teenage girl. I'm not undermining teens, but when you're part of a group of specialists - military, doctors, programmers, etc. who are also ADULTS, how come none of them came up with such ideas? It was obvious the author wanted the MC to be some sort of Special Leader but it was a bit too forced to me.
- the ending was rushed. The story started out great and had some pretty good twists but the ending itself felt underwhelming. This is connected to the next point.
- the "epic" revolution/fight scene towards the end wasn't that epic 😂

The things I liked:
- all the new characters had unique personalities and backstories
- the alien world was something else alright 😂
- the plot twists made sense...kinda. I mean, if I thought about it harder, I'd probably find some plot holes but I don't wanna because I liked where the story went lol
- if you ignore the lackluster "final boss fight" it actually wraps up nicely and the characters get a proper ending

[Wren Chatterji · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm going to write a song here.
I was a kid who read this book and *groan* was my response-o
G-R-O-A-N
G-R-O-A-N
G-R-O-A-N
and *groan* was my response-o
Thank you for listening.

Anyways, the first one was pretty bad except for the ending, which was intense and a great cliffhanger. That's why it got three stars, also the idea was pretty cool. It's just the characters really suck. And somehow they're even worse in this book...

Let's start with Alex, the "I don't want to be anxiety gorl I want to be galaxy gorl. After I have *** with my boyfriend" (really?). Once again, anxiety was her only personality trait. Like seriously, I DON'T CARE. She was even more annoying in this book, especially when she needed to hide in her little freaking SAFE SPACE (PSF) like the little whiner she is.

Also why is it that every YA book needs a teenage gorl to be "the face of a revolution" can't it be someone who can actually fight like a grown dude (or gorl if you insist) but a whiny teenage gorl? Really? And every time?

As for Rita and Dominick, they still have no personality. Also Dominick's relationship with Alex is really weird. I mean really, he made a hologram after her and... I'm not going to finish that. It was gross.

Any other characters despawned for half the book and were present when they needed people. Also Nolan's grandmother never even got a name.

Spoilers ahead

They randomly decided to kill off a bunch of characters who were actually decent. Nolan was wasted potential (he despawned for half the book and randomly died), Benji could've had pretty good character development and I get that killing off Katherine was necessary but she (along with Dr A) was one of the only characters with any personality.

As for the ending, it was very confusing and I honestly skimmed it because I didn't care. I'm pretty sure Kristy Avocado didn't even care based on the climax

So yeah. I would personally not recommend this series. Cool concept, annoying characters and the plot gets old and weird. Two stars because the world building was good for the first third of the book.

[Jaxson Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was amazing!! kept me engaged the whole time, just as good as the first.

ending pissed me off however there better be a part 3 or i might go feral

[Sloan Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. The last 100 pages could have been expanded into a 3rd book…. Or maybe the first book “the warnings” could have been shorted into 1 chapter and “the fallout” could have been longer. Either way, it was incredible.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series had a great premise, but execution was boring

[Stormy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book and would have been a 5-star read if it wasn’t for a very rushed and unsatisfying ending.

The world building in this novel was immaculate! The author did a fantastic job at creating a futuristic alien(ish) utopian world that is not what it seems. The technology was compelling, and the mysterious WHY behind the smokescreen put up by the vances (advanced humans) was equally compelling.

The ending felt really rushed, and for no real reason. The battle at the end wrapped up so quickly that it made the pacing feel weird, since we had built up to this big battle for the entire book. And the deaths were so rapid fire that instead of raising the stakes, I just became desensitized to it. There was no real emotional impact behind any of it.

Still a good read, but fell flat when I wanted it to be the most exciting.

[Britteny Garibay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I genuinely enjoyed the first book. I thought it had an interesting concept, an intriguing dilemma, and a great cliff hanger. I was so excited to see where the second book was going to go.
It went nowhere.
I felt like there were so many missed opportunities and by then end I was skim reading because I was so bored. The main character becomes insufferable and there’s hardly anyone you want to support. So disappointing.

[Aidan]

*review coming soon

[Ellie Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was enjoying & so engaged from the beg to middle ish but it fell flat for me after a while :( got very complex & confusing.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was pretty good throughout but the ending really killed it for me

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot how anxious this girlie was until I had to read in her pov again. Honestly I really liked this duology however I feel the ending was wrapped up very fast. I would have liked the last bit to have been more spaced out and further explained. It honestly felt like a cheap way out of explaining the physics behind backtracking to the real world. I liked seeing her reconnect with her fam and the building of relationships. It really made it full circle and I was rooting for them in the end!

[Goddardcc · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn’t keep my interest the way the first book in this series did. It opens as Alexandra arrives on the other side of the portal. The world she finds is not exactly as the holograms promised and she attempts to let the people who entered the vertex before her know that the whole comet threat was fake and that earth is fine.

[Yolanda | yolandaannmarie.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Fallout releases September 5, 2023

3.5

“Umbra means the darkest part of a shadow cast on a planet during a solar eclipse. We represent the importance of a shadow in understanding and investigating the light. Holograms are nothing but glorified light.”

An utterly mind-bending and thought provoking conclusion to the story that began in the first half of this duology, called The Warning.

As Alexandra was the last to travel through the vertex in her city, we see how she deals with being the sole proprietor to the critical information that the catastrophic comet that was predicted by holograms from a futuristic world, was in fact a hoax and that the state of Earth is fine.

We see the stages of integration into a new world, the assimilation, complacency, and emergence of rebellious organizations.

Solbilua-8 is a place where everyone can be treated as equals (or so they say), with equal rations and a way of living that would truly be night and day from the burdens (financial, poverty, etc.) and burn-out that a lot of individuals faced on Earth.
But to live a life free of work, there needs to be contribution in the form of death. Meaning, when you die, your neural pathways would be used to become a biohologram instead of AI technology in order to sustain this planet for future generations.

The world building was so fascinating to read, and a lot of it was reminiscent to The Sims, with how easily they could modify their clothes or living spaces by their bandwidth devices.

Something I can’t quite wrap my head around is the fact that as part of their integration, humans were sterilized (no periods, no pregnancies, no way to populate), and all of their imperfections like bad eyesight, allergies, etc. were reversed. Yet, why did Alex still suffer from having anxiety and panic attacks?
It makes sense in the grand scheme of things in order to propel the narrative of having an unstable character, especially in trying to convince everyone else that the comet was fake, but it doesn’t quite line up with all the other actions that were dispensed.

Katherine as a character was the most compelling factor, but I almost wish the paradox/mobius of her was explored more.
What happened 100 years ago when she encountered the vances? It was obviously significant enough for them to create a monument of her.

I was also hoping for an epilogue or some sort of closure with a reaction from those that stayed on Earth.

cw: anxiety, panic attacks, attempted suicide, physical violence, death, prescription withdrawal

THE WARNING REVIEW: click here

[Shannon Miz · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*

"Content Warning: This book contains depictions of mental illness, including but not limited to anxiety, depression, and PTSD. In addition, it includes suicide ideation, suicide, physical abuse, and violence."

What a sold follow-up/conclusion to The Warning, which I found and loved just a few months ago! If you have little patience, like me, you'll be thrilled to know that this is a nice, neat, wrapped up duology that will leave you entertained and satisfied. I was so excited to jump back into the world (well- whichever world we jump into with Alexandra, that is) after finding the first book to be quite exciting. We pick up right where book one leaves off, and waste no time getting to know the world in which Alex now finds herself.

Alex finds herself among some new folks, and her friends and family nowhere in sight. She'll have to navigate the world around her and integrate if she has any hopes of tracking them down, so it is a challenge from the start. Alex obviously has a lot of information to pass on, but she wants to be sure she does it right- because the fate of humanity could hang in the balance. The story is incredibly high stakes, and also quite emotional, considering what everyone has left behind. I am keeping this purposefully vague in case people haven't read the first book yet and want to know if starting the series is worth it, and I say unequivocally that it is.

I was wholly satisfied by this installment, and was intrigued with the world, and how our characters were going to navigate through it. I loved that Alex had to handle this massively huge situation while also dealing with debilitating panic attacks, and while trying to figure out friendships, romantic relationships, family drama, and all the other aspects of every day life.

Bottom Line: A solid conclusion that built an exciting and intriguing world, while being a fully satisfying ending for the characters I'd come to love.

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

[Kei ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alex is the one person who knows the truth, a truth that will change everything: the holograms lied. Holo technology lets her customize everything from her clothes to her surroundings, the new planet is amazing. But she can't let it distract her from searching for her boyfriend, best friend, and brother. They need to know what happened. Because there's a rebellion brewing, and every utopia has a breaking point. What price must they all pay to survive?

The only thing that kept me going on this book was the need to know what is happening. Not only did it drag on and on - with lots of tech talk, but it then rushed the only part that felt really necessary. Basically, the whole story goes The new planet is super cool, we don't need to work and everything is free. So let's blow some shit up and fight these people to get back to Earth where we will all suffer BECAUSE MOST OF THE WORLD LEFT THROUGH PORTALS. And then we lived happily ever after.

Things that went wrong;
- Alex's anxiety: It wasn't necessary, it wasn't representative. Just cure it.
- Dominick and his toxic behaviour: This isn't love - this is a giant red flag.
- Unnecessary tech talk: It was used as a word filler.
- Obligatory deaths: Character deaths mean more when we care for them. Unfortunately with how much was going on and how many random characters we had to follow, the reader didn't get a chance at connecting with anyone other than the obnoxious FMC.

Things I liked:
- Doctor Who references.

This is the follow up to The Warning (previously Consider), previously known as 'Contribute' and is being rereleased under the new title The Fallout on September 5th, 2023. Many thanks to Sourcebooks Fire, Kristy Acevedo and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Paige Pethtel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I kept seeing it in the store, and eventually was tempted enough to buy it. I was pretty disappointed that I ended up buying the second book in the series instead of the first. After finishing ‘The Fallout’, I’m glad that I chose to read the second book as a standalone. I also don’t know what the first book is even called because the series was renamed with new covers and it’s a little confusing to figure out. The main character could be pretty annoying at times but it honestly depicted anxiety and panic attacks/PTSD really well. As someone who has experienced these issues - it can be extremely annoying to deal with on a day to day basis so Alexandra being annoying is very fitting. She knows her thoughts spiral irrationally and she knows it inconveniences others at times but it doesn’t mean she can just “knock it off”. It’s engrained in her and as much as she wants to escape it - she can’t. I don’t ever read sci-fi novels, so it was a bit of an adjustment for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book as a whole. I loved the side characters, I loved the mystery of it, I loved the slight romance storyline, and I loved the plot (especially how everything connected in the end). I do wish that the third part of the book was longer because I think a lot more loose ends could’ve been explained. Where the book ends definitely sets the series up for a third book - although I don’t think there will be one. It’s not a terrible cliffhanger, but it definitely leaves you feeling a little bit empty. Would recommend to people looking for a different type of read.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Sourcebooks FIRE for this ARC!!

"Maybe in times of great stress and despair, we need to give ourselves a break to remember our humanity. Remember why love is worth running through vertexes for. Remember to hold on to what's real in our lives"

The Fallout by Kristy Acevedo is the thrilling finale to her YA duology. I really really love science fiction. Mostly because I studied science in college and love the challenge of deducing truth in fiction vs the elements that an author could have spent more time researching. This story touches on physics, which I do not know a ton about so I kinda just took Acevedo's word for it lol.

World building is a hard thing to do and Acevedo managed to achieve something so incredibly palpable. She describes every aspect in such precise detail it doesn't take an active imagination to figure out what's going on (which I liked, not that I don't have an imagination, just that I didn't have to do mental gymnastics to understand where the characters existed in time and space). It was such a perfect conclusion to The Warning, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, absolutely ripping through the pages to see if my predictions were true.

I enjoyed every second of my time reading this, my 4 star rating is purely because I have matured past this as a reader but I know my teenage self would have been obsessed with Alex and Dominick (my adult self really likes them and I'm not a fan of friends to lovers in lit). Overall, this was a gripping read, the hallucinations it gave me made me feel like I was watching it as a film/tv show.

[Lisa Mandina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got an ARC of the first book, The Warning, from the publisher earlier this year and really enjoyed it. This sequel was just as original in many ways as the first book was. I loved all the different science fiction aspects to it. But at times the amount of the technology was a bit overwhelming, and I could probably have used a little more explanation or more examples of it being used. I was kept on the edge of my seat with this, wondering what was really going on with the world they had all been brought to, and if they might be able to get back to their own Earth. There was some time travel in a way, even as they said it was impossible, but that also meant there was some alternate universe types of things.

There were a few glimpses into what might be the aliens or whoever had come to take them, with some spaceships when they thought they were on a planet, and not finding the vances when they tried to locate them either. So I was also left with some questions and wondering exactly how some pieces of the puzzle fit. Personally I would like or it at least seemed like we needed more of a third book to wrap a lot of the things up and that is why I only gave 4 stars, even though it had me turning pages, on my e-reader, as fast as I could to find out what was going to happen next.

Review first posted at Lisa Loves Literature.

[Krystyna Salvetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read The Warning by Kristy Acevedo, I was hooked! Her words created such clear pictures in my mind: I could actually SEE the whole story unfold.

I would say The Fallout was equally as visual. The author does an amazing job making to feel as though you are *right there* - on the spaceship, in the holospaces, in the first evading enemy fire.

I found this sequel as intriguing as The Warning but a bit harder to follow. It might be because l let quite a bit of time lapse between books. I’m quite confident had I read them one after the other I might not have gotten a bit lost in the second book. There were a few spots I thought, “Wait, what?” Then I figured it out and keep reading.

Alexandra Lucas went through the vertex at the end of The Warning. She’s fascinated by this new world, where holo tech allows you to customize everything: your clothes, your apartment, your furniture… Too bad you can’t create yourself some real food and water…

She searches for her brother, her boyfriend and her best friend. You’d think once she found them life world be pretty darn perfect since you wouldn’t have to work, you could have whatever you wanted for free… but utopia comes at what price?

Both books are available now so I’ll close with this: #highlyrecommend reading one after the other!

[Collin Pearson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Title: The Fallout
Author: Kristy Acevedo
Rating: 2/5

I don’t even know where to begin. Because there’s not much to talk about. This whole book is almost entirely devoid of consequences aside from one moment. And the main character literally does nothing the entire time. It’s all people doing stuff for her. It’s a book with a build up to finally meeting the “Vances” only to have only ONE of them show up for about 3 pages. They set up a really cool plot line with the holograms maybe being able to feel some kind of emotion to use it only in the most boring way possible. No deeper discussion about it. Then the ending. Oh my god the ending. Unlike the first book where the ending was good this book has the most underwhelming ending ever. Asking a bunch of moral questions and getting you ready for a reunion, only to end abruptly. It’s one of the most underwhelming things I’ve ever read. This whole book is just a world moving around a main character that doesn’t do much. In my review of the first book I said pick it up and try it. After reading this one. Just avoid this series. You will be disappointed.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why are so many sci-fi books YA books? I want to read speculations about the future and other worlds, but I don't need to read any more books where the main characters are angsty, lovesick teens.

Acevedo does do a good job at world-building on the supposedly utopian planet where most of this novel takes place. However, the novel drags in many places when the author keeps rehashing the fears and joys of the main characters.

The basic plot is that Earthlings have been deceived into making a trip to another planet to avoid the imminent destruction of Earth by a colliding comet. The comet is a fake, holographic projection. Holograms and deception are the forte of the intervening race. They tell the arrivals from Earth that on their heavily hologrammed planet, no one needs to work as long as they agree to let the aliens use their brains after the humans die. If someone doesn't agree, then they must work while everyone else enjoys lives of leisure.

Of course, everyone does not agree, factions and fighting occur, and ugly realities are revealed.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Kristy Acevedo for the honor of reading this book!

I loved reading the second book in Kristy Acevedo duology. The Fallout had everything you needed to wrap up the series but still left you wanting more. I loved how Alexandra grew as a character while reading both books. She began to believe in herself and fight for what she believed in even when she was against the odds. This book shows that even one person can make a difference and have a impact on something bigger. I love how Alexandra has anxiety. Even though her anxiety can be a pain to deal with at times it makes her who she is. We even see that it actually helps her when finding solutions to things. I loved seeing a main character stuggle with a mental illness but still be the hero. I would love for there to be a book three made to read more about what the future holds for Alexandra, her friends and family.

[Insert Name Here · Rating 3 out of 5]

BE AWARE: this novel was originally published as Contribute in 2017.


This book has a much more sci fi tone than the first one, with a good bit of explanation of the strange alien technology. As a result the pace was slower, I thought, even though there was an active rebellion going on here while the last one was much more introspective.

In the first volume Alex's social circle was basically her family and two friends. Here it's widened out quite a lot, with various other people coming and going. It makes the book feels more expansive.

There's also some discussion about time loops, which as a sci fi nerd I loved! They're pretty fixated on the 'closed loop' model, but they do mention other types as well.

I enjoyed this series very much...it's a fun, quick read, with some interesting thought experiments along the way!

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

not even halfway through and this book is even better than the firs, full of so much food for thought. My favorite line "The truth is that many humans are willing to contribute if they get to live in a carefree life, regardless of the unseen consequences." Makes me think of how I contribute so much to the Internet, including writing this review. With what consequences? Giving up my privacy, feeding my data to corporations. With the advantage of having all my books and reviews in one place online and to help others. There are so many other things in this book that apply to our modern life. Even if its supposed to take place in another multiverse 300 years advanced from our own.

the Author does an incredible job melding dystopia, multiverse, philosophy into one. My next favorite eBook after Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was WILD! It picks up right where the last novel left off, which is why I picked it up so quickly. And then some of the twists and turns with this novel in the beginning are completely insane and totally unexpected! It was a wild ride.....until it got to the last couple of chapters. Then all of the sudden it was like, let's hurry up and finish up this novel with a nice bow around the end and not really give a complete ending. That is why I only gave it 3 stars. The ending was kind of awful and annoying. It just feels very incomplete. I am not sure if there is supposed to be a third novel or not, I really do not know what that would look like. At the same time, the story feels unfinished and another novel feels necessary. I am not sure. Worth the read for both of these, until the end really.

[Carol Dass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing sequel! Alex really waits for the day when she can return to earth and her family. She knows that there was no apocalypse on earth, the holograms lied. But on the new planet everything is so easy. No one has to work, press a button and your room decor can be changed. Food is delivered automatically. No need for doctors, no one gets sick. What’s the catch? If they want to continue to enjoy the luxuries, they will have to contribute their brain after death. The brain will supply more power to their network. They have 30 days to decide. And if they decide not to contribute? Well, read the book and see what happens. You will enjoy it!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Kelsey Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars! This is the second book in the Holo duology. I enjoyed the first book in this series so I was excited to read this book. This is a dystopian story and it elicits similar reactions to when I first read Divergent. What I mean by that, is that when you first read the series (especially as a younger reader), it seems very exciting and thrilling. But if you go back or read it when you are older, there is a lack of pacing within the story and a few plot holes that can be frustrating. Overall, I don't think the story brought that much new to the genre, but it was still an enjoyable read.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the second book in a duology, but as someone who hadn’t read the first book, I can say that it was easy enough to pick up where the first book ended and understand what had happened previously. Easy to read, fast paced sci-fi thriller in which Alexandra Lucas is on a one-woman mission to report that the holograms lied and Earth has not, in fact, been destroyed. Alex has to team up with both new friends and old as the space traveling Earth folk team up against holograms far exceeding their knowledge, in a fight to save planets and entire populations from technological rule and destruction.

[Ladyroyreadsbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

They chose survival...but at what cost? A fast-paced, empowering YA dystopian novel for anyone who's ever felt betrayed, then came back stronger. The sequel to The Warning.

This was a great follow-up to the first book. Alex is still her anxious self. I think k the author does a wonderful job portraying the realities of this illness. True to its dystopian storyline, factions are formed, people are betrayed and the group is on the brink.of war. It's a straight forward dystopian novel and fans of this genre will enjoy the book.

Thank you @netgalley and @sourcebooksfire for giving me the opportunity to review The Fallout.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

After jumping through the vertex at the end of The Warning, Alex now has to navigate this strange new world while figuring out how to expose the deceit and whom to trust. I was on the edge of my seat at times and just enthralled by the world that has been created. Very imaginative yet frightening easy to believe it could happen. Alex is such an empathetic character. I felt all her anxiety and loss throughout. Would definitely read more in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.