March 1, 2018
Gr 8 Up-In the sequel to Nemesis, this entry has alternating chapters from the perspectives of the two main characters: Min, a strong female protagonist, and Noah, the anxious and complicated love interest. In this second installment, readers see Noah coming into his own as the teenagers trapped in Project Nemesis battle one another to stay alive. They are being held in a simulation of their town, Fire Lake, where one must kill the other in order to survive. The characters understand they are playing a dangerous game, but to what end? There are several intense moments and a significant number of deaths. As the plot unfolds, readers will learn about the Guardian, his real role in the project, and who he is in relation to the main characters. The events that move the plot forward are a little repetitive, and the story drags at times but Reichs's writing style and portrayal of the two main characters keep the story exciting. Everything picks back up toward the conclusion and there are several unexpected twists and revelations for the characters. Min and Noah experience extraordinary character development, and readers of the first book in the trilogy will no doubt be intrigued. VERDICT An exciting sequel that will delight young science fiction readers with its video game-esque story line.-Nancy Jo Lambert, Reedy High School, Frisco, TX
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
December 15, 2017
Grades 9-12 In Nemesis (2017), 16-year-old Min learned how the strange events punctuating her life and those of her classmates in their small Idaho town, have something to do with the inoculations they received as children. Now, that realization is multiplied by 100 as the teens are caught in a Matrix-like web, isolated, and pitted against one another, with death inevitable and, in some cases, desirable. Nemesis was a page-turner, and Genesis has plenty of fevered action and startling surprises, especially as the book nears its conclusion. The number of students roaming around the valley and the repetition of events weighs things down; though, to be fair, part of the book's premise is kids getting killed and coming back to life. Reichs uses the now time-tested convention of one girl adored by two boys, but even this gets not one but two unexpected twists. Fans of the first book will certainly want to read this and look forward to the trilogy's conclusion.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)
Starred review from January 15, 2018
Noah Livingston and Min Wilder rage against the machine.The star-crossed lovers have been separated by betrayal and despair in this sequel to Nemesis (2017). Now that Noah, Min (both evidently white), and their classmates know that they're trapped in some sort of Matrix-esque computer program, chaos reigns as different factions squabble over supplies and territory. The Program's environment is the small isolated mountain town where the teenagers grew up. This grounded setting is a blessing to the novel, a stuffed tome with a turning wheel of power structures that endlessly entertains. Each time a teen is killed they reset in one of several established points on the outskirts of town, but the rules are starting to change: some teens are dying and not coming back. Additionally, a killer who knocks a player off the boards gains strength and speed. The author crafts a heck of a page-turner, chronicling Min's and Noah's emotional and physical journeys, alternating between their perspectives each chapter. Violence, tactics, and politics crackle through the novel. Fans of The Hunger Games novels and the CW series The 100 will discover much to enjoy here. The book reveals the Program's purpose and also provides some startling revelations about the Guardian's back story before moving its characters aggressively forward in the final pages. A sequel looms, but readers will be thoroughly satisfied with this entry's contents.A cracking good yarn and excellent sequel. (Thriller. 12-16)
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