Run for cover by Eva Gray

Run for cover is the second of four books in the Tomorrow girls series and picks up the action where the first book left off.  The series is about four girls who are sent to a boarding school in the middle of nowhere in a future America where the Alliance is a threat to everyone living in the USA and parents are sending their children to school in secret locations where they can be safe.  Thrown together in one group at the school are Louisa, Maddie, Evelyn, and Rosie - four girls who are all hiding secrets from each other. 

In the first book the girls discover that the school is not what they think it is, and not what their parents are expecting either.  A closely followed schedule of hard work, exercise, and reading out dated books are the norm at the school, and it may not be a bad thing for them to learn how to take care of themselves as when they leave school they will be expected to join the war effort against the Alliance.

Like so many books at the moment there is a strong dystopian theme running through this series (which could in fact have been one big book instead of four little ones).  This time the point of view has switched to Rosie, the one with the survival skills and a secret that she is reluctant to share with the others.  At times this story is very light and fluffy, almost like a real novel that has been reduced to the bare bones and then published - this doesn't mean that the series isn't worth reading, it just means that you shouldn't expect too much from the story.

There are several books and series similar to Tomorrow girls, stories that have an intelligent idea or storyline, but that have been stripped of a lot of the body to make a fast paced, easier to read novel.  For young adults that struggle with reading but still want to read good books this is important as they don't have to wade through lots of heavy writing to get to story, but for more confident readers it can be a little bit of a let down when you have an expectation of a richer storyline after reading similar stories or series.  Overall a great read, just don't expect too much.

If you like this book then try:

• Behind the gates by Eva Gray
• Among the hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• Eve by Anna Carey
• Tomorrow, when the war began by John Marsden
• The Hunger games by Suzanne Collins

Reviewed by Brilla