Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Resist by Sarah Crossan

Resist is the sequel to Breathe so there are ***SPOILERS*** in this review if you have not read the first book in the series.  I highly recommend that you read Breathe before you read any more of this review and before you read Resist as it is one of those series where it is really important to read them in order.

Alina, Bea, and Quinn are still on the outside of the Dome, their hopes of joining the rebels in the Grove reduced to ashes along with the Grove itself.  Their only hope now lies with the remaining rebels who live in Sequoia, but they are an unknown quantity, a splinter group that broke away from the Grove because their leader didn't agree with the philosophy of growing plants to help bring oxygen and life back to the world outside the Dome.  Alina and survivors from the Grove have found a boat to carry them to Sequoia, but Bea and Quinn are forced to make their own way with a straggler in tow.  There are plenty of challenges for them on the outside, but there are challenges in the Dome too.

Ronan has lived a privileged life as the son of the pod minister, but when his father is killed during the riots a new minister rises in his place and the Ministry has plans for the capture of Quinn and Bea - to make them examples.  As a highly trained soldier Ronan is expected to travel into the area outside the Dome and play his part in the destruction of the rebellion that threatens the Dome.  But Ronan has lost his taste for fighting, and what he discovers outside the Dome will change his life forever.  With time running out, Bea, Alina, and Quinn are in a race for their lives and the lives of everyone in the Dome - everyone is in danger not only from forces inside the Dome, but also forces from without.

Resist is the sequel to Breathe, and it feels very much like it is the final book in the series because there is a lot of closure at the end.  What started as a gripping and fast paced read in Breathe, finished at breakneck speed in Resist a story that leaves you so caught up in the story that you barely notice the rapidly vanishing ages until you reach the mind blowing conclusion.  The core cast of characters from Breathe are back for Resist, and it is these familiar characters who drive the story, introducing new characters that create a wider cast and make the story bigger and more intense than the first book in the series.  Resist benefitted from being read so quickly after Breathe, something that is unusual for me as I usually read the first book in a series when it is first released and then read the second book a year or so later when it is finally released - this time I found Resist first so didn't have long to wait to get a copy of Breathe to read them in order.

Sarah Crossan has an interesting writing style, switching rapidly between her characters to present the story from multiple viewpoints (which has the potential for disaster if you can't keep your characters straight) - a style which suits the story and brings a strong voice to all her characters and allows you to connect to the story on a deeper level.  At times it felt like Crossan was pulling her punches a little because she seemed to be heading the story in a certain direction and then twisted it back to something a little more palatable, but that makes the story more suitable for a younger audience which is a saving grace as this is an otherwise exceptional story.  Hopefully Crossan will continue to write for the teen audience as she has created a world that could realistically be just around the corner, and through Alina, Bea, and Quinn we see that a small group of people working against the system really can change things - though not without sacrifice and loss.

If you like this book then try:
  • Breathe by Sarah Crossan
  • Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
  • The hunger games by Suzanne Collins
  • The testing by Joelle Charbonneau
  • Eve by Anna Carey
  • Inside out by Maria V. Snyder
  • Amongst the hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
  • The limit by Kristin Landon
  • Legend by Marie Lu
  • Slated by Teri Terry
  • XVI by Julia Karr

Reviewed by Brilla

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