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Last week I read Robison Wells's Dead Zone. I don't think I've ever finished a book series so quickly. Of course, it helps that the series consists of two books, and that I listened to them as audiobooks at 2X speed.
And that they are well-written and excellent--that always helps me get through a book.
Dead Zone is the sequel to Blackout. The books center around teenagers with special powers. It's a common theme, so i order to make a story interesting and engaging, they have to be good.
And they are.
Thanks to Wells's effective cliffhanger in Blackout, I couldn't wait to read Dead Zone. The first book introduces us to the main characters and what powers they possess. We meet Aubry and Jack, two teenagers who find themselves caught up in domestic terrorism. The army steps in to test the teenagers to see if they possess these powers. If they do, they're called "Lambdas" and they're given new assignments.
In Dead Zone the teenagers are now soldiers and sent on missions to help fight a war. In this book, it's no longer disgruntled millennials the government has to deal with, but world powers that are invading the Pacific Northwest.
There's one aspect to a story like this that I enjoy very much--it's the vast possibilities available to the writer. The virus the kids contracted gives them these powers and, just like each of us, the powers are unique. Because Wells created such a complete world, there's no end to what could be done. As I read/listened, I wondered where it would go because it really could go anywhere.
In my critique of Blackout, I wrote that if you like dystopian YA stories, you will enjoy Blackout. The same holds true for Dead Zone. It's quick, safe (if you've got a child who enjoys reading this genre...) and just plain good.
This time, my recommendation is to get both books. You'll be glad you did.
* Photo used without permission from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/20452184-dead-zone
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