Series: Monument 14, #2
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Publish Date: May 28th, 2013
Source: ARC
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Rating: 3.5/5- Started out a little rough, but by the end I couldn’t put it down.

Synopsis: The world hasn’t ended…yet.

In this sequel to MONUMENT 14, the group of survivors, originally trapped together in a superstore by a series of escalating disasters, has split in two. Most of the kids are making a desperate run on their recently repaired school bus for the Denver airport where they hope to reunite with their parents, be evacuated to safety, and save their dying friend.

But the world outside is dark and filled with dangerous chemicals that turn people into bloodthirsty monsters, and not all the kids were willing to get on the bus. Left behind in a sanctuary that has already been disturbed once, the remaining kids try to rebuild the community they lost. But when the issues are life and death, love and hate, who can you really trust?

Thoughts: Wowza! I stayed up way too late last night finishing this book. This is book two of the Monument 14 series by Emmy Laybourne, and I suspect the final book in the series. There were some definite ups and downs both in terms of story and quality, but if you liked the first book in this series (which I did), then you’ll want to read this one. So, let’s talk about it!

Unlike the first book, this one has two different POV’s, brothers Dean and Alex. Their voices blended together a bit much for my taste, but their stories were totally different and equally intense. The first half of Sky on Fire was an interesting reading experience. It fluctuated between dragging and almost being too tense for me to keep reading (but I’m a wimp). Dean was still at the superstore, while Alex was on the run with most of the kids trying to make it to the Denver airport in a very hostile environment. The stakes are definitely high in Sky on Fire. In the final third of the book almost every chapter seems to end with a massive WHOA moment before you’re taken back to the other POV character.

I should mention that while Alex and Dean could have been more distinct from each other, the rest of the characters were extremely well done. It took me a few chapters to remember which little boy was which, but otherwise everyone had a distinct (and at times hilarious) persona. You’ll find yourself really rooting at all the little kids get to safety because you know it would break your heart if any one of them died.

My biggest complaint with the book was some of the writing. Most of it was decently crafted and suitably tense, but some bits were just bad. You’ll find yourself doing a few double takes just to make sure you read that right, but if you’re willing to push past, the story is well worth a few awkward moments.

Going into this book, I didn’t realize it was the last in the series, but if you’re already a fan of these books I think you’ll be happy with the conclusion that Emmy Laybourne came up with. If you’re not already a fan of this series, and are a fan of books like Gone by Michael Grant, then I would absolutely recommend checking out Monument 14 and then Sky on Fire.

Purchase Sky on Fire
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