The Dark Shore

September 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-This fast-paced sequel to The Lost Code (HarperCollins, 2012) reads like a combination of Star Trek, Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief, and Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games. Owen is a descendant of the ancient Atlanteans and has the power to find an almost-extinct technology that will reverse climate change. Wanting that secret for himself, Paul, who is the evil head of the Elysium Project, is determined to find Owen and his friends, Leech and Lilly, and use the teen's secret for his own purposes. In order to evade the villain and find Atlantis, the three travel by aircraft across the barren wasteland of what used to be the United States. They encounter dead bodies fallen by pandemics and numerous other horrors. They meet untrustwothy people, but finally form an alliance with the Benevolent Mother, the leader of a cult who tries to help them with their mission. The plot twists around like a vine, blending mythology, technology, pandemics, violence, and excitement. The three main characters are likable, though they all seem to have nine lives. This second installment will appeal to dystopian fans as well as to students who can keep track of the many subplots.-Kathy Lyday, South Caldwell High School, NC

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2013
Owen, his crush Lilly, and bully-turned-ally Leech venture into the parched, plague-stricken landscape beyond protected EdenWest in search of an ancient artifact that can reverse global warming. While the plotting is imaginative, the limp love triangle and muddled world-building sap some of the narrative's tension; the combination of hard science and mystical prophecies may not convince all readers.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

April 15, 2013
The heroes of The Lost Code (2012) race to stay ahead of EdenCorp and reach the powerful, climate-altering Paintbrush of the Gods first. The trio is dangerously low on food, water and protection from the sun's radiation. They take a chance on a supply run at an old Wal-Mart in a dead city, where they encounter members of the Heliad-Seven cult, which has taken control of EdenSouth from EdenCorp. The cultists invite the three to their city, Desenna, to join a girl whose Atlantean DNA indicates she may be the Medium. If so, she will complete the set of three guardians, together with Mariner Leech and Aeronaut Owen. With this sequel, Emerson jumps into action and plot right away, as the heroes struggle to escape and survive, especially Lilly, who badly needs a doctor. When EdenCorp's Paul finally catches them at an Atlantean temple holding a crucial tool, they barely escape to Desenna. Heliad-Seven leader and former EdenSouth director Dr. Victoria Keller has remarkably logical explanations for the religion she invented, and she asks that they participate in the living myth alongside Seven, the Atlantean descendant viewed as a goddess. Seven expands the growing rift between Owen and Lilly, creating a love triangle. The twists at Desenna are expertly executed, surprising while illuminating, and some pack emotional sucker punches. Readers will beg for the follow-up to this tense, well-plotted sequel. (Science fiction. 12-17)

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