Luminary


Luminary
Krista McGee
Thomas Nelson

Thalli thought escaping to the surface would mean freedom. But is she any less of an anomaly aboveground?
After escaping an underground annihilation chamber, Thalli, Berk, Rhen, and John find themselves fleeing across the former United States, aboveground for the first time. As the defectors cross the forgotten landscape, the three youths see things they had only read about on screens: horses, rain, real books—and a colony of unsanctioned survivors living the ancient way in a town called New Hope.
When these survivors reveal the truth of what happened years ago, Thalli is left unsettled and skeptical of everything she’s ever been told. Can she trust anything from the State, including her own feelings for Berk? When she volunteers for a peace mission to New Hope’s violent neighbor, Athens, her confusion mounts when the supposedly ruthless Prince Alex turns out to be kind and charming. Although everyone in New Hope warned her not to, she can’t help but fall for him.
Meanwhile, John’s unwavering faith in the goodness of the Designer begins to make its mark on Thalli’s heart. But can Thalli really come to trust in a generous, protective Designer who rules over all things? Would that not be setting herself up for another betrayal?
The time for her to decide is now . . . because the State is closing in.
This book was, at the beginning, a little slow for me: I found Thalli rather unlikable and the other characters seemed a little dull. However, after the first few chapters, the story really picked up (and I began to like Thalli again). It was very different in tone than the previous book, but it fit this story. It felt reminiscent of some instances in the Old Testament in the books of Judges and 1&2 Kings.

The one thing I didn't like was the beginnings of a love triangle. Nooooo, I felt like screaming, Luke-Skywalker-like. What is it with YA fiction and love triangles? However, though I didn't care for that aspect of the book, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story so much that it ruined it for me. I liked the way the Luminary gave closure to the main conflict of its story but still ended on a cliffhanger. I'm definitely curious for the next book, Revolutionary, and can't wait until it comes out this summer!

Rating: 8 1/2

I received this book for free from booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.

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