Unbreakable
This taut sequel to Unraveling (2012) picks up four months after Janelle and Ben save the world and sacrifice their true love in the process. The world they rescued, though, will never be the same, and Janelle struggles to find a new normal, haunted by ghosts and memories. But there’s no time for nostalgia; Interverse agent Taylor Barclay appears with news of an inter-universe human trafficking ring, and Ben is the prime suspect. Fans of the first novel will find much that’s familiar: Janelle’s strength, Elijah’s affinity for the f-bomb, plenty of adrenaline, and the relentless tick of a countdown clock to begin each short, episodic chapter. And at least one obligatory, heartbreaking good-bye. But there are plenty of surprises in store as well, with abundant plot twists and betrayals to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Norris seeds the intrigue with sf details (hydrochloradneum bullets prevent inter-universe hand-ons healing, it turns out) and balances the violence with the palpable drama of adolescence.            HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: With a companion novella from Ben’s point of view on the horizon and MTV developing Unraveling into a scripted series, Norris’s fanbase is destined to grow. Grades 8-12, --Thom Barthelmess