Frozen (Taken)
Gr 7 Up—This title suffers from "second book syndrome." The dystopian novel, which continues protagonist Gray's story set in a war-torn United States separated into two distinct territories—AmWest and AmEast—is broken up into four parts and starts slowly as the members of a rebel group journey across land and sea, looking for allies and a secondary base. The action picks up in the third section when the characters finally reach the walled-in compound where they hope to find new supporters in their fight against the dictator Frank and his cloned soldiers of The Order. Many of the standard genre elements are present including a barren future landscape where water is a rare and valuable commodity, a power-hungry leader, and the requisite love triangle. What is lacking in this volume are thoughtful questions that give the narrative a deeper meaning. While Frozen may not garner the series any new fans, those who enjoyed the first title will appreciate the continuation of Gray's adventures and the novel's plot twists. Buy where the author is popular or readers' appetites for dystopian is insatiable.—Carrie Shaurette, Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood, NJ