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beasleymomtwo's review against another edition
5.0
OMG this is such a awesome series, this one better the first. I haven't been this sucked into a series in a very long time and it is wonderful. Reading this one in one day also. SO SO SO GOOD!!
pagesplotsandpints's review against another edition
4.0
Initial Impressions: I feel like this book was much more intense in book two! Definitely interesting and I liked the dual POVs between Dean and his brother.
Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide: I’ve been anxious to read SKY ON FIRE pretty much since I finished MONUMENT 14. I enjoyed MONUMENT 14 so much, but I won’t hesitate to say that I wasn’t 100% happy with the way it had ended. At first, I actually thought M14 was a stand alone so I was surprised to find out it was a series and the ending was not resolved BUT I was happy that when I started SKY ON FIRE, it totally kicked off in the right direction.
Firstly, we get two different point of views: One from our original main character Dean, who is still back at the store and then we get a second POV from his brother Alex who is out in world which is currently in chaos around him. Thinking on it, I don’t know who the second POV would be BUT Alex, but I’m glad both narrators were kept as male voices instead of alternating between male and female. I’m honestly starting to believe that switching back and forth between male & female voices within the same book is not one of my favorite things, but this was the first time I’d really seen two male voices in YA since I don’t read as many… “boy” books or even YA books with any male as the protagonist. It’s just so often female that the whole MONUMENT 14 series is kind of refreshing in that way. This may be me putting this stereotypically, but I liked that it was sort of a step back from the extreme emotional side of what I usually pick up on with female narrators and instead was more action-based and to-the-point versus lyrical or beautiful prose. These guys are not trying to impress anyone, but their point is made all the same!
So SKY ON FIRE is only 212 pages. It’s a quick read, but it’s jam-packed with action so I was constantly engrossed in one occurrence or another. That’s not to say that there are zero emotional moments. We see kids trying to get back to their families, touching moments when they help out one another, and of course the fear and sadness that goes along with the disasters and consequently panicking of others around them. Things get intense many, many times over. I actually really liked that the book was short and to the point, just like these two brothers are. I think the action was well done in just over 200 pages and things weren’t drawn out just to get a higher word count. It’s refreshing to read a shorter book every once in a while and SKY ON FIRE fits perfectly just the way it is.
So let’s talk about plot.
On the flip side, I think Alex’s story was totally the way to go. Okay, so Alex is only thirteen whereas Dean is… I want to say seventeen? So Alex having a major romance in the books doesn’t quite fit. That’s why I liked that his scenes with girls in the story is just a hint of flirting here, a kind gesture there, and nothing diving into kissing and sex and love when there is just SO many other things going on in their lives right now. Meh. Just my opinion!
I DO like all of the action as far as survival scenes, fight scenes, and general destruction of Colorado. (Sorry, CO. I actually really do like you as a state!) It’s more of just the romantic aspect that kind of bothered me…
I really enjoyed SKY ON FIRE and was actually happy that this was a short book — Not because I wasn’t enjoying it (I totally did) but because everything was nice and concise. I still had a few hang ups, but nothing that took away from the book overall TOO majorly. I did feel like SKY ON FIRE was just a bit more intense with both the romance and the violence. It’s definitely turned up a notch! Another good book in the series and I’m anxious to see where we go from here!
Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide: I’ve been anxious to read SKY ON FIRE pretty much since I finished MONUMENT 14. I enjoyed MONUMENT 14 so much, but I won’t hesitate to say that I wasn’t 100% happy with the way it had ended. At first, I actually thought M14 was a stand alone so I was surprised to find out it was a series and the ending was not resolved BUT I was happy that when I started SKY ON FIRE, it totally kicked off in the right direction.
Firstly, we get two different point of views: One from our original main character Dean, who is still back at the store and then we get a second POV from his brother Alex who is out in world which is currently in chaos around him. Thinking on it, I don’t know who the second POV would be BUT Alex, but I’m glad both narrators were kept as male voices instead of alternating between male and female. I’m honestly starting to believe that switching back and forth between male & female voices within the same book is not one of my favorite things, but this was the first time I’d really seen two male voices in YA since I don’t read as many… “boy” books or even YA books with any male as the protagonist. It’s just so often female that the whole MONUMENT 14 series is kind of refreshing in that way. This may be me putting this stereotypically, but I liked that it was sort of a step back from the extreme emotional side of what I usually pick up on with female narrators and instead was more action-based and to-the-point versus lyrical or beautiful prose. These guys are not trying to impress anyone, but their point is made all the same!
So SKY ON FIRE is only 212 pages. It’s a quick read, but it’s jam-packed with action so I was constantly engrossed in one occurrence or another. That’s not to say that there are zero emotional moments. We see kids trying to get back to their families, touching moments when they help out one another, and of course the fear and sadness that goes along with the disasters and consequently panicking of others around them. Things get intense many, many times over. I actually really liked that the book was short and to the point, just like these two brothers are. I think the action was well done in just over 200 pages and things weren’t drawn out just to get a higher word count. It’s refreshing to read a shorter book every once in a while and SKY ON FIRE fits perfectly just the way it is.
So let’s talk about plot.
Spoiler
This is where I dock some points. Don’t get me wrong — I’m not docking any major points here, but I’ve never really been a fan of the way the Dean/Astrid romance develops. I just think the fact that Astrid is pregnant is just kind of unnecessary considering everyone may die from toxins or people who have turned psycho from toxins. I also wasn’t a fan of it because I feel like these books can easily extend down to a lower age to include some middle grade readers, but the relationship and occasional sexual content (although mostly mild) in the books just doesn’t seem to fit. To me, it chops the story up into a totally different frame of mind and it just doesn’t seem to go with the overall plot and feel of the story. I would have MUCH preferred if it was Dean just getting to know the “girl of his dreams” a little better because of the disaster and then they end up together. The development of their “relationship” in the first two books just seemed like it happened really quickly for them as a couple and it just never felt on pace with the rest of the book. Maybe it’s because this series includes a number of younger kids as well? I think those “little kids” are bringing the age feel down for me so that content in the book just didn’t seem like it belonged.On the flip side, I think Alex’s story was totally the way to go. Okay, so Alex is only thirteen whereas Dean is… I want to say seventeen? So Alex having a major romance in the books doesn’t quite fit. That’s why I liked that his scenes with girls in the story is just a hint of flirting here, a kind gesture there, and nothing diving into kissing and sex and love when there is just SO many other things going on in their lives right now. Meh. Just my opinion!
I DO like all of the action as far as survival scenes, fight scenes, and general destruction of Colorado. (Sorry, CO. I actually really do like you as a state!) It’s more of just the romantic aspect that kind of bothered me…
I really enjoyed SKY ON FIRE and was actually happy that this was a short book — Not because I wasn’t enjoying it (I totally did) but because everything was nice and concise. I still had a few hang ups, but nothing that took away from the book overall TOO majorly. I did feel like SKY ON FIRE was just a bit more intense with both the romance and the violence. It’s definitely turned up a notch! Another good book in the series and I’m anxious to see where we go from here!
powermetalgirl's review against another edition
3.0
While I found this YA book (which reads for the younger end of the spectrum, in my opinion) entertaining, I couldn't rid myself of one question the whole time--how, in over two weeks of time--did not a single parent or school administrator come looking for these children?!? In fact, I could barely enjoy parts of it at times, because I was so distracted by this thoughts. Further, some of the dialogue is painfully simple and...bad? I liked the first book far more than the second. It seems there will be a third? Will I care to read it?
Will
Will
stiricide's review against another edition
1.0
Why do I keep listening to these? I hate these books. They're fine, banal, unsurprising, until, at unpredicitable moments, Laybourne decides to get REALLY inside the head of a teenage boy, describing their lusts and desires and sex acts in just the most awkward, cringe-worthy ways possible. And then you're listening to it via audiobook, so can't just skim over it, because you don't know when it will end.
The "romance" in these books is - well, it's Romeo and Juliet romance. Characters fall in and out of capital L Love on the daily, and experience capital H Heartbreak whenever something goes awry. Of course, they're teenagers. This is generally a true to life perception, but in the course of this story, it's a distracting undermining of the worldbuilding and plot advancing that COULD be going on.
There's a similar cavalier attitude to death - and murder. The world has collapsed, and suddenly, inside of a few days, these kids have become almost totally at peace with murdering other human beings. It just takes me so quickly out of the story that I can't look past it.
And with so many superfluous characters - figure, we started with 14 from the last book, then we meet new ones along the road here - it's impossible to keep track of everyone. And you KNOW that with this many people, some of them are going to end up being cannon fodder.
But the library keeps having these available on tape, so I keep listening to them, because I am an idiot.
The "romance" in these books is - well, it's Romeo and Juliet romance. Characters fall in and out of capital L Love on the daily, and experience capital H Heartbreak whenever something goes awry. Of course, they're teenagers. This is generally a true to life perception, but in the course of this story, it's a distracting undermining of the worldbuilding and plot advancing that COULD be going on.
There's a similar cavalier attitude to death - and murder. The world has collapsed, and suddenly, inside of a few days, these kids have become almost totally at peace with murdering other human beings. It just takes me so quickly out of the story that I can't look past it.
And with so many superfluous characters - figure, we started with 14 from the last book, then we meet new ones along the road here - it's impossible to keep track of everyone. And you KNOW that with this many people, some of them are going to end up being cannon fodder.
But the library keeps having these available on tape, so I keep listening to them, because I am an idiot.
elisabethsophie's review against another edition
4.0
eigentlich copy and paste von teil 1, nur mit minimal weniger aufregung über unnötige kommentare, gedanken etc.
v_nerdbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Book: Sky On Fire
Genre: YA
Type: Audiobook.
Book rating: ☆☆☆•5
Narration rating: ☆☆☆•5
Review
I didn't like it as much as the 1st book, but enjoyed it, it was good to find out what happened to the kids.
I will definitely read the 3rd one to see how everything wraps up and what happens to Dean and Alex.
Genre: YA
Type: Audiobook.
Book rating: ☆☆☆•5
Narration rating: ☆☆☆•5
Review
I didn't like it as much as the 1st book, but enjoyed it, it was good to find out what happened to the kids.
I will definitely read the 3rd one to see how everything wraps up and what happens to Dean and Alex.
alexk02's review against another edition
3.0
This book so far is definitely my least favorite in the series. While I enjoyed seeing the two different perspectives of Dean and Alex I just really wish there was more content to the book. Everything seemed so rushed and it seemed like Laybourne just didn't care enough about this book as much as the first book. There are new characters brought into the book and they all seem like class a jerks which I know the author created them to be that way. Also, in the event of a character being pregnant it seemed really unrealistic at some points at how the children handled themselves. I am glad that the last thirty pages of the book seemed to make up for the lack of information in most of the book. I am really curious to see as to how the third book plays out because the ending of this book leaves us with a somewhat of a cliffhanger because of things that Niko has decided to do. It was still an enjoyable read and I read it in one sitting.
ash_hernick's review against another edition
1.0
Reads like cheap horror (and not in a fun, campy way) and the writing is just so boring to try and keep up with. I understand that the author wanted to authentically represent the voices of teenage boys, but if that means "Boring, simple sentences that are endlessly repetitive" I'm not on board with her plan. All of the characters are shallow and lack any complexity or depth, and all of the characters of color are stereotypes of their respective races. None of this sat well with me. It's just a poorly written book - I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
fauxbie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
bookworm_630's review against another edition
3.0
A good continuation of the first novel. We get to see more of what's happening outside the store, but don't look for any character development or deep revelations here. An enjoyable story and a quick, action-packed read.