emsy_ 's review for:

In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

1.0

---

This book is almost entirely actionless and does not feel like the final book of a trilogy. The characters instead spend all their time running around an underground bunker all trying to play hero and being angry with everyone else's attempts to be hero. The author kills off the only good guy with a brain.

I spent the majority of this book wishing for the bad guy, Clancy to succeed because at least when he's mind controlling everyone, these idiots would have some intelligence rattling around their empty skulls.

Cate, literally berates the teenagers for sneaking away from CHILD TRAFFICKERS and goes to find them and bring them back. We're supposed to believe that she's a good person? Someone who forces children to be around child abusers is a child abuser themselves.

The main character constantly talks about how she is the only one who can resist Clancy's control, while having 0 examples of completely keeping him out. 

The three main non white characters all have racist characterisations:
1. The black kid, "Chubs", is the comic relief while being the only one of the main four with some critical thought. He's also the only person who is shown to resist mind control, but of course he can't be anyone useful or heroic because he's the punchline.

2. The Asian kid, Zu, switches between acting like a four year old and an emotionless oracle. Not once did she act like a teenage girl.

3. The Latina kid, Vida, acts like a raging cunt the entire time. Bullies everyone and anyone, she can. Has no redeeming qualities.