Mini-Review: In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

Ruby can't look back. Fractured by the loss of Jude, the young boy she vowed to protect, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers--someone so dangerous that Ruby alone has any power over him. In their possession is a volatile secret: proof of a governement conspiracy to cover up the real cause of IANN, the disease that killed most of America's children, and left Ruby and others like her with powers the government will kill to keep contained. But their plan to free the "rehabilitation camps" housing thousands of other Psi kids are thwarted when President Gray hires a ruthless military contractor named Gen4, to put an end to them once and for all. Liam, the boy who Ruby would--and did--sacrifice everything to keep alive, may never forgive her for erasing his memories of her. She turns to Cole, his older brother, to provide the intense training she knows she will need to take down Gray and the government. But Cole has demons of his own, and one fatal mistake may be the spark that sets the world on fire.

I have enjoyed this series, as a whole. I still think The Darkest Minds was the strongest book, though I found In the Afterlight to be stronger than Never Fade. This series conclusion didn’t quite blow me away, but it was good. As usual, I am staying very clear of spoilers, so vagueness will be my friend yet again, via some “likes and dislikes”. 

What Worked: 

• The characters. As always, this series is really driven by the amazing characters that have been brought to life by Ms. Bracken. Truly, I don’t know that a better cast of characters, based on sheer volume-to-quality ratio, exists. To make you feel something for every character (be it love or hate) takes quite a talent. I knew I would read this book, if for no other reason than I cared so deeply for the characters. Yes, Ruby was a strong and transformed heroine, but it was the others who really stole the show (and my heart).
• The questions of morality. I think that this really added an extra layer that worked so well for this series. Not only was it full of adventure, but there were deeper questions behind a lot of it, and I loved that. There is a gray area in this book, and I loved trying to figure out the “right” answers.
• The action. I suppose when kids have special powers comparable to X-Men, it makes sense that things would get hectic on the regular.
• Adults! Yes, yes, we have adults, and they are not always the bad guy. I won’t say much more, but when we saw some actual adults coming around, it seemed to give things a more realistic feel.

What Didn’t: 

• The pacing was a bit slow for me. As in Never Fade, this book is long, and sometimes it felt a bit draggy. That is really my main gripe with the book, that there were points that my attention just wasn’t completely held.
• It kind of became a bit predictable. I knew how it was going to end pretty much from the start, and I had been hoping for a few more twists and turns, though most of the loose ends are tied up pretty satisfactorily.

Bottom Line: I recommend this trilogy as a whole. Especially if the psi powers are your thing, and you love a phenomenal cast of characters. While I wasn’t exactly on the edge of my seat, my love for the characters made the trilogy and In the Afterlight worth the read.