Alight ~ Scott Sigler (earc) review [@scottsigler @DelReySpectra @randomhousekids]

Alight (The Generations Trilogy #2)
Del Rey
April 05, 2016
448 pages
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**contains spoilers for Alive, The Generations Trilogy Book 1 - my review**

In Alive, Scott Sigler introduced readers to an unforgettable young heroine and a mysterious new world reminiscent of those of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Red Rising. Now he expands his singular vision in the next thrilling novel of this powerful sci-fi adventure series.

“If it’s war they want, they messed with the wrong girl.”

M. Savage—or Em, as she is called—has made a bewildering and ominous discovery. She and the other young people she was chosen to lead awoke in strange coffins with no memory of their names or their pasts. They faced an empty, unknown place of twisting tunnels and human bones. With only one another to depend on, they searched for answers and found the truth about their terrifying fate. Confronted by a monstrous enemy, they vowed never to surrender—and, by any means, to survive.

The planet Omeyocan may be the sanctuary Em and her comrades seek. But the planet for which they were created turns out not to be a pristine, virgin world. Vestiges of a lost civilization testify to a horrifying past that may yet repeat itself. And when a new enemy creeps from the jungle shadows, Em and her young refugees learn there’s nowhere left to run. They face a simple choice: fight or die.

In the midst of this desperate struggle, their unity is compromised from within—and a dangerous zealot devoted to a bloodthirsty god moves to usurp Em’s command, threatening to lead them all down a path to violent doom.

Praise for Scott Sigler’s Alive

“Suspenseful . . . [Alive] lives up to its hype, packing plenty of thrills. . . . A page-turner that whets the appetite for volume 2.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Fascinating and intriguing . . . a cross between Lord of the Flies and The Maze Runner and yet . . . so much more.” —Fresh Fiction

“A ripping, claustrophobic thunderbolt of a novel.”—Pierce Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Red Rising

“Unstoppable and real, M. Savage is one hell of a heroine. Get ready to be left breathless.”—Kristin Cast, New York Times bestselling author of the House of Night series

“Sigler has created a wonderful and engrossing character in M. Savage. Strong and smart, but with the naïveté and misgivings of any teenage girl, she’s someone you’ll definitely want on your side when s**t hits the fan, which it most certainly does.”—Veronica Belmont, host of Sword & Laser

“The puzzle unfolds masterfully, right down to the last page.”—Phil Plait, PhD, author of Bad Astronomy

I loved Alive, the first book in the Generations Trilogy. It was full of twists and turns and definitely some surprises. In Alight we know who Em and the others are, why they woke up in the 'coffins,' who was responsible for them being there and what was planned for them. We also know just how well they accepted that plan.

After fighting back, and leaving the ship, they have made their way to the planet where the Grownups were supposed to, eventually, live. Now, as they continue to learn about themselves and how to navigate life they have a whole new world with which to contend.

With this book on a condensed timeline, much like the first, an taking place just a few days after the characters 'woke up' we continued to learn about them through, actions and how they dealt with the (quite extreme and trying) circumstances. That continues in Alight. Things are far from settled, even if they should be 'safe,' and even if Em has been elected as their leader.

There is a lot of parallel between the two books - each place the characters in an uncertain, undefined setting where they have to work to learn the truth, while figuring out the truth not only about where they are but about themselves.

Alight takes a teenager's struggle with identity you've likely read before (is it possible to be different from your parents/who they raised you to be/what they expect) and takes it to a wonderful, sci-fi-y extreme. The characters in Alight were made to become these other people, now it's a question of if that's inevitable.

The book is action packed and exciting but poses some great questions - for readers and characters -about power, personal choice, morality, and what's right and wrong. The way the characters don't yet, fully, know each other, the doubt, the power struggles, it all made Alight a great read.

When I first read the ending, I did think it might be the ending of the series, but knowing that it's a trilogy has me very excited. The ending to Alive was pretty spectacular but I think Alight's ending may have it beat. Thankfully, we only have to wait until October for that ending ending in Book 3, Alone.








review copy received, thanks to publisher, via NetGalley