All These Warriors

April 1, 2021

Gr 8 Up-As the sequel to All These Monsters opens, Clara and her team are pulling out of London and taking a break in New York City to plot their next moves in the battle against alien scrabs. There is some division among the team as they try to decide whether to focus their efforts on hunting scrabs, tracking the corruption at the Monster Defense Group (MDG), or establishing a scrab cleanup brigade to mop up after scrab insurgencies have been nullified. The majority of the book centers on tension building over a possible showdown with the controlling boyfriend from the first book, while delighting readers in the posh lifestyle provided by crashing at a team member's parents' house. The boyfriend evolves into a stalker ex who constantly calls, texts, and emails Clara. He follows her from city to city, becoming more volatile as it becomes clear Clara now has eyes for another team member with whom she regularly shares a bed (note that sex is strictly implied, never discussed). Clara is biracial (her mom is Mexican and dad is white), and her mom's backstory becomes significant in the final chapter when a scrab hunter media tour focuses heavily on Mexico and South America. VERDICT A solid sequel that ties up loose ends, but can't stand on its own. Purchase only where the first was popular.-Leah Krippner, Harlem H.S., Machesney Park, IL

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June 1, 2021
The sequel to All These Monsters (2020) picks up seamlessly where the last one finished. Clara and her faithful teammates are still killing scrabs--ferocious predatory monsters--in London, despite the devastating murders of their leader, Grayson, and three other teammates. Scrab numbers are down, but the recruits are in desperate need of respite. Nonetheless Clara remains loyal to the fight and her friends in team seven, even if it means orbiting the same universe as Julian, her former team leader, an explosively angry, controlling ex who physically assaulted her and is now relentlessly emailing her, seeking redemption. Clara's emotional recovery from her traumatic relationship with Julian takes the main stage. Her emancipation from this abusive relationship is powerful, but the novel feels cluttered by the scrab plot, which drags at times due to a substantial decrease in action. The large cast of characters that was endearing in the earlier title does not receive further development, and readers may find it hard to track who is who and why they matter. Nonetheless, those invested in Clara will be heartened by her vulnerable journey of growth--and her ultimate success--in developing mutually loving relationships with her best friend, Maddie; distant brother, Laurence; and love interest, Edan. Clara and Laurence are Mexican and White; the first title described a diverse supporting cast. A disjointed yet satisfactory duology closer. (Science fiction. 14-18)

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July 1, 2021
Grades 8-11 The conclusion to Tintera's SF duology rejoins Clara and her teammates in London as they continue to combat murderous scrabs, armored monsters, months after the events of All These Monsters (2020). Following a disastrous operation, the depleted St. John team heads home to the U.S. Clara and Edan, dancing around their mutual attraction, accept Maddie's invitation to stay at her mother's ultra-luxurious townhouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Julian, Clara's abusive ex, is stalking her and has joined the Scrab Defense League, a fringe group supporting Second Amendment rights for trained scrabs. After tracking down a secret Monster Defense Group facility outside Lubbock, Texas, the St. John team regroups to investigate, setting up a climactic battle. Clara's personal growth is the focus here, as she learns to form healthy relationships and finds her passion: aiding communities destroyed by scrab attacks. This sequel does not stand alone, and readers eager for monster fighting may be disappointed. Others will appreciate the sweet chemistry between Edan and Clara and the mounting suspense as Julian's behavior becomes increasingly unhinged.

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