Friday, May 13, 2016

#Saturday Review - The Replaced by Kimberly Derting (Young Adult, Science Fiction)

Series: The Taking # 2
Format: E-Galley, 368 pages
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher 
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction


The gripping second installment in the Taking trilogy is perfect for fans of The Fifth Wave and the Body Finder series. Explosive and romantic, with creepy, otherworldly elements and twisty, psychological thrills, The Replaced will have you questioning what exactly it means to be human.
Kyra hasn’t been the same since she returned from her mysterious five-year disappearance. Now on the run from the NSA, Kyra is forced to hide out with others who, like her, have been Returned. Yet she is determined to find Tyler, the boy she loves who was also abducted…all because of her. When her group intercepts a message that Tyler might still be alive, Kyra risks everything to get him back. But he is being held by a shadowy government organization that experiments on the Returned, and going after him puts the rest of the group in danger. Even if Kyra gets Tyler back, the fight to save him—and the rest of the Returned—is just beginning.




The Replaced is the second installment in Kimberly Derting's The Taking trilogy, with The Countdown (which released May 10), being the final installment. 16-year old Kyra Agnew was taken by aliens FIVE years ago, experimented on, and then Returned. She's been on the No-Sucher's (NSA) Daylight Division's most wanted list and chased relentlessly by Agent Truman. Kyra is something entirely different from the other Returned. Derting only scratched the surface of what made Kyra so different in The Taking

After being experimented on by aliens, Kyra can see perfectly fine in the dark, she has telekinesis abilities, she ages slower than normal humans, and she's stronger than others. But, the missing piece of the puzzle has yet to be revealed. Is Kyra human, or is she something else entirely? Now, with this installment, Derting digs even deeper to what really happened during her absence, and why she has incredible powers that nobody else has. If you are new to this series, then let me summarize briefly what happened to this point without spoilers. 

After being Returned, Kyra found that the world, including her best friend Cat, her boyfriend Austin, and her parents, have moved on with their lives. The real problem is that she didn't. She's still the same age when she was taken. Her own mother betrayed her to Agent Truman who refuses to leave her alone. She later found herself hiding with fellow Returned at a place called Silent Creek Camp. Kyra also found out that her blood is extremely toxic to all humans. 

So much so that her new boyfriend Tyler was exposed to the point where Kyra made a heart breaking choice hoping those that took her, would fix Tyler. That choice has now come into question. Especially since it has been 17 days since Tyler went missing along with her own father who is something of a science fiction geek and never gave up hope of seeing Kyra again. As the story unfolds, Kyra along with others like Simon, Jett, Willow, Natty, and Thom are still searching for Tyler. But, Kyra is restless and jittery to the point where a decision is made to track down a mysterious message to where Kyra and crew believe Tyler can be found. 

Kyra's powers, pretty much a secret from almost everyone but a select few including Simon, makes their presence felt in a major way. This actually had me cheering since I wanted Kyra to stop being so restrained, and go full blown Hulk on the No Suchers! Once again, Kyra and new friends are forced to flee to yet another supposed safe camp called Blackwater Ranch. But, nothing will stop Truman nor the NSA from chasing after Kyra until she has no where to run. This is a book that is filled with chase scenes, secrets, revelations, and a romance that may have caused a little screaming inside. Thus the reason for the rating.

You see, I am all in with Kyra and Tyler. I've pretty much come to expect that she would move away from Austin, especially since she hasn't aged a day since she was taken. Tyler and Kyra are good together. Whereas another character who shalt not be named, decides it's a fantastic time to throw his angst and desire into the Kyra sweepstakes. This is a book that once again ends on an unhappy cliffhanger ending. The only good thing about the ending, is that Kyra finds herself exactly where she needs to be while she figures out her future, and how to stay away from Truman. 

One the more interesting characters in this book is Griffin, the leader of Blackwater. She has a previous relationship with both Simon and Thom, and Willow. She's so much more than meets the eyes, and her connection to the Returned, and to certain mad scientists, answers a whole lot of questions. She's also leading the charge against the NSA which Derting explains why in a very in your face manner.

I truly wish that Edelweiss/Publisher would have offered the final novel up for request, but alas, it's going to take making a request through my library in order to see how things are wrapped up. 




1 comment:

  1. Nice! I still need to read this one as well, but glad that the final book is out so I can just binge the remaining ones of this trilogy! It's reminding me of how excited and enthralled I was with the first book! Cannot wait to read this one! Great review!

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