Shatter City by Scott Westerfeld

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Imposters, book 2. Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760528256.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Themes: Dystopian fiction, Rebellions, Adventure, Resistance, Earthquakes, Medical emergencies. The exciting adventures of Frey continue in Shatter City. After taking on the role of her sister Rafi (Imposters, 2018) Frey is determined to bring down her father and stop his evil. After a rescue attempt she is stranded in Paz and without allies finds herself in the middle of a devastating earthquake. The citizens of Paz regulate their emotions using an interface on their arms and Frey finds it increasingly easy to use, as she sees the destruction all around her.
Westerfeld has written another exciting, fast paced novel that will keep the readers engrossed. Each chapter is relatively short and often has a cliffhanger so it is easy to continue reading and forget everything else that is happening around you. Frey finds that she has to stop being her sister's shadow and start working out what is important as she tries to help the inhabitants of the devastated city and then search for her sister and stop her father.
Set in the world of the Uglies series, readers will enjoy Shatter City more if they read the first in this spin-off series, Imposters, and people who are fans of Westerfeld's writing, as I am, will be thrilled to have another exciting series to follow. Not only is there action and adventure, but Westerfeld examines themes that resonate today, like the use of drugs to regulate moods and big brother surveillance tools.
Lots of twists and turns and something very unexpected at the end will ensure that readers pick up the next in the series.
Pat Pledger

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