A Girl Undone: A Girl Called Fearless, Book 2
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that A Girl Undone picks up where A Girl Called Fearless left off, and teens who haven't read the first volume may not find it compelling. There's less food for thought as the focus shifts to the choices Avie makes and how they affect her. Strong language includes infrequent use of "f--k," with dashes, but it's spelled out once or twice; also infrequent are "crap" and "s--t" (spelled out). Violence is infrequent, but there is a murder-suicide with brief descriptions of the bloody aftermath. Older teens exchange a few kisses. An illegal pharmaceutical trade is mentioned, as is a suicide attempt involving pills and alcohol.
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What's the story?
Avie is still on the run from the Paternalist government. She has evidence of the new political party's wrongdoings, including selling nuclear weapons to a foreign government. She heads to Canada so she can find a way to expose the Paternalists from a safe place. Eventually she's recaptured by Retrievers, thugs hired by her fiancé, who take her back to her life as a trophy and virtual prisoner of the Paternalist candidate for governor. She'll have to decide whether she can live with her decision to save herself or whether she can sacrifice herself to bring an end to the Paternalist's stranglehold on women's lives and personal freedom.
Is it any good?
Catherine Linka's follow-up to A Girl Called Fearless is suspenseful and compelling but less meaty than its predecessor. It doesn't explore important social issues as it follows Avie's inner journey to making the right decisions, which gives it a more angsty, hand-wringing feel. Readers who haven't read the first book may feel lost, as some of the recapping of what came before is convoluted and confusing. Details about women's lives under the authoritarian government are rediscovered late in the novel, and, until they are, readers may find themselves wondering what the big deal is. The plotting is not as well structured, with some events seemingly happening at arbitrary moments.
But Avie is still a compelling, strong, believable hero, and teens who enjoyed the first book will enjoy rooting for A GIRL UNDONE as she struggles with choosing between saving herself and trying to help others.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about sequels. If you've read both books, do you think the author had two volumes in mind from the start? Why are sequels and series so popular in all kinds of media (books, TV shows, movies)?
Would you try to run away or stay and continue the fight? If you'd stay, how would you fight for your freedom?
Book details
- Author: Catherine Linka
- Genre: Contemporary Fiction
- Topics: Friendship, Great Girl Role Models, Misfits and Underdogs
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
- Publication date: June 23, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 13 - 17
- Number of pages: 304
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 19, 2019
Themes & Topics
For kids who love dystopian novels and suspense
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