Monument 14: Sky on Fire
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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 Monument 14: Sky on Fire is a fast-paced, suspenseful, post-apocalyptic thriller with an engaging cast of young characters. The plot picks up exactly where the first volume in the series left off, with one group of kids on their way to Denver Airport in a school bus and the other hiding out in a big-box store. The language is pretty mild, with only a handful of uses of "hell." There's some sexual content: 17-year-old Astrid is pregnant, and she and Dean have sex while under the influence of a compound that makes them lose their inhibitions. Young children are in mortal danger throughout, and the level of violence is high. Rogue military cadets threaten younger children with guns. A father and son capture unwary kids in a pit trap. Dean and Astrid kill intruders with guns and a chainsaw.
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BEST SERIES EVER!!!!!
A little less action but still the same AWSOME
What's the story?
At the start of MONUMENT 14: SKY ON FIRE, the 14 survivors of the mysterious disaster that hit Monument, Colo., have split into two groups. Thirteen-year-old Alex is on a school bus with an assortment of other teens and younger kids headed toward Denver Airport, in the hope that someone can help their critically wounded friend Brayden. Meanwhile, Alex's brother Dean is still holed up at the Greenway big-box store, waiting for rescue and afraid that he and 17-year-old Astrid will turn into rage-crazed killers if exposed to the air outside. Both groups will have to fight off thieves and bullies who prey on the weak and unwary, before an even bigger threat to their survival arrives.
Is it any good?
Monument 14: Sky on Fire avoids the pitfalls that often catch second books in a trilogy. Instead of only marking time before a presumably exciting conclusion, the bifurcated plot keeps moving ahead into new territory, delivering scenes filled with tension, action, and well-handled character work.
Author Emmy Laybourne makes the two narrative strands work well together, providing twists and cliffhangers galore. What's not particularly clear is how all these disasters come to happen at once. No one in the novel seems to worry about it much, so perhaps the reader shouldn't, either.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about why apocalyptic literature is currently so popular. Why do readers like stories in which disaster has struck and toppled civilization?
What character traits makes a good leader? Can a strength in one situation be a liability in another?
After a disaster, what are some good strategies to preserve resources? What disasters should families prepare for?
Book details
- Author: Emmy Laybourne
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Misfits and Underdogs
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
- Publication date: May 28, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 13 - 17
- Number of pages: 224
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
Themes & Topics
For kids who love thrillers
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.