Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Post-apocalyptic thriller sequel ups the action, tension.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
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 :
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- 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, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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