

While the school is an insidious character on its own and the big reveal is slightly psychologically disturbing, Evan’s positioning as a tragic hero with an uncertain fate-which is connected to his stalking of Emma (even before her disappearance)-is far more unsettling. Evan, a chess prodigy who relies on patterns and has difficulty processing social signals, believes he knows Emma better than anyone. Her boyfriend, an athlete called Aiden, naturally wants to find her. Brilliant chemist Neesha believes Emma has run away to avoid taking the heat for the duo’s illegal drug enterprise.

When talented poet Emma disappears, three students, distrusting of the school administration, launch their own investigation.

Redemption Preparatory is a cross between the Vatican and a top-secret research facility: The school is rooted in Christian ideology (but very few students are Christian), Mass is compulsory, cameras capture everything, and “maintenance” workers carry Tasers. In a remote part of Utah, in a “temple of excellence,” the best of the best are recruited to nurture their talents. Both Nita and Kovit are brown skinned Nita has a Chilean father and a nonhuman mother.Ī gory, thought-provoking sequel mixing Dexter and John Wick and not for the faint-hearted. Although there is little actual plot progression (the characters start and end the book in the same kind of danger), there is undoubtedly a strong character arc toward self-knowledge and self-determination for both protagonists. As Nita and Kovit grow closer to one another, the book never shies away from its characters’ psychopathic tendencies, with little respite from the graphic violence that they both endure and induce. But even the best-laid plans have flaws….While the setting moves from Latin America to Canada, the story is still very much concerned with ongoing questions of nature, nurture, and accountability when it comes to one’s humanity-or one’s monstrosity, as the case may be. When she realizes that to ensure her freedom she needs to send a message to her enemies not to mess with her, Nita turns to Kovit, the monstrous boy she both fears and likes. But Nita has even bigger problems now, as a video of her self-healing ability is on the dark web, marking her as a vulnerable target.

Picking up right after Not Even Bones’ (2018) cliffhanger ending, Nita finds herself facing Fabricio, the boy who betrayed her to the black market, and revenge is all Nita thinks of. Continues the violent misfortunes of two teens on the run for their lives.
