Paradise City

VOYA

In this sequel to The Big Empty, readers return to visit a futuristic United States where most of the population has been decimated by the deadly virus, Strain 7. Those left alive are living under martial law in large cities on the East and West coasts. The broad expanse of the Midwest is now called the Big Empty. In the first book of this series, teens from distant geographic locations come together in search of the utopian refuge Novo Mundum, located somewhere in the Big Empty. Happily for readers left dangling at the end of The Big Empty, the seven teenage heroes find themselves safely at Novo Mundum as Paradise City opens. A few weeks have now passed, long enough for Michael to fall in love with Liza, the daughter of Novo Mundum's leader, Dr. Slattery. All seems well in the new, peaceful setting. Keely is teaching, Irene is continuing her medical training, Jonah is respected for his engineering expertise, and even Amber is settling into working in the greenhouse as her pregnancy progresses. Trouble, however, begins to leak into paradise. Diego's wounds are not healing, and he is on the brink of death despite apparent medical care. Michael witnesses the death of a friend that should never have happened. As the friends start to piece together the increasingly eerie omens, they begin to suspect that their safe haven is more dangerous than the perils of the Big Empty. Despite some loose plot ends and suspicious geographic calculations, the series has many appealing elements. Suspense and action-adventure vie with teen romance to keep the reader flipping those pages. Recommend these for your Buffy/Roswell/Countdown series fans. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P J S (Better than most,marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2004, Razorbill/Penguin Putnam, 240p., pb. Ages 12 to 18.
—Diane Emge

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-A fast-moving, compelling, and plot-driven sequel to The Big Empty (Penguin, 2004). Seven teenagers have found sanctuary in Novo Mundum, an oasis of relative calm, health, and safety in the midst of this post-apocalyptic America. However, someone may be passing information about this place to enemies in the outside world, and they want to find out who it is. Amber, Irene, Diego, and Liza investigate suspicious clues within the settlement, while Michael, Gabe, and Keely are sent out to scout for supplies by Novo Mundum's leaders, Dr. Paul Slattery, a medical researcher, and his brother Frank, an ex-Marine in charge of day-to-day operations. The journey outside takes on grade-B horror-movie proportions, which are described in lurid detail. The group encounters marauding gang members, charred bodies, and a young boy living with the decayed corpses of his parents. However, the discoveries made by the teens within the settlement are even worse, putting all of their lives in danger. Paradise City is slightly reminiscent of John Marsden's Tomorrow, When the War Began (Houghton, 1995), which also features teenagers taking on a post-apocalyptic world in hair-raising and dangerous escapades. However, those characters are realistic, flesh-and-blood young people, while character development in Paradise City is limited to what is needed to move the plot along. Sex is hinted at, but some of the raw language used may be more offensive than the realistic sex in Marsden's series. Undemanding fare for fans of the first book.-Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.