I make no secret that though I am many years past the target demographic; I have a great fondness for certain teen dystopias such as Michael Grant’s GONE series, and the QUARANTINE series by Lex Thomas. I have finished with the former’s original books, and having read and reviewed the first QUARANTINE novel some time back, I have finally gotten around to reading the second book, subtitled THE SAINTS.

The first QUARANTINE book did a very good job of setting the table for the series, as an entire student body of a suburban Colorado High School is infected with a deadly virus that kills anyone who has passed puberty – the government seals the school off from the rest of the world to contain the outbreak, with snipers shooting any kid carrying the virus who tries to escape. Inside McKinley High, it quickly becomes LORD OF THE FLIES, as various cliques form into gangs that war with each other for scarce resources; naturally, the jocks and pretty girls come out on top and make life hell for everyone else – it’s basically high school on steroids with the kids in charge. The first book followed two brothers, David and Will, and the girl both of them have feelings for, Lucy, as they try to survive in this hell on earth. The first book ended with David narrowly escaping McKinley when he began showing symptoms that the virus is about become active inside him.

The second book follows Will and Lucy, who attempt to go on with life without David, but without his older brother to lead them, Will cannot keep his gang together, and he and Lucy go their separate ways, even though they are clearly attracted to each other. For a moment, it looks like the kids are going to escape their prison, but it turns out to be a fake out, but this allows for the introduction of a new gang from the outside, The Saints, made up of kids from a nearby private academy, led by an unstable charmer named Gates. These newcomers shake things up, disturbing the status quo, and managing to blackmail a group of parents, who have taken over managing the school from the military, into providing things like liquor, video games, and other luxuries. Will becomes best buds with Gates, while Lucy undergoes a harrowing initiation into an all female gang called The Sluts. But things take a turn, and Will and Lucy are fleeing for their lives by the last chapters.

One thing every reviewer of this book has mentioned is the sex and gory violence that pops up regularly in the story, much more so than the first book, which was not shy about it to start with. I have the feeling that an editor told the authors to “take it up a notch” to make the story stand out in an increasingly competitive market filled with YA teen dystopias. There is also a lot of hard profanity, which used to be verboten in teen books, but times have changed. There is attempted prostitution, alcohol and drug abuse, outright sadism, some pretty graphic sex scenes, and some animal cruelty. All things that teens would indulge in if left on their own – at least in popular dystopian fiction. None of this bothers me, but parents should be warned that this is not a series for sensitive younger kids.

In Will and Lucy, the authors have created protagonists we care about and root for; we worry for them when they make poor choices, and we are happy when they have a moment of intimate pleasure. But the standout character in this volume is Gates, who is something of a YA trope – the troubled kid from the private academy. Gates is the guy who shakes things up, who brings the party with him wherever he goes, the guy who is always fun to be around, at least at first, before the darkness inside him begins to come out. Then there is the dethroned jock, Sam, and his former best girl, Hilary (who has an interesting quirk), both of them mean and loathsome, yet the authors make us feel for them at some point in the story. And though this book is an installment in a series, it does have an arc that plays out to completion, and one that left me satisfied. There was no treading water the way some series books do while making the reader wait for the finale.

All in all, I think I liked QUARANTINE BOOK TWO: THE SAINTS better than the first book, it’s a quick read and the pace never lags, and though the POV changes often, I never got confused as to who’s eyes the story was being told through at any given moment. But I do note that this book came out six years ago now, and I do wonder if it’s sometimes frank and brutal sexuality might draw condemnation in a changing era of hyper criticism, where “activists” daily point their fingers online and seek to dictate to the rest of us what will be permissible in the popular culture. Oh well, QUARANTINE BOOK TWO: THE SAINTS left me wanting to read more, so as far as the duo known as Lex Thomas is concerned, mission accomplished. ( )

Sequel recommended by Naomi bates

Rating: 5

What can I saw about this book? Lex Thomas is killing it. In the first book, the teens where learning how to survive within their school, and they all formed gangs. In this book, the gangs are well-established but things are on the verge of change. Some of the students want to change gangs and others want to overthrow their leaders. The their is the introduction of a brand new gang--the Saint--a slew of brand new, complex characters.

Lex Thomas doesn't stop with an epic plot. He develops super complex characters (Gates!) that make your head spin. And no one is exempt for getting injured or killed. There were so many surprises in this book. All the violence and romance of the first, and of course a little brotherly love.

This book also had a greater concentration on sex. What can I say, it's high school and they have had a year to get accustomed to their life in the school. Of course their focus would change from survival to sex. Their was this one scene where Lucy and Will walk in on a couple, and boy was it hot. Lex Thomas needs to consider writing erotica. He'd make a killing.

Well, one of the gangs might become prostitutes, and it's not the Sluts. I loved getting an inside look at the Sluts. They are not what I expected. I really liked Violet. She's got a sort of boot camp going on. It was so fun to read.

There is so much more I could get into, like the parents, but I don't want to spoil anything. Go read the book; it's awesome.

After you read this, I recommend reading the third book. Then if you want to read another series that has similarities, I recommend [b:The 100|17332969|The 100 (The 100, #1)|Kass Morgan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1377012321s/17332969.jpg|24065011] [bc:The 100|17332969|The 100 (The 100, #1)|Kass Morgan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1377012321s/17332969.jpg|24065011]. ( )

This Young Adult novel is a follow up to The Loners. Will, Lucy and a few of the Loners are still stuck in the high school until the virus passes through their bodies. The military have deserted the school, a rogue gang of kids tried to break them out, but only ended up getting some out while stranding themselves in the school. A few concerned parents have decided to take over helping the kids. But, chaos still reins in the school and Will and Lucy find themselves starting over with new gangs. Interesting ending that leads into the third and final book, the Burnouts. ( )