“It was a lovely moment.”

From Emmy Laybourne’s Monument 14: Sky on Fire.

After a series of disasters forced a group of teenagers (Dean, Niko, Jake, Astrid, Josie, and Brayden), kids (Alex, Sahalia, Chloe, Batiste, Max, Ulysses, Caroline, and Henry), and a dog to seek shelter in the Monument, Colorado Greenway superstore, it didn’t seem like it could get any worse until the chemical leak from the nearby NORAD facility turned large portion of the population into homicidal maniacs.  Depending on a person’s blood type the chemicals can also cause death, delusions, or even infertility which makes going outside very dangerous, especially for those that don’t know their blood type.  While the monument fourteen have been in agreement on many things, brothers Dean and Alex have a difference of opinions that results in them splitting up the group.  Dean wants to stay in store where it’s safe, while Alex wants to see if the rumors about evacuations at the Denver International Airport are true.  As Alex and his group face indescribable horrors as they try to make their way to the airport, Dean is also faced with a terrible situation as a group of chemical-infected soldiers take over the store.  As the days by, each group quickly sees (for different reasons/choices out of their control) that staying in the store is not an option.  The Monument 14 are about to face unbeatable dangers that threaten all the relative safety they’ve come to know.

Narrated by the brothers, readers are able to see varying viewpoints through different interactions, thoughts, and situations.  As with the first book, this story is so terrifying and thrilling because everything in the book is so possible.  It is a short fairly short book with some writing issues scattered throughout, but overall Sky on Fire is a captivating page-turner that leaves readers desperate for the next book.