#15 [2014/CBR6] "Prodigy" by Marie Lu

There was no question that I would be quickly moving on to the second book of my latest young adult, dystopian trilogy--Prodigy (2013) by Marie Lu. I need to read all three before our book club meeting, and the first one was more interesting than I expected. I wasn't disappointed in this second book, either. Now, it's always somewhat challenging to review the second book in a trilogy. You can't say much of anything about the plot without revealing spoilers from the first book, and it's hard to have definitive ideas about the book until you know how it all ends. Therefore, beware of spoilers for the rest of this review.

The story begins again right where it left off, with June and Day, now both fugitives from the Republic running away together. June and Day find themselves, out of necessity, thrust into the world of the Patriots--the rebel group fighting against the Republic. The two begin to work for the patriots, and they are split up as they fulfill the tasks required of them by the Patriots. June lets herself be captured by the Republic in order to get close to and influence the new Elector while Day does what he does best and helps create havoc against the Republic. There are some twists and turns, and June and Day have some tough decisions, but in the end, they seem to make the right ones and the final book is set up nicely.

I don't really have any specific complaints with this book. The plot continues to be entertaining, and I like the characters. The world expanded as we learned more about the Patriots and the Colonies, but these new details did not feel forced or out of place.

I think the real problem is that I've been reading too many of these young-adult dystopian books and they're wearing a little thin. I can get into these teenage, dramatic love triangles, but after awhile they all morph into the same thing. Sometimes I'd rather just read a straight romance novel. I'm not sure if I'll get it any time soon, but I'm craving something a little deeper and a little more meaningful. These stories are interesting, but I don't know if they warrant a trilogy. They might be better whittled down into one, longer book.