Review: Savage Drift

Author: Emmy Laybourne
Series: Monument 14, #3
Released: May 1st 2014
Publisher: Hodder Children's
Lenght: 320 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy:Amazon

The stunningly fierce conclusion to Emmy Laybourne's Monument 14 trilogy.

The survivors of the Monument 14 have finally made it to the safety of a Canadian refugee camp. Dean and Alex are cautiously starting to hope that a happy ending might be possible.

But for Josie, separated from the group and trapped in a brutal prison camp for exposed Type Os, things have gone from bad to worse. Traumatized by her experiences, she has given up all hope of rescue or safety.

Meanwhile, scared by the government's unusual interest in her pregnancy, Astrid (with her two protectors, Dean and Jake in tow) joins Niko on his desperate quest to be reunited with his lost love Josie.

Author Emmy Laybourne reaches new heights of tension and romance in this action-packed conclusion to the Monument 14 trilogy.

As hard as it is to say goodbye to a beloved trilogy (and it seems we’ve been doing it quite often lately) the Monument kids have certainly earned their happy ending. Although it’s not without its problems, Savage Drift is a worthy conclusion to Laybourne’s post-apocalyptic work, a book that inspires both admiration and a healthy dose of introspection.

Laybourne’s version of the apocalypse was never too difficult to imagine, which made it stand out among others of the same genre. In Savage Drift she completed the picture by finally showing us a disturbingly believable reaction by the government, all things we could easily imagine happening to us if disaster struck. The things she chose to do, and especially things that happened to Josie, were horrifying and thought provoking, and they’ll stay with me for quite a while.

This final book is told from two perspectives: this time, Dean shares the narration with Josie, our type O self-sacrificing young heroine. Unfortunately, being inside Dean’s head wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as it was before. The sardonic voice we appreciated so much in the previous installments was lost in favor of jealous rambling and childish behavior. Somewhere along the line, he became almost obsessed with Astrid, who is pregnant with Jake, and the jealousy turned him into someone far less likeable. He handled the entire situation like one would expect from a 16-year-old, which would be perfectly fine, were he not fighting for fatherhood, a task he most certainly wasn’t up to. By the time we reached the last page, we still weren’t convinced that he’s mature enough to handle the responsibilities he was so determined to take on.

While Dean managed to alienate us with his jealous behavior, Josie’s story provoked a completely different reaction. Imprisoned in a camp for people with O blood type and stripped of her rights, this brave young girl gave up on ever finding a normal life for herself. Her plight was devastating to behold, but her defiance and strength were truly remarkable.

While Monument 14 isn’t the best post-apocalyptic YA trilogy out there, it’s thought provoking and riveting, which makes it worth your time.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.