On My Bookshelf: The Expedition by Chris Babu

The basic plot from Amazon: They survived the Initiation. Now the real test begins.

Drayden and his friends thought nothing could be harder than the Initiation. Little did they know it had only been a warmup for the challenge that lay ahead.

With New America’s situation dire, Drayden and the pledges venture into the unexplored world beyond the walls, escorted by a team of elite Guardians. The group seeks to contact another civilization in what remains of Boston, but Drayden has secret goals of his own.

Dangers abound in the outside world, including Aeru, the deadly superbug that wiped out humanity. While they battle the elements of a desolate landscape, a power struggle emerges within their ranks. The Guardians seem to be carrying out a covert mission themselves, and the quest turns everything they thought they knew about New America upside down.

Why I liked it: After reading The Initiation, book one in the series, I jumped right into The Expedition. While I liked the puzzles and riddles in The Initiation, I liked the realism of the struggles of Drayden and his friends as they ventured outside New America, their walled community, in The Expedition even better. This second book reminded me of a similarly realistic dystopian series, Life As We Knew It, particularly the final book in the series, The Shade of the Moon.

Because resources are running out in New America, Drayden, Charlie, Catrice, and Sydney barely have time to rest after completing the Initiation before they are sent out on a mission to make contact with Boston.They are accompanied by a team of four military guards and it quickly becomes clear that the two groups have different objectives. As the group suffers one disaster after another, they rely on their limited survival skills to carry on with their trek and risk making contact with groups of people who have been living outside of the walls of New America.

Drayden must use the same strategic thinking that got him through the Initiation except that the challenges are real rather than man made. His self-doubting unfortunately continues as does some of the awkward dialogue.

Classroom application: Just like the first book in the series, I would recommend this one for middle school and up. There's no concerning language, the romance and violence intensifies but are still pretty is PG, and drug references are few. Fans of The Walking Dead may appreciate this book in the series. You can also find more dystopian recommendations for your students here and here.

The treat of Aeru and the dangers of contact between Drayden and his friends and the world outside the walls of New America could be compared to the spread of disease that explorers caused in new lands and even settlers as they pushed West.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of The Expedition for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

On My Bookshelf: The Initiation by Chris Babu

The basic plot from Amazon: Everyone is equal. But no one is safe.

In a ruined world, Manhattan is now New America, a walled-in society based on equality. But the perfect facade hides a dark truth.

A timid math geek, sixteen-year-old Drayden watches his life crumble when his beloved mother is exiled. The mystery of her banishment leads him to a sinister secret: New America is in trouble, and every one of its citizens is in jeopardy.

With time running out, he enters the Initiation. It’s a test within the empty subway tunnels—a perilous journey of puzzles and deadly physical trials. Winners join the ruling Bureau and move to its safe haven. But failure means death. Can Drayden conquer the Initiation, or is salvation out of his grasp?

Why I liked it: The Initiation is action packed and perfect for anyone who loves dystopian series like the Hunger Games series or the Lunar Chronicles. After his mother is exiled, the main character, Drayden, enters the Initiation, a grueling set of trials that require both intelligence and strength, and if successfully completed, will guarantee a better life for him and his family. Drayden is joined by his crush, his best friend, his worst enemy, and two of his other classmates, and the six must work together as their brains and brawn are tested.

My favorite parts were the logic puzzles and riddles that Drayden worked out, often with the help of his crush Catrice. My least favorite parts were Drayden's constant self-doubt and some of the awkward dialogue, which likely could have been avoided if some of the characters were a little more fleshed out and a little less stereotypical.

Classroom application: I would recommend this one for middle school and up. There's no concerning language, the romance is PG, and the violence/drug references are mild. You can find more dystopian recommendations for your students here and here.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of The Initiation for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.