Thunderhead

Shusterman cranks up the stakes in this blistering sequel [...] Interweaving heady questions of morality, responsibility, loyalty, and power, Shusterman builds to a devastatingly intense conclusion that sends the characters and larger world into terrifying new territory.

Shusterman cranks up the stakes in this blistering sequel [...] Interweaving heady questions of morality, responsibility, loyalty, and power, Shusterman builds to a devastatingly intense conclusion that sends the characters and larger world into terrifying new territory.

This sequel digs deeper into Shusterman’s complex world and complicated characters, offering political maneuvering, fatal conspiracies, and impending catastrophe via a slowly unfurling plot and startling bursts of action. Fear the reaper(s)…but relish this intelligent and entertaining blend of dark humor and high death tolls.

Shusterman follows up his Printz Honor Book Scythe (2016) with that most difficult of feats: a sequel that surpasses its predecessor… There’s no doubting Shusterman’s talents—he’s nabbed both a National Book Award and a Printz Honor Book—and this sequel to an enthusiastically received series starter is eagerly awaited.

Shusterman wields his magic once again in this continuation. The exploration of how the Thunderhead operates and thinks, told through “diary entries,” gives the story an extra dimension: how would an all-knowing, all-powerful AI think, and how would it process a flawed humanity? The climax and twist ending will leave fans of the series begging for the next installment. VERDICT A rare sequel that is even better than the first book.

“[…] supernatural gets serious”

Neal Shusterman is an award-winning author whose books include the New York Times bestselling Unwind series and Challenger Deep , which won a National Book Award. He also writes screenplays for film and television, for shows such as Goosebumps and Animorphs . He lives in Florida and has four children. Follow him on Twitter: @NealShusterman