Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Harper Collins
Published: 2017
Reviewer Rating: 
Reviewer: SJ Higbee
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I enjoyed the first book, The Outliers–see my review here–and was pleased to see this offering on NetGalley so that I could find out what happens next….
Wylie may have escaped the camp in Maine, but she is far from safe. The best way for her to protect herself is to understand her ability, fast. But after spending a lifetime trying to ignore her own feelings, giving in to her ability to read other peoples’ emotions is as difficult as it is dangerous. And Wylie isn’t the only one at risk. Ever since they returned home, Jasper has been spiraling, wracked with guilt over what happened to Cassie. After all they’ve been through together, Wylie and Jasper would do anything for each other, but she doesn’t know if their bond is strong enough to overcome demons from the past.
It is amid this uncertainty and fear that Wylie finds herself confronted with a choice. She was willing to do whatever it took to help Cassie, but is she prepared to go to the same extremes to help complete strangers… even if they are just like her?
This second slice of the adventure has the same tension surrounding the first book, but I did prefer the fact that this time around, McCreight put in the groundwork to establish what outliers are. There are flashbacks to key moments that have influenced Wylie’s life to date, which I really appreciated, as the major quibble I had with the first book was the speed we were plunged into the adventure, leaving me at times a little unconvinced about the issue of Wylie being so special.
While reading The Scattering, however, I didn’t have any doubt that she was both unusual and still surrounded by unanswered secrets. Indeed, McCreight has so effectively covered the backstory that if you wish to start with this book, you wouldn’t be floundering all that much. That said, if you enjoy a roller-coaster, adrenaline-filled adventure, then you may well wish to read The Outliers anyway.
I also appreciated the fact that Wylie didn’t make such a habit of immediately reacting in any tricky situation by doing the one thing that would put her in more danger–there were a couple of occasions where she pulled such a stunt, but I could see why. Once more, though, she is plunged right into the middle of a horrible situation and the stakes just continue getting higher as it all goes on getting worse. No wonder she’s becoming very fond of Jasper–almost everyone else in her life has some kind of hidden agenda.
As for the ending–McCreight leaves this one on a major cliffhanger. So I shall be looking forward to getting hold of the next book in due course. And if you’re looking for an enjoyable YA adventure with plenty of tension and double-dealing, then this one comes highly recommended
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