I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by CelebrateLit. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
The Revolutionary by Kristen Hogrefe Series: The Rogues #2
Published by Write Integrity Press on March 20, 2018
Genres: Action & Adventure, Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Social Themes, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 400
Source: CelebrateLit
Amazon|Barnes&Noble|Goodreads
Liberate the Captives!
Revolutions run on sacrifice … and blood.
Three months a satellite prisoner, Portia wonders if the Brotherhood has left her to die—until she plunges into the domain of a smuggler contacted by her brother. But her rescue comes with a price tag, and now, she must forfeit her identity to act as a spy. She learns that her enemies want the Dome to approve mass satellite executions, though no one knows why. Worse, they’re using her friend Luther, now a Court Citizen intern, to sign the short-term orders. She wants to confide in Luther, but can she still trust him with the company he keeps?
Plagued by shadows and guilt for leaving her protector Gath behind on the satellite, Portia must find a way, not only to rescue him and the other prisoners, but also to destroy the slave camps once and for all.
This book picks up right where ‘The Revisionary‘ left off. Portia and Gath heading to a satellite to serve their sentences for the trumped up mess they found themselves in. I have to admit, I didn’t love this book quite as much as the first. I knew the characters, I knew the lay of the land so to speak, and I knew what was going on at the big picture level. However, I got dragged down with the details. I still loved the book and I am desperately hoping there will be another installment in these series however. Just putting that out there!
Let me tell ya where I got bogged down a minute or twenty (I seem to be saying that a lot here lately, hmm). So much detail was put into some of the more trivial aspects of not only the satellite but also back in Crystal. I feel l like the build up to any action was more involved than the actual action. The action didn’t have the nail-bitting edge that the the first book gave me. Again, it could be based on the fact that I already had clued into these people whereas before I was still feeling that out. I also felt like everyone came over to the Rogue side too easily. If this was supposed to be the ‘bad guys’ as far as the government was concerned then why were the friends that Portia made in Crystal so easily swayed over? I feel like there was a bigger story there that needs to be explored?
Here’s the big picture, none of that really matters. I mean it does as it is totally making this review hard to write without a boatload of spoilers, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is taking what we learned in ‘The Revisionary’ and making it more real in ‘The Revolutionary’. The fact that power in the wrong hands always comes down to basic human nature. The idea that equal is never truly equal. The idea that despite the circumstances people will always behave in the way that their nature programs them to respond, both good and bad. The idea that Portia took the idea of God she was exposed to and felt the need to learn more. The fact that she was completely confused without a compass to guide her (hello! I’ve talked about this so much in reviews, people don’t just magically understand faith because they are exposed to it or even chose to follow it). I got all of this in the book and I need another one. I need to know where the Revolution goes next. I need to know how it all comes out and comes together. I cannot recommend this book, this series, highly enough.
About Kristen Hogrefe
Kristen Hogrefe is a Florida girl who says yes to most adventures involving sunshine and prefers to start her day with Jesus and coffee. She is a multi-published novelist of young adult fiction, including The Rogues trilogy (Write Integrity Press) and Wings of the Dawn trilogy. A life-long learner, she also has a heart for teaching and speaking in academic settings and professional conferences. You can find her blogging at KristenHogrefe.com where she challenges young adults and the young at heart to think truthfully and live daringly.
Thanks 4 sharing this. This is a genre I love.
This is a genre that I’ve always enjoyed but don’t find myself thinking of it as a go to if that makes sense.
Your reference to 1984 and The Giver on twitter enticed me to check out this book. Appreciate your honest review! It’s on my list to check into more. I teach 1984 to my seniors, used to teach The Giver to freshmen. 🙂
I read ‘1984’ in either 7th or 8th grade way back in the dark ages. I was probably around that same time frame for ‘The Giver’ however sadly I never read the rest of the series. I keep meaning too. . .