Incomplete (Insurrection #2)

SCI-FI/ADVENTURE:  Saylor has a power within her that she doesn’t fully understand or control, but it may be the only chance the Alliance has against an army of deadly machines.  Being suspected of being a mole doesn’t help, as Saylor's attempts to master her power and stop the oxinals often gets her in trouble with the Commander and puts others in danger. Still, if Saylor can maintain her focus and put aside her growing feelings for a certain Australian soldier, she might just be able to save everyone. But can one teenage girl — who grew up an outcast —convince the right people to trust her, or will she have to fight alone?

A dystopian YA novel with military emphasis, “Incomplete” is the second book in the “Insurrection” series. It must be read in order, as this book picks up right where the previous one left off and provides no background or explanation as to previous events. Author Kadee Carder uses the unreliable narrator device and although readers will become engrossed in Saylor’s experiences they will also face time skips or distorted events. Chapters jump ahead in time and from scene to scene without warning, which results in telling rather than showing events outside Saylor’s sight. The romance thread is mostly one of confused feelings as Saylor grows and develops but leaves plenty of openings for the next book to explore it further. The action is the big draw here, as Saylor ends up in more fights than not. Overall, “Incomplete” is a fast-paced whirlwind YA novel for action fans.

Sarah E Bradley