It may help to read my review of Brilliance, and I'm going to include the explanatory paragraph from that review here:
About 30 years ago a phenomenon began. A much larger percent of the population started to be born with savant-like abilities. The abilities are very specialized and the people are normal in all other ways. No one has been able to figure out why this is happening, but it has changed the complexion of society. Children are tested at age 8 to see if they are an "abnorm." Some of them are sent to special academies.
Nick Cooper is back, still trying to save the world. This time, he's serving as an adviser to the new president of the United States. An "abnorm" terrorist group has literally taken siege of three U. S. cities, cutting off their supplies by killing truck drivers and eventually cutting the power. Things are chaotic. Everything deteriorates from that point as Nick tries to figure out what the terrorists want, and how to negotiate with them.
Ethan has been working with another doctor on what makes these people special. They've made a breakthrough, but no one knows. Ethan lives in Cleveland, one of the cities that has been cut off. He and his wife and baby try to escape and run into a lot of difficulties, not the least of which is that someone is looking for Ethan because the other doctor has been kidnapped and they know Ethan worked with him. But Ethan doesn't trust anyone, so he keeps running.
A Better World ramps up the action to a frenetic pace, and the ending is stunning. And it's also a giant cliffhanger! Let's just say, there may be a happy ending in the third book, but life will never be the same for these characters. A Better World is much more apocalyptic than Brilliance. We're not just talking about lives lost in an isolated terrorist attack. This time it's serious and the consequences are much more weighty.
I still like the way the slight paranormal aspect is woven into the story. It reads like a straight-up thriller, but it all happened because of this weird genetic defect in some people. A fascinating premise, once again. And of course, it's all pretty far-fetched. But I can't resist the pacing and exciting plot of these books.
If you haven't read Brilliance yet, you should. (It's also been optioned for a movie.) But just be warned, if you read Brilliance, you will most definitely want to read A Better World and the third novel (which I can find no information about) when it comes out.
Published by Thomas & Mercer, 2014
Purchased eBook
390 pages
Rating: 4/5
This one is totally new to me and It looks good. I love finding new books from blogs. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat Review!
Michelle @ Book Briefs