ALL THESE WARRIORS

The sequel to All These Monsters (2020) picks up seamlessly where the last one finished.

Clara and her faithful teammates are still killing scrabs—ferocious predatory monsters—in London, despite the devastating murders of their leader, Grayson, and three other teammates. Scrab numbers are down, but the recruits are in desperate need of respite. Nonetheless Clara remains loyal to the fight and her friends in team seven, even if it means orbiting the same universe as Julian, her former team leader, an explosively angry, controlling ex who physically assaulted her and is now relentlessly emailing her, seeking redemption. Clara’s emotional recovery from her traumatic relationship with Julian takes the main stage. Her emancipation from this abusive relationship is powerful, but the novel feels cluttered by the scrab plot, which drags at times due to a substantial decrease in action. The large cast of characters that was endearing in the earlier title does not receive further development, and readers may find it hard to track who is who and why they matter. Nonetheless, those invested in Clara will be heartened by her vulnerable journey of growth—and her ultimate success—in developing mutually loving relationships with her best friend, Maddie; distant brother, Laurence; and love interest, Edan. Clara and Laurence are Mexican and White; the first title described a diverse supporting cast.

A disjointed yet satisfactory duology closer.