OTHEREARTH

Simon and Kat flee the Company’s clutches.

Simon has rescued Kat from Otherworld, but their story is far from over. Armed with nothing but knowledge that could expose the Company’s dastardly intentions, the (presumed white) teens take off across the real and virtual worlds, accumulating allies and discovering even more secrets. Meanwhile, the denizens of Otherworld are drifting into a state of war as the nonplayer characters struggle to claim what they believe is rightfully theirs. The novel checks all the usual boxes of a sci-fi sequel and points toward a third book at the very end. The authors improve on the big weakness from the last novel: Here Kat is a fully developed character rather than a damsel in distress, and her repartee with Simon buoys the novel and keeps the reader engaged. The road-trip structure mirrors the journey Simon went on in the first book, but the plot in this volume twists and turns as allegiances are tested and secrets are revealed. All in all, this is a standard second entry: Fans will be onboard for the ride and left with just enough of an appetite for more, while newcomers will be compelled to seek out the original.

A competent follow-up that points to a fascinating future episode.