SWARM

After Zeroes (2015), the group of superpowered teenagers is derailed by other people with powers—and fewer morals.

Everything’s going pretty well for the gang—they’ve even started a monthly underground nightclub where they can safely practice their powers (as most of them require crowds). But then a pair of out-of-towners who get off on treating people like toys hit it and break everything the Zeroes have worked for—and they hint they’ve something bigger planned. The Zeroes must track down the troublemaking duo, but when they do, they discover that these two are the least of their worries—a terrifying person hunting the superpowered teens has been pointed right at them, and horrible deaths await. The pace clips along nicely, and the large ensemble cast (gender-balanced, economically diverse, and with multiple races and shades of the LGBTQ spectrum represented) enjoys complicated dynamics, a palpable bond, and intersecting character development arcs. Aside from their inner circle, family storylines add emotional stakes on top of the physical. The expansion of the world to include superpowered people from out of town creates nice foils for the heroes, especially as they continue grappling with the ramifications of the powers. The ending resolves the book’s main plot but then offers up the kind of cliffhanger that may make readers riot.

A high-octane bundle of thrills.