Book Review: Outpost (Razorland #2) by Ann Aguirre

Summary: 

Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.

To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.
 

Release Date: September 4, 2012

Age Group: YA

Source: Review copy from publisher

Review:

I really enjoyed Enclave (read my review here) but I just loved Outpost.  I was a little foggy on some of the details from Enclave, but re-reading the summary plus my review helped clear things up.  And once I started Outpost, all the pieces fell back into place and I jumped right back into Deuce's world.  

I found Enclave to be pretty dark, mostly because much of the book takes place in the subway tunnels.  Outpost is set in the Topside town of Salvation, and I enjoyed the new scenery just as much as Deuce did.  I liked Deuce as a character in Enclave, but I really admired her so much more in this book.  Her hard exterior softens bit by bit as she learns to let other people in and to let herself love for the first time.  Watching Deuce change was one of my favorite parts of this book.

The best thing about Outpost was the fast-paced plot and all of the action.  There was so much going on, all the time, and it kept things really interesting and moving quickly.  I had come to expect the Freaks to act one way, and when they started changing, it really intrigued me.  I love how Aguirre leaves us hanging a little bit with regard to the Freaks.  We still don't know how they came to exsist or how humanity will rid the world of them.  In fact, we still don't know a lot about how the world got to where it is.  Aguirre included an afterword and promises to explain everything more fully in book three, which I am really looking forward to.  

I have not read any of Aguirre's other books but based on the way this series is going, I will be seeking out her other work.  She's a great writer and I would highly recommend the Razorland series!