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Pandora and her team are already two members down. The survival of humanity in the post-plague world depends on them. But who can she trust?

It was difficult to know when nightmares ended and the waking world began.

Pan is still struggling to distinguish between her dreams and reality. When she wakes in the Infirmary her mind replays the sight of Nate running along the shoreline and the way his body froze and then flopped after he was shot. But her memories hold more questions than answers and she doesn't know who to trust.

When she forms an unlikely alliance with Jen to try to make sense of everyone's haunting similar memories and the conflicting information about The School, she finds herself with unexpected enemies.

Pan and Jen are determined to seek the truth - no matter what rules they must break or how terrible the danger they face. But can they even trust each other?

Intuition. Secrets. Truth. Courage. Action. Survival.

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2014

2 people are currently reading
137 people want to read

About the author

Barry Jonsberg

45 books105 followers
Barry Jonsberg is an Australian author and teacher originally from Liverpool, England. He holds degrees in English and Psychology from Liverpool University and moved to Australia in 1999. His debut novel, The Whole Business with Kiffo and the Pitbull, earned acclaim in 2005, and his follow-up, It’s Not All About YOU, Calma, won the 2006 South Australian Festival Award for Children’s Literature. Jonsberg has continued to receive numerous honors, including awards and shortlistings for Dreamrider, My Life as an Alphabet, A Little Spark, and Smoke & Mirrors, affirming his place in contemporary young adult literature.

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5 stars
98 (36%)
4 stars
116 (43%)
3 stars
42 (15%)
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7 (2%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
Profile Image for Sally906.
1,449 reviews3 followers
September 19, 2014
I read the first in the series, ‘Pandora Jones: Admission’, earlier this year and it was fabulous. It was with a sense of trepidation that I pounced on DECEPTION as soon as it arrived in the mail; would it be as good as I expected/wanted it to be? Well that would be an unequivocal yes! In ‘Admission’ Pandora Jones woke in a hospital and discovers that her family along with the rest of the world has succumbed to a mutant flu pandemic. She and the other teens are some lucky survivors that have been rescued and relocated to this isolated school to be quarantined for their safety. The teachers at the school start training the kids to learn some intensive survival techniques ready for when they leave the complex. What is clear in the second book is that nothing is clear. They still don’t know what have they have actually survived, and why have they have been rescued is not clear. Just what is the school hiding from them? The first part of DECEPTION recaps a little of what happened in ‘Admission’ and why these events have left Pandora trying to find out what is true and, more importantly, what isn’t. Is there a deception, and if so what and why? Now Nate is not in the picture Pandora buddies up with Jem who is seriously questioning the truth behind the school herself. The two of them plan a massive exposé and plunge into one edge of the seat adventure after another until their biggest one ever leads to a surprising cliff-hanger.

Pandora is increasingly convinced that there was no end of the world and that somewhere out of the schools influence nothing has changed. The suspense that started in ‘Admission’ continues in DECEPTION - just what is going on? I was sure I had is all sussed at the end of ‘Admission’ and that DECEPTION would just confirm my beliefs. But, but in a shocking twist at the end of DECEPTION my theory has been turned on its head and I am left gulping like a fish out of water wondering how I can possibly survive until the final instalment is released next year. What a cliff-hanger! DECEPTION is not a huge book but it packs a whole lot of story into the time frame. The main characters don’t have all the answers, in fact sometimes they don’t even have the right questions! Pandora and Jem work hard to make sense of the known to give them an insight into the unknown and when the unknown finally becomes the known – is it the truth? The reader still doesn’t know why everyone in the dormitories have nightmares that keeps them moaning and screaming in their sleep – and why they appear to be having the same nightmares? All will be revealed, I hope, in May 2015 when Pandora Jones: Reckoning’ is released.


With thanks to Allen & Unwin and the author for this copy to read and review.
Profile Image for Jeann (Happy Indulgence) .
1,054 reviews6,204 followers
December 8, 2014
This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!

Pandora Jones Deception felt like a completely different story to Admission. In Admission, we received many different flashbacks, training and action for the students and Pan’s mysterious powers, but this one was pretty much an escape story.

There’s still a mysterious, sinister atmosphere in Deception, as Pan starts to put together things that are happening in the school. Unfortunately much of this didn’t really glean new information, until the very last pages. I did enjoy the psychological thriller aspects in the first book, but it felt like there was very little of that here. Instead, the focal point of the book is Pan and her previous bully Jen, forming an alliance, learning to trust each other and ultimately relying on each other to escape. I feel like the book skipped a beat, as Jen was a strong tormentor in the first book and I didn’t really understand why she would suddenly want to help Pan.

The main thing that prevented me from really enjoying Deception however, is that Pan is still a weak character that needs help. She undergoes a fair amount of exercise and training to get stronger, but in the end Jen is the one that really pulls her through. A bully and a weak girl with strong intuition – they aren’t exactly riveting characters, and I found myself bored at times and craved more development or complexity. The book also doesn’t explain Pan’s powers of intuition at all, and I continued to be frustrated at the lack of answers and development.

Pandora Jones Deception focused mainly on figuring out the mystery as revealed in the first book and an escape from their captors. While the suspense is still here, I wanted more reveals and character development for Pan. It does have a pretty shocking ending though, so I’ll probably read the final book.

I received a review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for ˙⋆✮ Anny ✮⋆˙.
558 reviews299 followers
April 18, 2021
3.5 stars
Overall I enjoyed the second book in the trilogy, it was full of mysteries and action. Pandora wants to find out what's really going on and teams up with Jen to find out if the world outside really still exists. There were things that annoyed the heck out of me though.

The first half of the book mostly consisted of gathering clues and the beginning team up of Pan and Jen. I liked getting to know Jen better, but I thought it was a bit unbelievable how quickly her relationship to Pan developed - I mean, the two of them hated each other in the first book.

The second half was about their escape from the School, and that's where the problems begin. It was extremely unrealistic. I don't per se mind unrealistic stuff in books, but only if it fits the world (aka in fantasy/sci-fi). Here it doesn't. Am I really supposed to believe Pan and Jen, two teenage girls, can pull of what they did to escape? These scenes were exciting, but the illogical escape and survival scenes bothered me SO MUCH!

I contemplated lowering my rating by one full star just because of how much I internally rolled my eyes (and the typos. I read the German translation and there were quite some spelling errors that easily could've been sorted out). But in the end, I still mostly enjoyed the book and it gets bonus points because I never saw the ending coming. WTF? That was crazy!

Also not sure what to think of Pan's "talent". It's a cool concept but sometimes it seems like the author only added it to make her more "special", and I don't like that. Let's see if the final book will shed more light on the issue.
Profile Image for dinah.
95 reviews4 followers
June 27, 2017
It's a really great book, and I look forward to the last book in this series because this has left me with so many questions and cliffhangers.
Profile Image for Kapitelweise.
48 reviews
January 31, 2021
OMG, wow! Ich brauche jetzt direkt Band 3, sonst sterbe ich vor Neugier. Wie fies war denn bitte dieses Ende...
Profile Image for Rou Min.
102 reviews13 followers
December 3, 2014
Full Review : http://rowreads.blogspot.com/2014/12/...

4 stars

'Deception’ starts with a prologue recapping what happen in the previous book of Pandora and her friends returning from a mission. Two team mates down, Pandora makes allies with her team mate and former ‘frienemy’ Jen in order to work out the motive of The School and escape the place.

Following Pandora and Jen snooping around as we get to know more about The School and its hidden secrets. Trough out the book we pick up pieces of the puzzle to come out with our own conclusion of The School and the world they are living in now.

There were so many great plot twist that kept this book engaging as you want to know what happen next. The ending of the book was mind blowing as while some parts were predictable most of them I didn't expect at all! My theories have turned upside down thanks to that ending!

Dang you cliff hanger! I have to wait for 6 months for the next book?!?! Why?!?! Need to know what happens next!

This book was a page turner! I enjoyed the plot development and the themes of the book. I like that this book focuses on the friendship between Pandora and her team mates especially with Jen and Wei Lin. There were some really good adventure moments and better action moments that was epic but nerve wrecking and kept me on the edge of my seat.

I love the character developments! We got to know a more about Pandora, Wei Lin, Sanjitt and the rest of the group especially Jen! Jen has went from my least favorite character in the series to my favorite! Smart, sassy and bad ass Jen is everything I love in characters and have some of the best lines! We also get to know more about her including her past. I also love watching Pandora progress trough the book as she developed her strength and talent. While she is slightly wiser and more knowledgeable in this book she still tend to make some really stupid decisions thought not as bad as in Admission.

I like the pacing of the book and breezed trough the story. I've also gotten used to the writing style which I mention in Admission I was not a fan of at first. I am however still not fan of Pandora's inner thought. There were times where it was okay and there were times where it was really annoying as it was pointing out the obvious.

Other than that, Deception was a great sequel! Like it more than Admission. Very provocation and engaging with great story and character development. Check out the Pandora Jones series for a great Aussie YA and epic apocalyptic adventure series.

Looking forward to 'Pandora Jones: Reckoning' which is coming out in May 2015.
Profile Image for Katharine (Ventureadlaxre).
1,525 reviews49 followers
September 14, 2014
‘Deception’ by Barry Jonsberg is the second in the Pandora Jones series. We were left on quite a cliffhanger, wondering the whereabouts of one of the characters and our world turn upside down like that of Pandora Jones – we no longer know what’s true and what isn’t, and that’s what this novel sets out to discover. Has there been a deception, and if so, what’s the reality?

Jonsberg starts this novel with a cleverly used recap of the first book, shown in nightmares that haunt our main character, Pandora Jones. It easily triggers the main points to get us back on track, then throws us into the main story. Everyone in the School suspects Pandora of either being a troublemaker or in the least, being unstable. This isn’t going to stop her from trying to discover just what’s going on out there in the world the virus has torn apart, and now she has Jem for company now that Nate is as the first book left him.

Together they start to piece things together, but that knowledge will take them out of the little comfort they’ve managed to work up in the ‘prison’ the School has become. This is a short book at 288 pages, but it certainly packs a whole lot of plot into these few pages.

I said of the first book (in my short reviews post of June):

Admission (Pandora Jones #1) by Barry Jonsberg is one of Jonsberg’s first speculative fiction works – generally he is known for perfectly capturing realistic teen fiction set in schools. This was an engaging dystopian that has a few questions in the world building that I think adds more to the mystery of it all, and shall hopefully be answered as more books come out.

This continues to be true – engaging dystopian that maybe doesn’t have fully fleshed world building, but that’s showing to be a point – the characters don’t have all the answers, and we’re left just as much in the dark as they are. The point of view is kept strictly to Pandora, and it’s effective to keeping you reading throughout the night, unable to put the book down.

The character development comes through in this book, and it’s good to see Jonsberg confirm that we have a bit more diversity in our characters. Though we come full circle in this book you aren’t left thinking that we’ve gone no where, no, it only makes us so much more eager for the third book. Bring on May 2015!

To read this review on my blog and others like it, please click here.
Profile Image for Kelly (Diva Booknerd).
1,106 reviews295 followers
July 22, 2015
4½ Stars.
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/10/p...
Pandora Jones: Deception completely surprised me, it was engaging, enthralling and took me on a thrill ride while exploring new friendships and alliances. It focuses on Pandora and Jen, two girls who formally held a strong dislike for one another and now a friendship is on the verge of blooming. Jennifer has quickly become my favourite character, she's incredibly tough, sassy and sarcastic. In Deception, we see her befriend Pandora for the sake of the adventure of exploring outside the compound, but she begins to allow Pandora to see her softer side, that is just as resilient. I really enjoyed reading the banter between both characters and their friendship blossoming.

Unlike Admission, Deception doesn't focus on romance but rather exploring new friendships and alliances. There is also the inclusion of a new character, who is bound to spark a few interests, quite literally. After the group returned from their deadly expedition, I assumed that the experience would have strengthened the group, but I was surprised that it seemed to divide the alliance and the girls keeping their reconnaissance mission a secret from the others certainly didn't help. I thoroughly enjoyed Admission, but was able to completely immerse myself in Deception and it kept me enthralled throughout.

I'm so excited seeing the direction Australian Young Adult is headed, no longer is it subjected to contemporaries but now we have incredible post apocalyptic and dystopians with Barry Jonsberg leading the charge. His style of writing is incredibly laid back, simplistic and allows reader to fully immerse themselves in the storyline without large blocks of mindless information or purple prose. I loved Deception, it was an intelligent read and once again Jonsberg leaves the reader on a tenterhooks with another cliffhanger, even more explosive that the last. Book three in the Pandora Jones series, Reckoning, is no doubt going to be epic.
324 reviews4 followers
March 3, 2019
-insert the longest 'uggggggh' ever-
So there's partial character development and at least the pacing has picked up but over all there's still hardly any plot.
And to add salt to the wound the entire book is filled to the brim with fan service and gay baiting.
Jen's no longer a 2D character. In fact, I think the Jen from the previous book and this one are two different characters. The main's still fucking useless only now, THE OTHER CHARCTERS ARE LITERALLY CARRYING HER. On their damn backs and everything. None of the other characters exist anymore. They're no longer relevant to the plot so say your goodbyes, except to the one who dies.
Half the book is still handed over to setting up the novel, and it's just the main and her buddy going somewhere they're not supposed to, getting caught, and 'only just scraping out of punishment'. As if anything bad could actually happen to them so early on in the book.
There was more action in this book but it was undermined but the characters absolute uselessness and her 'intuitive gift' where she surrenders her body to its natural reactions. Now, I'm not trying to say that having a character surrender to their natural instincts to survive/fight is a cop out, but that's exactly what I'm saying.
I am going to read the last book but only because it appears to be a theme where the last chapter is full of actual plot development. I doubt I'll enjoy it but at least I can read these books is less than three days.

On a second go round, this book is still just as bad.
Profile Image for Stacey Kym.
394 reviews15 followers
January 26, 2016
'Deception' was an EPIC novel that I can't believe took me so long to read. I mean, this series is so good that I can't believe I didn't pick up earlier! And I'm still wondering why it doesn't have that many ratings. I loved the characters and their dynamic and realistic qualities. The story plot seemed to twist and keep things hidden (LOL, at least for me). It was jam packed with lots of action and adventure. I'd recommend this series for anyone who is in for a simple but engaging read. I flew through this novel; took me all of 3 hours to read it, cover to cover. Alright, I must also confess that though the story is completely original, it was a little predictable. I myself wasn't able to predict ANYTHING but for others this may be the downfall to the series.
Congratulations to Barry Jonsberg on writing such an awesome sequel in the Pandora Jones series!
Profile Image for Trisha.
2,159 reviews118 followers
October 26, 2015
Once I got into this, it built such great tension that I couldn't put it down and read the last third in one sitting.

The suspense and shocks are to be expected in this thrilling story of mystery. I am not sure what's going on (well, of course, I know what's going on, but I don't know where it's headed), and just like Pan I don't trust anybody or any story they are trying to tell.

Thankfully number three, Reckoning is out in May. Not long to wait for the rest of the ride.
Profile Image for Bronte Wright.
18 reviews29 followers
January 6, 2016
Honestly, I didn't even finish this book! I got almost halfway through and just couldn't continue. I became very bored because nothing would happen in between thrilling parts of the book! The ending of admission made me want to read this book but I was expecting something a lot better! I was greatly disappointed and do not recommend this series.
1,260 reviews
October 9, 2014
The excitement and pace is kept up in the second in the series. Great friendship between Pan and Jen and a stunning cliff-hanger at the end.
Profile Image for Melanie Unger.
525 reviews6 followers
February 7, 2021
Pandora Stone – Barry Jonsberg
Band 2 - Gestern ist noch nicht vorbei
Verlag: Cbt
Taschenbuch: 10,00 €
eBook: 9,99 €
ISBN: 978-3-570-31105-9
Erscheinungsdatum: 14. Dezember 2021
Genre: Dystopie
Seiten: 320
Inhalt:
Stell dir vor, alle erinnern sich an das Ende der Welt. Doch du bist dir sicher, es ist nie geschehen.

Nach den jüngsten Ereignissen kämpft Pandora darum, Erinnerung und Realität zu trennen. Wie kann es sein, dass sich mehrere Schüler an die gleichen Details erinnern, ohne am selben Ort gewesen zu sein, und sich Träume realer anfühlen als Erinnerungen? Könnte es womöglich sein, dass außerhalb der Mauern der Akademie noch eine intakte Welt existiert?
Gemeinsam mit der abenteuerhungrigen Jen will Pan der Sache auf den Grund gehen und schmiedet einen Plan, aus der Akademie zu fliehen. Doch die überwacht jeden ihrer Schritte ...
Mein Fazit:
Zum Cover:
Das Cover passt sehr gut zum ersten Band, die Aufmachung ist die gleiche nur diesmal wurde es in Grün gehalten.
Zum Buch:
Am Anfang bekommen wir einen kleinen Rückblick zu Band 1, was mir gut gefallen hat.
Pandora glaubt nicht an dem, was man ihnen erzählt und will sich auf die Suche begeben, ob dem wirklich so ist. Dabei bekommt sie Hilfe.
Der Schreibstil ist sehr angenehm und es liest sich flüssig, an den richtigen Stellen ist es spannend, allerdings war es mir persönlich an manchen Stellen auch ein wenig langezogen.
Die Charaktere sind gut dargestellt und den ein oder anderen lernt man noch ein wenig besser kennen. Pandora und Jen gefielen mir ganz gut, aber auch die anderen haben ihren Platz in dieser Geschichte. Jeder hat seine Aufgabe und diese versuchen sie auch so gut wie möglich zu bewältigen.
Die bildliche Darstellung ist gut gelungen und man konnte sich gut hineinversetzen. Man fühlte sich, als ob man die Geschichte selbst erlebt.
Sich in einer Welt wiederzufinden, wo ein Virus alles zerstört hat, ist für die Charaktere nicht einfach, doch sie versuchen das beste daraus zu machen und einfach nur zu überleben.
Ihr wisst ja, dass ich bei einer Reihe immer versuche ohne Spoiler zu schreiben, daher kann ich auch nicht so viel preisgeben.
Es ist eine solide und kurzweilige Geschichte und man kann hier gespannt sein, wie es weitergeht.
Ich gebe hier 3 von 5 Sternen.
Profile Image for Tini's Bücherwelt und mehr .
186 reviews10 followers
April 19, 2021
Nachdem Band 1 der Pandora Stone Reihe mich nicht ganz überzeugen konnte, war ich gespannt, wie die Reise wohl weiter geht. Das Ende vom ersten Band war für mich ein kleiner Schock, auch wenn ich irgendwie mit etwas ähnlichem gerechnet habe, hatte ich auf etwas anderes gehofft. Umso gespannter war ich, wie Pandora mit der Situation umgehen würde und was sie aus ihren Erkenntnissen auf der Insel macht.

In diesem Teil der Reihe, kämpft Pandora gegen ihre wirren Gedanken: was ist real und was nur eine Erinnerung an etwas, das gewesen war - oder auch nicht? Sie fragt sich immer mehr, warum einige der Schüler der Academy die gleichen Erinnerungen an ihr Leben haben, es aber keinem merkwürdig zu sein scheint. Immer mehr zweifelt Pandora an der Loyalität der Academy und schmiedet so mit Jen einen Plan, wie sie hinter die Machenschaften gelangen und aus der Academy entkommen können. Gemeinsam wagen sie den Versuch der Flucht, was alles andere als leicht ist, denn die Academy sieht alles und jeder Schritt muss wohl überlegt sein.

Ich war hier wirklich sehr gespannt, wie die Reihe wohl fortlaufen wird und hatte große Hoffnung, dass es mich etwas mehr packen kann. Und was soll ich sagen? Es war auch so. Auch wenn die Geschehnisse für mein Empfinden noch immer etwas in die Länge gezogen wurden, konnte mich dieser Band mehr begeistern und ich habe definitiv auch mehr mit gefiebert. Die Flucht von Jen und Pandora, der Plan, wie sie fliehen werden - ich fand es großartig. Auch das Vertrauen, was Jen in Pandora und ihr Empfinden setzte, nachdem sie im ersten Band der Reihe alles andere als Freunde waren, hat mich beim Lesen einfach glücklich gemacht. Es zeigte, dass man auch über seinen Schatten springen kann - egal aus welchem Beweggrund.

Wie auch der erste Band der Reihe war der Schreibstil von Barry Jonsberg sehr bildlich und detailliert, weshalb es sich für mich in manchen Situationen etwas gezogen hat. Aber hier fand ich es nicht so "schlimm" wie im Reihenauftakt und kam damit definitiv besser klar. Das Buch schaffte es auch, mich immer neugieriger zu machen und zog mich in einen Sog, dass ich relativ schnell durch das Buch "gerast" bin. Vor allem die Frage, wie viel Wahres an dem Virus steckt, der vermeintlich die ganze Welt ausgelöscht haben soll, stand hier immer im Fokus und die Vermutungen, dass alles ganz anders lief als gedacht, nahmen durch weitere Hinweise immer weiter zu.

Vor allem Pandora selbst konnte mich diesmal überraschen. Im ersten Band hat sie noch wenig an sich selbst und ihre Fähigkeiten geglaubt, doch jetzt ist sie über sich hinausgewachsen. Sie gewann an Stärke, wurde mutiger und fing an, sich selbst zu vertrauen. Sie glaubte an ihre Fähigkeiten, steigerte sich, probierte immer mehr und war fasziniert, was sie tatsächlich alles kann. Doch sie gab auch Jen immer wieder Mut und Hoffnung, wenn es aussichtslos wirkte und zeigte so einmal mehr, dass aus vermeintlichen Feinden doch noch Freunde werden können.

Ich bin froh, dass ich die Reihe weitergelesen und nicht nach Band 1 aufgehört habe. Auch wenn es noch immer kein Highlight für mich ist, so sticht die Story selbst doch hervor und ich hatte tolle Lesestunden, weshalb ich die Bücher auch weiter empfehlen kann.
Profile Image for Nathalie Nowak.
140 reviews
October 4, 2021
Ich liebe ja Dystopien und endlich konnte ich den zweiten Band der Pandora Stone Trilogie von Barry Jonsberg lesen. Ich habe mich gefreut wieder in dieses Zukunftsszenario zurückzukehren.

Ich werde nicht viel zum Inhalt erzählen, da es ja ein Folgeband ist und ich nicht spoilern möchte. 🤗 Das gesamte Buch war gut und recht spannend zu lesen. Oft sind die zweiten Teile dystopischer Trilogien ein Aufbau des Finales, welcher sich nicht selten in die Länge zieht. Doch dieser Teil hat einfach ein krasses Ende. 😳 Ich wollte dem Buch eigentlich 4 Sterne geben. Doch aufgrund der sehr spannenden letzten Seiten vergebe ich dem Buch liebend gerne ⭐⭐⭐⭐,5 Sterne und freue mich wahnsinnig auf den letzten Teil!
Profile Image for jagle.
511 reviews
October 19, 2018
This series is amazing - dystopian fiction at its best - and I cannot wait to see how it all finishes!
Profile Image for Jodie Thomson.
87 reviews
Read
December 19, 2019
Again, enjoyed this book. This series is slick and enjoyable for teenagers. They need to be read as a series though as they end is quite abrupt cliffhangers.
3 reviews
October 29, 2020
The best series I have read. Very well written!
5 reviews
April 5, 2022
This book was INCREDIBLE, but a little repetitive in itself. They were SO close 😭 Over all great book, on my way to the library to pick up reckoning!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Eugenia (Genie In A Book).
392 reviews
October 4, 2014
*This review also appears on the blog Genie In A Book*

3.5 stars

Thank you to Allen and Unwin Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review






My reaction immediately after finishing this book


This second book in the 'Pandora Jones' series has just as much mystery and suspense as the first, with a few questions answered, but many more created at the same time. Barry Jonsberg definitely knows how to write a real page-turner, and all the palpable tension really made me want to see what happened next. By the end of this book I was left with another 'what just happened?' moment, because once again there are shocking revelations and a definite need for the next book so that we can finally find out what is really going on in The School, and what other secrets there are to uncover.




Lies are everywhere and she breathes them in. They coat her face like sweat, And through the glittering shards of reflected light, The School comes into view. The biggest lie of all, a nightmare that refuses to fade. 





While the first book took a more general perspective on The School and its workings, in this case there was a character focus on Jen and Pan specifically which was interesting. Jen's characterisation was great, and she came across as a resilient and daring person who was ready to kick-ass when need be. Although reckless, she was smart too and I found her and Pandora to make a great team while trying to unravel the lies that surround their makeshift prison of sorts in The School, and find out what lay beyond the wall. There was also a little more about her intuition/psychic abilities which did play a small role, but I'm sure they will be even more important in book three too.





'You're too pessimistic, said Jen. 'You and me against the world, and you wanna know something? I like those odds.'





If you were left itching to find out more about the outside world and The School's inner motives, along with the fate of some of the previous characters in the first book like Nate, then rest assured that there is some consolation. While the pacing dragged a little in the beginning and a few parts in the middle, it really picked up in the crucial moments as well. This is turning out to be one heck of a series where I have no idea what's coming - and that's a good thing. I'm looking forward to there being even more shocks, twists and turns to come in book three, 'Reckoning'. 


                                               






FINAL THOUGHTS



Overall, I found this novel to be a riveting read, even though the momentum did wane in some parts. In any case, this series is shaping up to be an unpredictable rollercoaster ride, and with each development I'm left even more intrigued as to what Pandora will discover in her quest for the truth.
Profile Image for Steph.
178 reviews120 followers
July 27, 2015
I'm not a big reader of dystopian novels, possibly because I'm not a big reader of series (and with all modern YA dystopian novels it seems there's an unspoken rule that there must be at least three books to complete the story arc). I like things to be resolved by the end of the book, and I find there's a tendency with series for the books in the middle to be duller than the first and last book. Nothing is being established, but nothing's being resolved, either, but readers keep reading because they've already committed so much time to the characters and the story (a classic example of this is The Two Towers, which is easily the most boring Lord of the Rings book. I much preferred The Hobbit, and it annoys me that they're turning one great self-contained story into I-don't-know-how-many drawn-out films). I am possibly prejudiced towards series, and I'm sure there are plenty of series that don't let down in the middle. I just lack the attention span.

In fact, I'm so rubbish at reading series that I didn't even read the first Pandora Jones book. I thought I had. A couple of chapters in, I realised I hadn't. I was quite involved at that stage and couldn't quite bring myself to stop reading, find the first book, read that, and then come back to where I was up to (I don't think it mattered all that much, in the end). I was excited to read it because it's Australian dystopian YA and I believe that all books written by Australians are by default better than all other books. I have a lot book prejudice. It's a real problem. That said, there's nothing especially Australian about it - The School, where Pan is being kept, is on a very non-specific island, far from her home (or, what was her home, before the majority of the human population got wiped out by a plague).

Jen's the best. Jen's my favourite character. I think it's great that there are now more YA novels that feature non-hetero characters, in stories that aren't centrally about being LGBTQI (YA novels that are centrally about LGBTQI are great, too!). I also loved that both central characters were girls, and both were tough and had practical skills (I entirely lack both toughness and practical skills so I like living vicariously through fictional characters who are action heroines). The quiet menace of the School and its staff is terrific, and the fact that both the characters and the reader know so little about the School's motives and what's actually going on means that suspense is maintained even when the pace slows a little.

The ending is the sort of ending that makes you sit still with the book closed for five minutes, amazed, and then attempt to explain the entire book and the excellent concept and the awesome ending to all nearby humans (complete with acting out scenes and manic hand gestures), so that they, too, can be amazed. Which of course never works particularly well because explaining a book to someone is nowhere near the same experience as actually reading the book. But still. (Do other people do this? This is possibly a weird thing to do.) If you like dystopian YA, I reckon you'll like this. It's speculative, with a fair chunk of science fiction and lots of action, but the character development and interaction keeps it believable.
Profile Image for Cassie.
304 reviews86 followers
September 22, 2016
My thoughts on this are pretty much the same as those for book 1: reasonably predictable, no connection to the characters, and yet I still enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Emily Mead.
569 reviews
December 21, 2014
Read reviews, see awesome GIFS and experience my rambling thoughts at my blog, The Loony Teen Writer

This one was better.

Not by a LOT, but I enjoyed it more.

There was a really awesome relationship between Pandora and Jen, for a start. After their rivalry in the first book, this was nice to see. Jen’s sarcasm basically made this book for me.

There was also more of a plot. It still dragged in the middle, but they were looking for answers at least.

I had a problem with the ending – after basically no answers for most of the book, they’re all dumped at the end without any explanation, and without making much sense. So that was a little annoying.

I’ve never been the biggest fan of dystopians. There’s always something lacking for me – with some exceptions, of course. And I feel like this is one of those series. All that said, however, I do want to read the third book to find out what happens with The School, Pandora and Jen – and find out what really happened to Nate.

Overall it’s a clever series with diverse characters. It’ll have you rushing through to find out what’s really happening at The School.
Profile Image for Avery .
331 reviews7 followers
May 19, 2015
Wow, interesting.
Although my previous comment went along the lines of 'why an American?’ I am starting to like Nate. He has a good personality and one that is likable. However, why is he gone now. Although I don’t believe he is truly gone, I know that will mean I won’t hear for him for a while in the book. And that, I can’t deal with.
Overall, the plot is being built up and a few alarming things are happening with all the dreams being the same and what not. I can’t wait to see the end result of this book. I want to know what happens in the end.
Although, most of the time it was hard to determine where the book is going in the terms of the plot, I predicted that Pen and Pan would get along really well and become good friends while Nate was out of the picture.
Profile Image for Liana.
76 reviews9 followers
October 6, 2015
I could barely put this book down and wouldn't have if I didn't have 2 little boys that needed my attention!! It was fast-paced and thrilling, with a good plot twist at the end. Somehow I got sucked into Pandora's way of thinking and didn't think "outside-the-box" like I usually do with other books. I think I just wanted to go on the ride and see where it lead and I was pretty impressed. I didn't see the end result at all. I was like "Wow" and "that really sucks" and it brings about another round of questions - like why them? And why is is happening anyway?

I can't wait to read the conclusion to this series and see how the author ties it all up. That's my next TBR!!!
Profile Image for Bree Yerbury.
21 reviews
January 3, 2015
To be honest after the first few chapters I was expecting this book to go no where and found it quite difficult to find interesting, but after the action begun well that's when I really came to the decision that this book deserves 5 stars. I always assumed Nate was probably still alive but all the other little plot twists that were chucked in took me by surprise. I'm quite annoyed that the next book will be at the school because to be honest I find the characters at the school quite boring not to mention irritating but Jonsberg managed to surprise me this time so maybe he'll do it again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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