Book Review: Monument 14

Goodreads summary:

Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for the corner.Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

My review:

When I read the summary I immediately wanted to read it.  I mean, come on! The idea of being trapped in a superstore is just so cool  So I was really looking forward to reading it.

Did it disappoint?  Nope - I'm happy to say that Monument 14 was a very enjoyable read.  It was short, quick, and fun.  During the final half, I got so into the story that I didn't want to stop reading.  The ending definitely leaves it open for future books, and I'm excited to find out what happens next.

As for the characters, I found them all to be realistic and original.  The author described the fourteen children in ways that made them easy to keep track of.  The younger kids were so cute and sweet, and I loved seeing how all the characters interacted and tried to get along.  The main character, Dean, was a good narrator and I definitely felt sympathy for what he was going through.

What I didn't like: the world-building.  This is a dystopian novel, but we don't learn a whole lot about the world outside or what made it that way.  I get that it's because the kids are all trapped in the superstore and can't get out, but I would have liked to learn more.  Hopefully, this is an area that the author will tell us more about in the sequel.

All in all, I'd recommend this to anyone looking for an interesting read.  The idea was so unique and I think the characters are what really makes this book shine.  Fingers crossed for a sequel!

My rating: 7 out of 10.

~ The Bookworm