It’s been four years since the Luxen invasion. At seventeen years old, Evie Dasher has vague terror-filled memories of hiding from the alien invaders and having her whole life turned upside down. Now that she’s a senior in high school, life is getting back to normal. TV shows are back on the air, hamburgers are back on the menu, and the remaining Luxen are registered with the state, wearing Disabler bracelets to inhibit their powers.
When Evie sneaks into a nightclub called Foretoken, she runs into a gorgeous, violet-eyed alpha male named Luc who seems, strangely, to already know things about her. When a raid shuts down the night club, they end up trapped in a closet together and develop a love-hate connection that simultaneously repels and attracts Evie. When Evie goes back the next day to retrieve her cell phone, she realizes that Luc is not going to disappear from her life. At the same time, two girls from Evie’s high school disappear, and rumors surface that rogue Luxen are going on a killing spree. At first, Evie is positive that Luc is one of these light-filled aliens, but could it be that he is something else entirely?
This book is apparently a spin-off of Armentrout’s earlier series called Lux that I have not yet read, but I was able to follow the plot fairly easily. The pacing dragged in parts, and Evie’s character had the ability to be mind-numbingly annoying in places (cf. Bella Swan). Many of the romantic scenes, in fact, were Twilight-esque and more sexual than I would have expected in a young adult novel (but maybe I’m stuck in the last decade…). Luc gives off the same vibe as Edward with his constant surveillance, disregard for Evie’s wishes, lightning fast reflexes, and glowing skin. The world-building, however, was well-excuted, and the dialogue was clever in many parts. I think I would have enjoyed this novel more as an adult science fiction storyline instead of having it crammed with the typical young adult tropes, but it did capture my interest enough to want to know what happens next!
Disclosure: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Rosanne E. Lortz 