Review: Fractured by Teri Terry

Title: Fractured (Slated #2)
Author: Teri Terry
Release Date: September 26th 2013
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Page Count: 336
Source: Purchased
Rating: Book 2 in this series is even better than Book 1. Time to get on the Slated train, dear readers!

Perfect for fans of the dystopian settings of The Hunger Games and Divergent  the gripping second installment of the Slated trilogy is a riveting psychological thriller set in a future where violent teens have their memory erased as an alternative to jail.

Kyla has been Slated—her personality wiped blank, her memories lost to her forever. Or so she thought. She shouldn’t be able to remember anything. But increasingly she can—and she’s discovering that there are a lot of dark secrets locked away in her memories. When a mysterious man from her past comes back into her life and wants her help, she thinks she’s on her way to finding the truth. But this new knowledge lands her in the middle of a tug-of-war between two dangerous adversaries, and despite her misgivings about both of them, she’s forced to choose a side for her own protection.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

THE REVIEW

In the last book, Kyla was beginning to remember who she was before she was Slated. But with the memories come a lot of scary stuff. Like terrorists, crazy government officials and major family drama. And if remembering who she is, terrorists, crazy government officials and major family drama aren't enough, she's also still trying to figure out what happened to Ben. Basically, it's getting hot in the kitchen and Kyla's either gonna have to man up and get the heck out of there. (But she can't really. Because the crazy government officials are terrifyingly crazy.)

Let's break this down:

So the Slated series definitely does not suffer from second book syndrome. I actually think I like the second installment of this trilogy better than the first (which I suppose is promising for the last book in all of this). 

To start with, Kyla beings to realize that she's not just Lucy and Kyla, she's also this third personality named Rain. Yeah. That's where creepy substitute teacher comes in. His name is Nico and he is one of those Antigovernment Terrorist guys. And then there are Lorders everywhere, including in her own home (if you remember, Kyla's mom is the daughter of the very first Lorder leader). So Book 2 holds the crazy push and pull of the bad guys vs. the bad guys with Kyla smack dab in the middle. All while Kyla is trying to figure out what happened to Ben and, oh, who she is. Honestly, Kyla does all of this in such a way that is so believable and fantastic that you can't help but root for her. 

But the problem is that you don't know what you're rooting for Kyla to do because both the Lorders and the AGT are psychotic murders and it's almost like there's no where to turn. There is no hidden institution in this series for Kyla to seek out. Or, at least, not yet. Right now she's just trying to figure out who she was and how that's going to drive what she does. Which I love because really just she's a teen figuring out her life and who to trust (based on shoddy memories, mind you) and those are the best kinds of YA books. 

Now, not only can you not trust the major institutions, but you also don't know who to trust on a more personal level. Like, Kyla's mom, dad and sister are all suspect. Katran? Nico? Cam? I mean, Katran seems like a hateful psycho, Nico is trouble. Like Taylor Swift wrote a song about him trouble. Cam is insanely suspect. Like, why are you so nice to Cam? Why are you all up in her business? But what's his angle and why? 

[Okay. So maybe I guessed why Cam was so nice. And perhaps Katran was a little too erratic for my taste. And, duh, Nico is creepy bad news and I feel like maybe he has some weird super power to compel people to love him? But whatever.]

So, bottom line, you can't trust anyone, Kyla's not even sure who she is and this book is filled with all kinds of crazy twists and turns. Especially with that's going on with Ben. Like. Whoa. We're totally set up for all kinds of insanity with the Ben situation, especially given where the book ends. 

All in all, this was an incredibly strong second book. I'm so excited to see where this book goes. Kyla/Rain/Lucy still has so much to learn about herself and what's going on around her so you never know what secrets are going to pop out and totally change the playing field. I mean, Kyla remembering her past as Lucy? Yeah. So there's no way for me or anyone else to predict the end, where any one's going to end up or what secrets are going to crop up. And I'm so incredibly excited to find out how it all wraps up.

The long and short of it?

Plot: Twisty, turny, fantastic insanity that I can't get enough of. May I have some more please?
World Building: We're constantly learning more and more about this futuristic world but everything just keeps me guessing in the best way possible.
Character Development: Kyla's really finding her footing and working out where her loyalties lie. I also really like watching her family grow in around her. Also. Katran. Whoa.
Prose: The writing is part of what forced me to sit down and read this entire book in one sitting.
Would I Recommend This Book?: This series is for dystopian lovers. And for people who love zillions of twists and turns and unpredictable plots. Also, for people who love series where the second book is even better than the first. 

Ready to start this series so you can get to the awesome second book in the series? Let me know your thoughts on this series in the comments below!