Our Deadly Designs by Kalyn Josephson. 432 pages. Roaring Brook (Macmillan), 2024. $21
Language: PG-13 (17 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: R (bloody deaths)
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
17yo Mikira, 20yo Damien, Reid, and Ari have growing problems in Enderlain. The community is searching for the lost heir while Damien seems to be pushing his friends away. Mikira is interested in joining the rebels, Reid keeps scientifically investigating enchanted cells, and Ari struggles to control her building power that’s becoming even more dangerous. The friends seem to be going their separate ways while they try to find their own paths. A darker force is growing in Enderlain. Will the group pull together and fight or be defeated separately?
The dynamics of the relationships are so different from the first book of this series. Even with their struggles, the characters learn to appreciate each other more. The story takes a different turn from what the series originally had but character development is still good.
The mixed ethnicity includes olive, golden brown, white, and bronze skin tones.
LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah