This follow-up to Finley's The Darkest Time of Night continues the alien abduction story of William Chance and his grandmother Lynn Roseworth. It's been 15 years since Lynn brought young William home to safety, but the alien enemy is still out there, and the emotional scars and family rifts have not healed. When the true nature of the power William and others who have been taken reveals itself, the adventure begins.
Clunky exposition rehashes family drama, but when the true nature of the power William and others who have been taken reveals itself, the nail-biting adventure begins, resulting in an exciting race to save endangered innocents full of hairpin turns. Some key characters from the first novel, especially William’s extended family, are underdeveloped here, but William and his fellow abductees are captivating, responding to supernatural events with fully realized emotions and motivations ... Fans of Justin Cronin’s The Passage, TV’s Stranger Things, and all versions of Stephen King’s IT will want to sit under summertime stars to binge this quick read. Any teen or adult fan of sf thrillers will enjoy this story, although they may want to read the first installment before jumping in.
... falls short of the high standard set by its predecessor ... William and Lily’s flight for safety and his family’s parallel search for him aren’t particularly exciting, and Lynn, the first book’s most distinctive character, plays a small role. The limp storytelling doesn’t bode well for future series entries.
