Only Ashes Remain

July 1, 2019
Continues the violent misfortunes of two teens on the run for their lives. Picking up right after Not Even Bones' (2018) cliffhanger ending, Nita finds herself facing Fabricio, the boy who betrayed her to the black market, and revenge is all Nita thinks of. But Nita has even bigger problems now, as a video of her self-healing ability is on the dark web, marking her as a vulnerable target. When she realizes that to ensure her freedom she needs to send a message to her enemies not to mess with her, Nita turns to Kovit, the monstrous boy she both fears and likes. But even the best-laid plans have flaws....While the setting moves from Latin America to Canada, the story is still very much concerned with ongoing questions of nature, nurture, and accountability when it comes to one's humanity--or one's monstrosity, as the case may be. As Nita and Kovit grow closer to one another, the book never shies away from its characters' psychopathic tendencies, with little respite from the graphic violence that they both endure and induce. Although there is little actual plot progression (the characters start and end the book in the same kind of danger), there is undoubtedly a strong character arc toward self-knowledge and self-determination for both protagonists. Both Nita and Kovit are brown skinned; Nita has a Chilean father and a nonhuman mother. A gory, thought-provoking sequel mixing Dexter and John Wick and not for the faint-hearted. (Fantasy. 15-adult)

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