I grew up in Prince George, BC, before graduating from the University of British Columbia with a BA in English Literature. I currently live in Tokyo, Japan with my husband and two kids, where I write to either movies on a loop or music turned up way too loud (and sometimes both at the same time).
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ahhh..this was so good!
Divided by Elsie Chapman is the second book in the Dualed series. It picks up shortly after the end of book one and I found myself yanked back into West’s world and I loved it! I though Chapman did a wonderful job of building out more of these characters as well as the world they live in.
West is now a weapons assistant to Baer at the high school and she helps with the student training. She is also in a relationship with Chord and trying to get on with her life. As part of her Post Completion Treatment, West is seeing a counselor to help her cope with the nightmares and aftermath of defeating her alt. While on her way home West is approached by a Board Operator and immediately worries The Board is coming for her because of her previous work as a striker. West is taken to the Board’s headquarters, and introduced to a Level 1 operator who asks her to do something she would never consider doing…under normal circumstances.
Let me pause here to say, there were times where I just wanted West to lean on Chord and not internalize every darn thing. I get it, she was trying to protect him and not get him involved but in the end, by keeping the secrets she only created larger issues. Chord clearly loves her and will do just about anything for her and that may be why she tried to keep him away from everything going on but again, she should have told him from the beginning what she was doing.
Ok….it turns out the Level 1 operator goes by the name Sabian and he offers up a trade. In exchange for her help killing the Alts of some Level One children, she can get something for the future…the lives of her children, free and clear. Clearly Sabian knows about her past as well as Dire Nation but he and the Board let it continue because it hasn’t hurt them in any way yet. Despite her misgivings, the opportunity it too good to pass by and when she does agree to the work, she also barters to have her striker marks removed.
Here is where the action starts and honestly doesn’t really stop until the end of the book. As West is hunting down these idles, she comes to find out more about Kersh, its founders, and some secrets the Board would probably kill her for if they knew she knew them. I feel like I can’t tell you much more without giving anything away and I really don’t want to do that because you should experience everything. Just know that there is danger and fighting and definitely kissing.
I do love the characters in this series. Starting with West, she is strong and protective of those she loves. She will do anything, including sacrifice herself, for the people who are important to her. She’s also smart…she isn’t perfect though so she does make mistakes.
I liked learning more about Dire and Baer. Both are difficult guys to get to know but as we learn more about them, I understand why they are who they are and do what they do. They do truly care about West and she has a great group of people supporting her.
Chord….where to start. He is perfect for West in that he truly loves her and cares about her but he also isn’t afraid to call her out on something when he knows she did something wrong. AND even if he does disagree with something, he still completely supports her decision(s). He truly wants what is best for her and wants to keep her away from all the bad things in the world but he has come to realize that he can’t really do that in the world they live in. No question, he is one of my favorites and has made the swoony book boyfriends shelf.
In addition to a great story, there is a lot of action and some wonderful characters. If you enjoyed book one of this series, I definitely recommend you check this book out as soon as you can. Chapman did a fantastic job of pulling me back into this world and I couldn’t put this down until I finished. I look forward to more from her and while I can’t see another book listed, I’m hoping more of West and Chord’s story.
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