________________
CM . . . . Volume XXIV Number 29 . . . . March 30, 2018
excerpt:
Escalate is part of the "Retribution" series and is one of the three sequel novels, each written by a different author and told from the perspective of a different main character. While the "Retribution" series is an excellent collection for young readers, and especially reluctant readers, overall, Escalate fell flat for me. The main character, Jace Wyatt, is part of Team Retribution. His role consists of being both the muscle and the observant as he is skilled at both boxing and reading people. When Team Retribution is hired by a late-teen girl to help find out if her dad is having an affair, Jace is sent in to handle it. Meanwhile, he has his own secret side project of looking into his real birth family. As occurs in other books in the series, the plot moves quickly, and there is little character development, although this is to be expected in the book's short time span. However, there is little to no physical description of Jace and his calculating personality, and, although this is intentional, it leaves the novel feeling very robotic. Although the vocabulary and concept of Escalate are easy to grasp, the overall plot attempts to follow two mysteries. Due to this, I found myself confusing facts and details and, at times, had to refer to previous scenes. That the plot may be hard to follow for some readers could be discouraging. Recommended with Reservations. Lacey Crowie works in the School of Business Dean's office at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and is currently completing her Master's in Children's Literature at the University of British Columbia.
Next Review |
Table of Contents for This Issue
- March 30, 2018. |