Outpost

Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.
To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.
Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.
From School Library JournalGr 8 Up-In this sequel to Enclave (Feiwel & Friends, 2011), Aguirre uses dreams and conversations to supply information for readers unfamiliar with that volume and to add background about the major characters. Having reached the fortress community of Salvation after a terrifying trek through a postapocalyptic world populated by voracious Freaks (mutants), Deuce, Fade, Stalker, and Tegan try to adapt. Trained as a Huntress, Deuce chafes at expectations about how to dress and act because she is female. She also cannot understand why Fade avoids her after she practices fighting skills with Stalker. Salvation's citizens lead simple, prosperous lives, and Deuce's unconventional behavior troubles some who fear violating rules will lead to everyone's doom. In the forest, Freaks gather in colonies, and some have evolved enough to develop strategies beyond mindless feeding; summer patrols must be stationed outside Salvation's walls. Deuce volunteers and is joined by Fade, Stalker, and 17 others. By season's end, many have died. Salvation's only chance for survival lies in summoning allies. Armed with trade maps and survival gear, Deuce, Fade, Stalker, and Tegan set out for an uncertain destination. Deuce's growing awareness of her capacity to love, including her romance with Fade, has a prominent place in the story. However, there are plenty of bloody encounters with Freaks to satisfy readers more interested in combat. The Stalker-Deuce-Fade triangle remains unresolved while Tegan develops more complexity. Aguirre's success lies in generating page-turning action more than in developing characters. It is enough to recommend the book, especially where Enclave is popular, and readers will demand the final volume.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankatoα© Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review«A dark, haunting read… Ann Aguirre has me hooked!»
NYT bestselling author Gena Showalter
 “Aguirre’s success lies in generating page-turning action…”—School Library Journal
“…an engaging world and forward-moving plot with a resolution that promises new settings and challenges in Book 3.” —Kirkus
“This postapocalyptic thriller delivers gripping suspense and bloody violence. A must-read for fans.” — Booklist