Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
Review by Penelope B., Youth Reviewer
“Monument 14” was written by Emmy Laybourne, and is the first book of the “Monument 14” trilogy. The book is a young adult, post-apocalyptic fiction. “Monument 14” was written in first person, making the book much more entertaining. The book was also full of adventures, making you want to read more.
Fourteen kids of all ages struggle through the apocalypse, hidden in a Greenway Superstore in Monument, Colorado. As days go on and no help arrives, the kids learn that the world is in more chaos than they suspected. When they think that the worst is over, NORAD’s chemical weapons leak forces the kids to seal themselves into the store, quarantined from the rest of their families and friends. But as time passes, it is up to the group's leader to decide whether to stay hidden or to leave the familiar and risk everything to go into the world to find the ones they truly love.
My two favourite characters out of the 14 were Dean (the story's narrator) and Niko (the resourceful leader type). The only bad thing I found about this book was that it is inappropriate and has more noticeable foul language in some parts. The book's beginning chapters were great, but when it reached the middle, where all the characters were fully settled into the store, it started to get inappropriate, and the foul language began to show. Still, the book got back on track when the next big adventure was introduced, and the inappropriate parts were forgotten.
If you liked “Monument 14”, you should read the other books in the trilogy, “Sky On Fire” and “Savage Drift”. I really enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to see what happens to the kids of Monument in the next book.
Find “Monument 14” at the Kitchener Public Library!