Monument 14: Savage Drift by Emmy Laybourne
Review by Penelope B., Youth Reviewer
Emmy Laybourne wrote the “Monument 14” trilogy, a young adult, post-apocalyptic fiction trilogy. The final book in the trilogy is “Monument 14: Savage Drift”. This book digs into not only the character of Dean’s perspective but also Josie’s, one of the other Monument 14 survivors who got separated from the group in the second book, “Sky On Fire”.
After the second book, Dean Grieder and the rest of the group are safe in a Canadian refugee camp. However, not all the Monument 14 survivors are with them; Josie Miller was separated from the Monument 14 group who were travelling from the Greenway superstore to Denver in “Sky On Fire”. Josie has lost all hope of being rescued from a brutal prison camp in the US. This camp is made only for people with Type O blood who will become deranged and deadly when exposed to the chemicals that NATO made, which have been a problem for the characters throughout the series. Meanwhile, Niko, Dean, Astrid and Jake go on a daring mission to escape the refugee camp and rescue their friend.
I would say that “Savage Drift” isn’t my favourite book out of the trilogy, with a few short inappropriate parts here and there and some crude language, which tainted the rest of the book. I found that some of the descriptions were a bit too vivid in a way that made the book gory. Still, it was a very entertaining storyline, making you want to read more to see what happens next. However, I would have liked to have seen more secondary characters like Niko and Alex and less of the love triangle between Dean, Astrid, and Jake. The main thing I liked about the book is how all the loose ends made throughout all three books were tied up, making it a very satisfying ending to the trilogy.
After reading this amazing, entertaining, and thrilling trilogy, I will read other books Emmy Laybourne has written, like “Sweet”. I will also be looking up books that are in the same genre as the “Monument 14” trilogy.