Vengeance (Fracture Series #2)

by Megan Miranda

Overview

Nobody really believes in a curse. Until you know the people who disappear. Too much coincidence, you look for reason. Too much death, you grasp for something to blame. Carson pulled Delaney out and he died on the side of the road with her mouth pressed to his. Her air in his body. Troy. She told the cops it was suicide. Didn't matter. The lake released her and grabbed another. But when Decker's father dies in a pool of spilled water on their kitchen floor, all Decker can feel is a slow burning rage. Because he knows that Delaney knew that his dad was going to die. She knew and backed out of his house and never said a word. Falcon Lake still has a hold on them both, and Decker can't forgive Delaney until he knows why.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802735041
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	02/04/2014
Series:	War That Came Early #04 , #2
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	29,020
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

Megan Miranda was a scientist and high school teacher before writing Fracture, which came out of her fascination with scientific mysteries-especially those associated with the brain. Megan has a BS in biology from MIT and spent her post-college years either rocking a lab coat or reading books. She lives near Charlotte, North Carolina, where she volunteers as an MIT Educational Counselor. Fracture is her first novel.
meganmiranda.com

Editorial Reviews

03/01/2014
Gr 9 Up—In Fracture (Walker, 2012), Delaney Maxwell fell through the ice into Falcon Lake, was trapped underwater for 11 minutes, spent a week in a coma, then woke up with no apparent lasting damage-except for a newfound ability to sense when other people were sick or dying. Vengeance is told from the point of view of Decker, Delaney's best friend (and boyfriend), who pulled her out of the ice and is still haunted by her narrow escape from death. When Decker's father unexpectedly dies, he can't help but feel resentment toward Delaney, who knew what was coming but kept it to herself. Decker and Delaney's high school friends start to feel that a curse is following them around, with unexpected deaths and near-death experiences, flooding, vandalism, and more-and that Delaney (and her unexpected survival) is somehow at the center of it all. This book combines the mystery of Falcon Lake's strange happenings with realistic romance, as much of the book centers on the ups and downs of Decker and Delaney's relationship that will feel very true to life for many teens. While not as heavy on the supernatural elements as the first book, this is a satisfying follow-up, delving more deeply into the characters and the so-called "curse" of Falcon Lake.—Jenny Berggren, formerly at New York Public Library

School Library Journal

"The realistic mystery wrapped in an eerie supernatural atmosphere will appeal to fans of both genres." —Kirkus Reviews

 

"The reader will fly through the pages, attempting to reconcile the terrible events that plague this likeable, very human group of teens." —Booklist

 

"A satisfying follow-up." —School Library Journal

 

"Miranda's riveting plot drives to an equally tense climax as she gracefully weaves together themes of suffering, compassion, jealousy, friendship, and trust. The fluid writing, empathetic characters, and big questions raised elevate this paranormal romance into a haunting meditation on what it means to be human and to truly live." —Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Fracture

 

"Readers will think about Fracture hours, perhaps days, after they complete it. The writing is excellent." —Examiner.com, on Fracture

 

"The science angle gives this mystery a fresh, intriguing twist, and Delaney's intelligent first-person voice and sensitive reflections deepen it. Teens will respond to Delaney as she negotiates the changes that fracture lives and create beginnings as well as endings." —The Washington Post, on Fracture

 

"A compelling psychological thriller . . . fresh, addicting, and smart." —VOYA, on Hysteria

 

"Questions the reliability of memory, the insidiousness of guilt, and what it truly means to be haunted." —Publishers Weekly, on Hysteria

 

"An atmospheric thriller, ripe with tension." —Kirkus Reviews, on Hysteria

From the Publisher

Miranda already solidified her status as a force to be reckoned with in her previous works, Fracture (Walker, 2013/Voya December 2011) and Hysteria (Walker, 2013/December 2012). Now, she picks up the story of Fracture's Delaney, who fell in a frozen lake and woke up able to sense when people were on the verge of dying. Delaney's true love, Decker, picks up the narration, and watches as his father has a heart attack in the kitchen. Did Delaney know? As Decker deals with Delaney's possible betrayal, their friends are still spooked by the death of their friend Carson in the last book. This has led some to believe the lake is cursed and wants to take Delaney back, as well as all the people who pulled her to safety in the first place. Miranda is a master at creating a sense of foreboding and a haunting narrative around engaging characters. She also does a brilliant job of weaving together a tortured super couple. Even when Decker is furious at Delaney, the two cannot be separated, and yet Miranda also depicts the potential pitfalls of such an intense romance. There is a sense of treading water in some spots as Decker fluctuates between wanting Delaney and lashing out over his father's death. The book stumbles at the climax, which feels slightly rushed and convoluted. But it is mostly because Miranda has such an intriguing narrative going on, it is virtually impossible for the reveal to live up to the rest of the mystery. Reviewer: Matthew Weaver

VOYA - Matthew Weaver

2013-12-11
Mystery and horror genres collide when superstition and fear overcome a group of teen friends who begin blaming their recent misfortunes on a curse in this follow-up to Fracture (2012). In friend Decker's narration, Delaney continues struggling to understand her secret ability to sense when people are nearing death, a talent she believes is a curse, as in the previous book, it failed to help her actually prevent her friend Carson's death. Meanwhile, Delaney's friends inexplicably find themselves the targets of several acts of vandalism, which they eventually believe stem from a curse they must have unleashed when they saved Delaney from drowning. Though believing in a curse may sound far-fetched, in many ways, it allows these teens to escape reminders of their own mortality and to avoid the unpleasant idea that someone wishes to harm them. As the teens reinforce one another's beliefs in the curse, the narration becomes increasingly paranoid, largely ignoring the ample evidence indicating that natural, rather than paranormal, explanations exist for the vandalism. In this way, Miranda cleverly leads readers down the same path of misdirection, encouraging them to anticipate a supernatural reveal, making the final uncloaking of the human villains more surprising. However, Delaney's "death sense" remains largely unresolved, perhaps leaving room for another installment. The realistic mystery wrapped in an eerie supernatural atmosphere will appeal to fans of both genres. (Suspense. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews