Wednesday, July 26, 2017

The Scattering

*This post contains affiliate links! I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own*

Way back to early 2016 I read the first book in this series, The Outliers, and you absolutely have to read that one before you can get into this one. These are absolutely NOT stand alone books. I loved that book and it weaved this totally bizarre web and so when I saw this one show up in my mailbox for review I was over the top excited. I'm just said it's taken me these long to work my way through my review pile to it.

The Scattering - Kimberly McCreight


New York Times bestselling author Kimberly McCreight raises the stakes in the second book of the heart-pounding Outliers trilogy, a uniquely speculative story about secrets, betrayal, and a world where one small group of people are blessed—or cursed—with an incredible power.

Wylie may have escaped the camp in Maine, but she is far from safe. The best way for her to protect herself is to understand her ability, fast. But after spending a lifetime trying to ignore her own feelings, giving in to her ability to read other peoples’ emotions is as difficult as it is dangerous.

And Wylie isn’t the only one at risk. Ever since they returned home, Jasper has been spiraling, wracked with guilt over what happened to Cassie. After all they’ve been through together, Wylie and Jasper would do anything for each other, but she doesn’t know if their bond is strong enough to overcome demons from the past.

It is amid this uncertainty and fear that Wylie finds herself confronted with a choice. She was willing to do whatever it took to help Cassie, but is she prepared to go to the same extremes to help complete strangers . . . even if they are just like her? 


I had to go back and read my review of the first book so that I could feel like I was going into this one with a solid background. It didn't even matter because there is so much information in this around who the Outliers are, why everyone wants them, what their potential is, and nobody is who they seem.

Honestly? It's overwhelming and a few times I wanted to just set the book aside and say, I'm done, but I can't do that because you know that once I start a series I have to follow it through to the end no matter what. It honestly should be considered a mental illness .

My favorite part of this book is Wylie and Jasper and their relationship. Wylie alone is annoying and kind of stupid. Jasper.. he's got some issues, rightfully so, but them together I like. I want that to work out and I don't know if it will because Wylie is such a mess. Everything about the first book that was hard to follow, basically the science around being an Outlier, is in this book times a million. It got to the point where I didn't understand any of it or where the author is trying to go with it, and I can't keep track of who is with what government agency or whatever.

It's just too much information to follow in order for this to be a fun read.

And just as I was about to say, I just don't care about any of this or what happens, I get to the end and HOLY MOLY, BATMAN! That cliff hanger is TOO MUCH. It's too freaking much for me to handle and now I have to wait?!

I see you, Kimberly McCreight, I see what you did there. You're probably thinking you've gotten this web spun so out of control and you're worried you might be losing people, so let's throw that insane cliff hanger in there! I almost choked on my water when I read that!

*clutching chest like the old lady I am*

So for that cliffhanger of an ending alone, I'm giving this book a solid 3/5. You almost lost me because it's just too much information for my brain to handle post stroke, but now I'm in it. I can't get out, I'm in it for the long haul.

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