Outpost by Ann Aguirre

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.

I enjoyed Enclave. It wasn’t my favorite book of the year, but it was an entertaining read and intrigued me enough to want to read the next book. So I started Outpost with relatively low expectations. And I ended up liking it better.

This book is slower in that there’s not action on every page—like Enclave. But I liked learning more about Deuce and seeing her adjust to a different environment. She learns more about life, real life, which is more than just being a Hunter. She grows to understand relationships better, and she learns to question what isn’t right. I liked her progress. Her interactions with the culture of Salvation felt spot on.

I thought the drama with Fade was totally unnecessary, though, and I actually rolled my eyes at the Fade/Stalker thing. So, I thought the inter-relationships between the quartet didn’t always make sense. Well, Tegan’s actions did, but Fade’s didn’t. So the drama that ensued felt contrived and took way too long to resolve itself. I also didn’t buy Fade’s actions in the end. What happened to him was horrible, but I didn’t see how it would affect his relationship with Deuce in that way.

I really like where the author is going with the Freaks. They are much more dynamic than in the first book, and they promise to deliver some great tension and action in the next book. Which I will be reading…though my expectations haven’t really changed. :)