Sneak (Swipe #2) by Evan Angler

Published: September 4^th, 2012 (Thomas Nelson)

Pages: 288

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

When Logan Langly backed out of getting the Mark and went on the run, no one thought he could survive on his own. Without the Mark, you can't buy food, go to the doctor, or use a tablet--you aren't even a citizen.

But when he discovers that his sister is being held in a mysterious hidden prison named Acheron, Logan risks everything to travel through an underground network of the Markless to rescue her.

Logan arrives only to find that Acheron holds more secrets than anyone could have guessed and that all his careful planning is worthless against a government that will do anything to gain absolute control.

It seems there is only one place to turn. But can a banned book with whisper-thin pages and warnings about the real meaning of the Mark really hold the Answer?

[Description from Goodreads]

If you haven’t read my review of Swipe, you can do so here.

Logan Langley is in much deeper trouble than he ever thought he could be. He’s now on the run with the Dust after escaping his Mark, and the adventure’s only begun. He’s still set on saving his sister, Lily, from the government, which is rumored to have put her, and countless other Markless, in a terrible prison called Acheron.  With the help of his fellow Markless rebels, Logan takes risk after risk to save Lily from a life of torture and misery…but circumstances turn out far different than he first expected.

I loved this second book sooo much better than Swipe. Sneak was much more fast-paced and felt less middle-grade. There were more plot twists, and was overall less predictable than Swipe. I flew through it and enjoyed every bit.

Logan is much stronger character in this book, and I really liked seeing that. While he has matured since the first book in the series, he’s not some big, fearless leader, either. He’s still afraid of things. He’s still under Peck’s leadership, and he’s not starting a rebellion single-handedly (that may or may not be a reference to another book…take it how you will). This “weakness” makes him connectable and relatable to the reader, which is obviously essential. I’m eager to see how he matures and develops further in book three.

I feel like there were more Biblical implications in Sneak, too; more so than in Swipe. It can be tough incorporating that aspect in to these types of books, especially in the YA genre, so I always like when an author manages to do that. Another thing that I really liked was the Markless signs and The River. While on his journey to save his sister, Logan and the gang follows “The River,” a trail of Markless helpers snaked throughout the country to aid other Markless in travel. This seemed very similar to the Underground Railroad of the Civil War Era. Markless signs were symbols strategically placed along The River to guide Markless along the trail. This aspect reminded me of Depression Era hobo symbols. I’m pretty sure Evan purposely added both of these things, and I loved the similarities and liked how they connected history with the future, which is where this book is set. (As a side note, Sneak reminded me of The Forsaken by Lisa Stasse. They could be book doppelgängers.)

I highly recommend this series to both middle-grade readers as well as teen readers. It would make a great read-aloud for families, too (maybe not with younger kids in the room, though). I read straight through it and absolutely can’t wait for book three, titled Storm. You can look for my review later this week!

Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: None (some made-up cuss words are used)

Violence: Mild (mention of torture methods used in a prison; a man is shot)

Sexual: None