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Book Review of Rivers of Fire (Atherton, Book 2)

Rivers of Fire (Atherton, Book 2)
GeniusJen avatar reviewed on + 5322 more book reviews


Reviewed by LaLeesha Haynes for TeensReadToo.com

RIVERS OF FIRE is the sequel to the first book in the ATHERTON series, THE HOUSE OF POWER, by Patrick Carman. The book contains a great synopsis of the first book and a list of main characters that allows a person who has not read the first title to enjoy this second book. Although, I would still suggest reading the first book, because without it, character-driven activities and background can still be confusing at the beginning of the story.

During this book, we see Isabel and Samuel work together to seek out the truth to the collapse of Atherton and face the dangers of the world that they are realizing they barely understood. There is also Edgar, who embarks on a journey of his own to find Dr. Harding, the only man believed to understand the devastation and how to recapture peace in Atherton.

As these young people meet their destinies, there is a great deal of danger, action, and mystery to keep the reader interested in their plight. They begin to realize how fragile their planet truly is, and the repercussions of changing things in their eco-system; which provokes thoughts and concerns about the struggles of our time and creating a sustainable Earth.

Carman creates a world in Atherton that allows the reader to tackle some major modern concerns while following the well-developed characters of Edgar, Samuel, and Isabel through their own coming-of-age journeys.

RIVERS OF FIRE keeps the reader interested and is a great fantasy book for young adults and reluctant readers. There are even simple illustrations that add to the overall ease of imagination and story development.