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1
Logan Paul Langly ran until his legs gave out and his insides burst with pain. He ran until there were sparks in his eyes and splinters in his lungs. He ran until he collapsed.
The sun had long since dipped behind the skyline's abandoned rooftops, and Logan Paul Langly slumped now against the side of a building that gave no shelter, under lampposts that gave no light.
Ahead of him, outlined against the dying glow of a purple horizon, was an overpass, silent and slowly crumbling. This was the Ruined Sector, the outskirts of New Chicago, destroyed in the States War and never rebuilt. He was fifty miles out from Spokie. Another twenty from downtown.
Downtown was where he needed to be.
So Logan stood and stumbled on, blindly, paranoid, walking backward half the time, under the shadows of the dead neighborhood. A winter stillness held him at arm's length from any sense of hope these city streets might have given him, but even in his exhaustion, he knew that this was progress. For the moment, he wasn't being followed. For the moment, he wasn't lost.
"It's better than the woods," Logan told himself, emerging from the shadows and finding some small comfort in the thought. He had to wipe his face on his sleeves so the tears wouldn't freeze to his cheeks, but he laughed a little and said it again. "It's better than the woods, and the view here is nice tonight."
He looked out as he said it. Beside him, the water at the Ruins' edge stretched all the way to the horizon, peaceful and frozen and smooth. A soft wind slid over the ice, hitting Logan with waves of clear blue chill, and he could feel the Lake Michigan air lodging, jagged, in his throat.
Three months ago, Logan Paul Langly could not have imagined he'd wind up here. Three months ago, Logan Paul Langly was a normal kid with a normal life. He went to school, he mostly did his homework, and like all kids his age, he waited patiently for his thirteenth birthday—the day he would finally be Marked. By now, Logan should have been a full American Union citizen with full American Union benefits. But instead, he was here, a Markless fugitive stranded and alone—and that was the least of his worries.
Growing up, Logan had always thought of New Chicago as being familiar and close. He and his family had visited often to see his grandmother on birthdays or for the Inclusion Day parades. New Chicago always reminded him of cakes from his aunt and uncle's bakery downtown, of school trips to museums or family trips to sights and shops. He had felt like he belonged there. It had felt almost as much like home as Spokie did.
But New Chicago did not feel like home tonight.
And Logan did not belong anywhere now.
"Hands out, hotshot!"
Logan spun in the direction of the voice behind him.
"I said hands out!"
Under darkness, Logan could see the silhouette of a teenager in front of him, poking up from behind a trash can and holding its lid as some type of defense.
"I'm not ... I don't ... I'm no hotshot," Logan stuttered, barely even knowing what that meant, but the girl was already rushing at him, fumbling with Logan's coat, tearing at it. Finally she had Logan's wrist, and with the hand that held the lid, she pushed Logan's sleeve up tight past his forearm.
"Stop it! Stop it!" Logan yelled, wide-eyed and horrified, as the girl twisted his arm painfully to get a better look. "I'm no hotshot! I'm Markless, you beggar! I'm Markless! Like you!" And with these words, the girl paused finally, her arms slackening ever so slightly. She peered down at Logan's wrist, squinting severely in the dim light.
Logan was right, of course. His wrist was empty.
"Oh. Well, then it's nice to meet you," the girl said suddenly, smiling big and toothy. "Welcome to the Ruins!"
2
"It's how we get by." The girl shrugged, sitting cross-legged next to Logan by the lake. "I'm sure you understand."
But Logan rubbed his elbow tenderly, not understanding at all.
"Oh, get over it!" she scoffed. "As if you've never accidentally attacked a friendly stranger."
"I haven't," Logan said. "And where I come from, no one else does, either."
"Oh yeah? Where's that?" The girl rolled her eyes. "I'd love to visit."
Logan rose to his feet. "Slog Row," he said. "In Spokie." Then, more quietly, "You can't visit anymore."
The girl paused for a moment, cocking an eyebrow and taking in the sight of him. "You're a long ways from home," she said.
Logan laughed. "You have no idea."
The two of them walked along the water's edge for some time after that, Logan still nursing his elbow, the girl swinging her trash can lid playfully. "So you looking for anything in particular?" she asked. "It isn't an easy hike from the suburbs to the Ruins. Especially not this time of year."
"I wasn't headed for the Ruins," Logan said. "I'm headed downtown. I'd still be on my way if you hadn't stopped me."
"Well, then you're lucky I did! Markless like us don't stand a chance downtown anymore."
Logan looked at her, narrowing his eyes.
"Don't tell me you haven't heard."
He shrugged.
"DOME. They've gone bonkers!" She raised her eyebrows, pausing for effect. "Come on. You must know this by now. What they're doing—"
"I've been on the road a long time," Logan said, shaking his head. "Hiding in alleys, lost in the woods ..." But the truth was that Logan did know. The truth was that Logan knew exactly what the Department of Marked Emergencies had been doing in the month since his Pledge. The Department of Marked Emergencies had been looking for him. He knew because they'd chased him in circles for weeks. He knew because they'd barricaded every last entrance to his hometown of Spokie. He knew because it took him three false starts to make it even this far toward New Chicago without getting caught in his first few steps.
Logan shrugged. "I haven't exactly been keeping up with current events. Been about a month since I've spoken to anyone at all."
The girl eyed Logan sideways for just a moment longer than he would have liked. "Well, that's when it started," she said. "'Bout a month ago. DOME has agents everywhere now, patrolling the streets. Someone with a dirty coat or unwashed hair or a skinny face comes along, DOME asks to see a Mark. Any poor tightwad can't show one ... off they go."
"Where?"
"Hard to say." The girl shrugged. "They don't come back. Anyway, you can understand why I get a little jumpy around strangers these days." She took his hand playfully, twining her fingers in his and pointing his wrist upwards to examine it again.
"Still not Marked," Logan said.
"Yeah, well ... can't be too sure." The girl rolled her eyes and let his hand drop. "So where's your huddle, then, Mr. Lone Wolf?"
"Huddle?"
"You don't have a huddle?"
Logan cleared his throat nervously.
"A huddle's, like ... you know, your tribe or whatever. A circle. A family. Maybe not a real family, but—"
"I get it," Logan said. For a moment, Peck and Blake and the others flashed into his head. "I almost had one once, I guess. I didn't know you called them huddles."
"Well, what do you call them?"
"I dunno," Logan said. "A gang?"
The girl laughed. "Gang is a tycoon word. Markless stick to huddles."
"Tycoon?" Logan asked.
"Sure. Tycoons, bigwigs, hotshots, moguls—you know, the big spenders. The haves. The Marked."
Logan had heard the words before, but in Marked culture only the most foulmouthed people would dare use them in such a disparaging way.
"Oh, don't look so offended," the girl said. "The day the Marked stop calling me 'miser' and 'skinflint' and 'tightwad' and all the other awful slurs they've thought up over the years is the day I'll apologize for calling them moguls. Until then ... well ... they started it."
The two of them looked out at the lake for a long time.
"I need to get going," Logan said, shivering a little. "I've got a long way to walk tonight."
"What? Have your ears frozen shut? I told you, kid, downtown is off-limits. We stick to the Ruins now."
"No." Logan frowned. "I need help."
"Well, then let me. I have warm clothes, food—"
"I don't need to survive. I need to move." The girl looked at him, not understanding, and Logan sighed. "I need to get to the capital, to Beacon City. I have an aunt and uncle downtown, and as far as I can figure it, they're my only ticket there."
"They Marked?"
"Yeah."
"Then they're not family anymore."
"Look, whatever," Logan said, turning to leave, but the girl grabbed his shoulder before he could.
"You won't make it—"
"I've made it this far—"
"They won't help you." The girl looked desperate now, her voice shaking suddenly. Logan wondered how many friends she'd lost in the last couple of weeks. "DOME's turning them on us. I'm telling you, it's like Mark-Unmark warfare or something. Your family won't take you to Beacon. They'll take you to the Center to Pledge and align yourself with Lamson and Cylis, like all the other moguls and hotshots. They'll take you to be Marked." The girl ran her fingers through her hair, looking down and sighing deeply, trying to compose herself. "And that's if you're lucky. That's if they don't just send you straight to DOME on some trumped-up charge, like the good little tycoons they are." She looked out at the lake again, frozen and peaceful, and she took a few more deep breaths. "The one thing they will not do"—she spoke slowly now, her energy spent-"is get you to Beacon."
Logan sighed, feeling the cold creep in under his skin again. He wrapped his arms around himself. "They'll have to," he said, simply. "They're my only shot."
"Only shot at what?"
Logan frowned, and for a moment his mind traveled far away. To his sister, to Lily, a flunkee, swiped by DOME during her own Pledge five years ago, shipped halfway across the continent to Beacon City, to be punished in ways so secret that even most DOME employees didn't know the specifics. Logan thought of her, hidden away, alone and scared and confused. He had to save her.
"It doesn't matter what," Logan said finally.
"Well, it'd better. It had better matter a lot, actually. 'Cause you'd be risking everything for it."
"You'd be amazed," Logan said, "at how little I have to lose."
The girl stared at him, frowning, and he stared back. Then she knelt down, and she laid her trash can lid on the ground. She had a small bundle slung on her back, and she untied it and opened it, spreading out its contents on the ground. "Hungry?"
Logan didn't quite know how to answer that. He hadn't had a real meal since his birthday breakfast almost a month ago. Anything he'd eaten since, he'd found discarded among garbage or growing in the woods. In the moment, out of pride, he intended to shrug the girl's question away, to reinforce his status as the Lone Wolf Markless, able to fend for himself. But the thought of food sent a lurching wave through his system, and Logan must have grimaced.
"Here," she said, holding out a stack of crackers. "Take 'em. I have lots."
Logan could see that she didn't, that there was almost nothing there. "I can't take your food," he said. But Logan was smiling for the first time in so long that it made his face feel strange.
"Well, I don't want them back." The girl shrugged. And she pressed every last cracker she had into his hands.
Immediately, he was eating them, eating so fast that he choked a little and coughed out a cloud of pieces, the mouthful falling to the ground. At once he dropped down to scrape them up, crumbs and dirt and lint all mingling together, sticking to his fingers, and Logan licked all of it off, not caring what parts were crackers and what parts weren't. His eyes watered from the quick intake, and he coughed a few more times before he could speak. But when he did, it was with contentment and relief, a dry, grateful whisper. "Thank you," he said. "That's the most I've eaten in ..." But he honestly didn't know, and he knew better than to remind himself.
"I'm Bridget," the girl said, putting out her Unmarked hand and letting it hang there for several moments.
Finally, Logan nodded. But he didn't take her hand. He didn't say a word.
"You may be Unmarked." She laughed. "But you aren't one of us."
"What makes you say that?" Logan asked.
"Because you still won't trust me."
"You just attacked me!"
"Well, sure, when I thought you were some bigwig," she said, as though it were nothing. "When I thought you were a mogul. Doesn't mean you have to hold it over me forever."
Logan frowned. The fact was, he didn't trust anyone anymore. But he couldn't go into all that now. "You just don't need to know my name, is all," he said, and he rubbed his elbow to drive the point home.
"Fine," Bridget said. A strange expression flashed again across her face, but it was gone before Logan could decipher it. "Even if you are set on going downtown, though, you're not gonna get there tonight. So the way I see it, you have two options. The first is that you stay with our huddle and get a good night's sleep. Andrew's down there by the trash cans, and he has an extra blanket you can use."
Logan frowned.
"What? Are you scared of him, too? Listen. You've got a friend now with me around, and I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here all night, and I'll be here when you wake up. If anyone gives you trouble ..." Bridget swung her trash can lid like a shield and smiled.
"Thanks," Logan said. "I think." He nodded, unable to look at her through some combination of humility and paranoia. "But what's 'option two'?"
"Option two is that you run off and freeze to death, and I get to say I told you so."
"Excuse me?" Logan said.
But Bridget only winked, and she walked off toward the huddle in the distance, laughing to herself all the way.
3
"The underpass is ours," Andrew said as Logan wrapped a blanket around himself. "It's decent shelter from the worst of the weather, and if you can manage to climb up to the highway, the road makes for a good lookout. Hey, Ron, you up there?" Andrew called abruptly.
"All clear!" a voice floated down.
"Why not keep to the buildings?" Logan asked. "Doesn't look like anyone's claimed them."
"Can't risk it," Andrew said. "Not since DOME started clamping down. They've already chased us out of New Chicago's main streets, and you'd better believe they're looking for an excuse to follow us out here and arrest us once and for all. Couple of squatting charges would give it to 'em—it's illegal to stay in a building that ain't yours, even if it's empty."
"But how would DOME know?"
Andrew laughed. "This huddle around you? We're the ones still out here, the ones who got away. Now, why do you think that is?"
Logan shrugged.
"It's 'cause we're the careful ones. DOME's thinking two steps ahead these days, so it's our job to think three. Now, the way I see it, we can't be sure those buildings aren't smoky with that electronic chalk dust DOME's always using to spy on us. Whaddaya call it? Surveillance powder. All it takes is one building filled with the stuff for DOME to hear us walkin' around inside, and then it's just a matter of time before they're banging down the doors and dragging us away. But the underpass"—Andrew swept his arms out around him and smiled at Logan—"the underpass is safe. It's open. It's ours." Andrew dropped his arms and shrugged. "For now, that is. Whether or not they're admitting it, DOME's rules have changed. Join Cylis and get Marked or die, am I right? One by one, if they have to—they're cleaning us out."
Logan's mouth went dry. "You, uh ... you have any idea why that is?"
"Sure," Andrew said. "Simple. Little band of skinflints poked the sleeping giant."
"A little band of ..."
Andrew laughed. "Look, Mr. Slog Row, do yourself a favor and try not to lie to me. There's no way you don't know this story."
Logan sat with his knees tucked up against his chest. He buried his chin into the edge of the blanket wrapped up around his shoulders and stared intently into its worn fabric. Thirty feet away, Bridget leaned against the next row of overpass pillars, arms crossed, one leg tucked up, totally still, just watching.
Andrew glanced at her and laughed. "I know Bridget says you're new at this, kid, but you can't honestly think I'd believe that you've never heard of the Dust."
Logan sat still.
"The Dust? You know, Peck's group? Come on; you must have heard of Peck."
"Rings a bell ...," Logan said, swallowing hard.
"He's been famous for years! The guy's, like, our biggest recruiter—our only recruiter, probably. Like a, uh—whaddaya call it?—a Robin Hood–type." Andrew laughed. "You know, stealing kids from the rich and giving them to the poor."
Bridget walked over to Andrew, joining in on the conversation by hitting him squarely on the back of his head. "Don't say it like that! Makes it sound like he's kidnapping 'em. That's exactly what DOME wants people to think."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from SNEAK by Evan Angler Copyright © 2012 by Evan Angler. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Anonymous
Posted September 5, 2012
I received a copy of SNEAK by Evan Angler from Thomas Nelson via BookSneeze. It’s the second book in the Young Adult, dystopian Swipe series (which starts with SWIPE, which I also read, courtesy of BookSneeze, and loved). While I do love reading, only a few actually get me so excited I can’t wait to read. This was did as soon as I opened the packaging. SWIPE left me anxious to learn what happened to the main characters, Logan and Erin. This quenched my thirst while still leaving me eager for what I hope will be a third book in the series. I literally read SNEAK in one day; I couldn’t put it down for long.
While I do read dystopian novels, that genre isn’t my friend. I’ll often read them because one of my friends loves dystopian stories, so we can discuss them. SNEAK actually made me want to write a dystopian. Evan Angler is an outstanding wordsmith. Without being too wordy, each sentence packs a punch and leaves you reading onward. Despite the futuristic setting, the characters and adventures are realistic.
The people in Evan Angler’s world must be Marked by the government. After they are Marked, they can buy groceries, go to concerts, etcetera. The Swipe series follows a group of the unmarked through danger, twists, and turns. Since Erin and Logan are main characters, boys and girls will both enjoy SNEAK. It would be a great addition to a middle or high school classroom library.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 23, 2012
I love this book, It is very exiciting and has a great plot. It is just
as good as the first book. Hopefully there is a third book! Oh and I
love the Authors note at the beginning of the book
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 9, 2012
Sounds... AWESOME!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.A review copy was provided for an honest review. Sneak is a excellent follow-up to Swipe! From the very first page it picks up where you last left off with Logan on the run. The sequel has a lot of action and adventuring going on. It didn't have many dull moments and it's completely thrilling from beginning to end. Which was my issue with the first book but this one covered all those bases. Once again you're caught questioning every one who enters Logan's life and wondering if he should trust them or if they're going to betray him. I, for the life of me didn't know who was on his side until the end which was brilliant. Sneak will leave you literally on the edge of your seat as you continue to turn the pages! There is so much going on all at once but never is it confusing to understand. I think this is one of the most mature middle grade books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. It was easy to forget that the characters were only twelve and thirteen-year-olds because their actions and thoughts would suggest otherwise. I loved the world that's created and the history that's integrated. It was nice to see all the characters from the first book and continue their stories and how they intertwine with eachothers. Logan is a fighter and a survivor of the mark and he's determined now more than ever to find his sister and save her. Erin is still a big part of the book and her motives are questionable throughout and it was interesting to have such an doubtful perspective thrown in. I still really liked her character even though she's no longer seen as the "good guy" and I especially enjoyed seeing the faces of the Dust who each have their own strange but interesting personalities. Sneak is wholly deserving of a 4.5 of 5 star rating, it really stepped up on all accounts.
Logan Langly is now on the run from D.O.M.E. and they won't stop until he and the members of the Dust are found. Having given up his life in Spokie to seek out the truth and find his sister he ventures through the unforgiving streets for answers and safety. Meanwhile the Dust are organizing and lie in wait for Logan to join them so they can take the next step—however dangerous and deadly that might be. Logan discovers that being Markless isn't easy and he'll need to find a way to reach Acheron—the place where is sister is being held—with or without the help of the others. Just as all is looking hopeless he starts to see a light at the end of the tunnel when he finds a network willing to help him and his cause. Now every step is crucial and nothing can stand in his way—not even Erin.
What an amazingly exciting middle-grade novel and a fantastic sequel to Swipe. There is many crazy plot twists, betrayal, suspense, heartbreak, and chaos to be found. I read this in one sitting and remain ever curious about what the next book will hold. Another story written wonderfully by Evan Angler. Although this series is for young readers I think it's more suitable for 13+. All the characters are mere teenagers but they are incredibly mature (most of them anyways), and nicely developed. The post-apocalyptic-like society is incredibly cool and the world's expansion is beyond fascinating in its structure and rules. Sneak is a nonstop action-adventure and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who likes reading about a product of an awesome imagination.
Littlebookstar
Posted April 20, 2013
If Swipe was about the author introducing us about the whole being “marked” thing when they turned 13, well this one is about Logan going off to an adventure to look for his sister who supposedly wasn’t marked (when she was supposed to) and was thrown into some place where all the other unmarked who were supposed to be marked were. The question is where is she? Is she still alive? Or were they just rumors?
I am blown away. Sneak surprised me in numerous ways. I was not expecting for it to have so much twists because the first book, Swipe, was an okay book for me. I liked it but did not love it, but oh my goodness, this one was the complete opposite. I freakin loved it. The number one thing I loved about Sneak was that the author came up with so many interesting ideas and that the pacing was a lot better. It wasn’t slow in any of the parts, but the chapters were still super long. The chapters were still divided in sections by numbers which switched off to different perspectives. I think there were 3 or 4 perspectives, I forgot, but definitely more than two. It wasn’t confusing and I think is actually the reason of why this book was such a page turner for me! If it switched off to different perspectives, then you would want to know what happened to the other characters right? Then after you read that character’s perspective, you’re left wanting to know more of what happened to the other characters again, and so on.
I freakin loved the characters too! I enjoyed how we got to know more about Logan, Erin, Peck, and the rest of the Dust! I really think they’re mature for their age (they are 13 year olds I think) which was fun to read and wasn’t annoying. They weren’t whiny at all, and man were they risk takers! I know if I was 13 again and I was in their situation I probably would have just given up. I enjoyed how each character developed, grew, and changed. There were also some new characters, and Logan’s sister’s character is definitely to look out for. You’ll be shocked with her character! I want to put spoilers in this review so bad. Lol. Just kidding. Go read this book! I stayed up past 1a.m. and it was totally worth it. So much adventure and surprises; goodluck taking them in! From 3.5 stars (the rating I gave to Swipe) to 5 stars, thunder claps to Evan Angler! I definitely recommend this series to everyone.
Anonymous
Posted January 14, 2013
Sneak by Evan Angler
I would like to first point out that “Sneak” is the second book in The Swipe Series, if you have not read “Swipe”, I highly recommend you start there. I was a little disappointed when I got this book from Booksneeze and realized it was a sequel but after reading both books, I have no complaints. I loved them both! I may not be in the target, young adult, audience but I still felt I could relate to the characters, which were fairly well developed and I really enjoyed the futuristic plot.
The Swipe Series follows Logan Langly and his new friend Erin on their quest to discover the truth about Logan’s sister’s mysterious disappearance. In the dystopian one world government of the future, a young person is forced to either accept a mark on their thirteenth birthday or they’re forced out of society and made to live like criminals without a way to work, buy food or seek medical help. In “Sneak” you learn that Logan’s sister is being held at a hidden prison for markless people. Logan and his group of markless friends journey across the country to find and rescue her and along the way, hear of and start to learn about a highly forbidden book, The Bible.
I love this series so much. I cannot wait for the next book and I’m so thankful Booksneeze offered this book. It is quite suspenseful and packed with action and adventure. I think some of my nieces and nephews would really enjoy it. My only warning is that the suspense and mystery can be a little intense if reading at night. It may not be a good idea to let a younger audience read these books before bed. Other than that, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
AshleyiSee
Posted January 12, 2013
Logan has done the impossible: He’s refused his Mark procedure and escaped the facility with a rumour of where his missing sister might be held. Now on the run, Logan attempts to make his way to Acheron, a place that goes bump in the dark. It’s told to be a place that holds everyone that didn’t come back from his or her Mark procedure. No one knows where Acheron is, or if it even exists, but Logan will do anything if it means finding Lily.
Meanwhile, The Dust is on the move, travelling through an underground system for the Markless, they risk discovery and capture to continue their fight against the Government. However, there’s more to the Mark than any of them realise. There’s a secret the Government is keeping that is so big it has the possibility to destroy all that it has created. The holder of this secret is at Acheron
Sneak is at a faster pace than the debut novel, Swipe. I found it much more engaging and as the Government’s practices and how they run the world is further explained, I fell deeper into this world with renewed interested. The book follows along the same lines with it’s characters, making it perfect follow up for it’s reader base.
I was surprised to learn that this series is actually Christian Fiction. I didn’t find any evidence of this in the first book but it’s been made clearly in the second. It’s not overpowering and it certainly doesn’t take away anything from the book. It’s a low undertone that if anything, has made me really curious to check out the third book once it gets published. If you’re eager to get back to Angler’s world, he doesn’t disappoint.
I’ve received this book for free from Netgalley for an honest review. Many thanks to Netgalley and the lovely publisher Thomas Nelson for providing me with this book!
Hermyoni
Posted January 10, 2013
Review:
I'm still trying to wrap my head around the complete 180 this series took. Swipe the first book in the series left such an awful taste in my mouth but this book, this was Dystopian fiction at its best. Perfectly paced, plenty of Action and a gripping plot has skyrocketed Sneak to my Favorite read of the new year. It was just that good.
In Sneak Logan Langly has accepted his status as Markless. His drive to save his sister remains and when he finds her let's just say the reunion was definitely bittersweet. I also liked learning more about the nanoflu which was first introduced in Swipe. In Sneak we learn more about the sinister machinations behind it and the potential implications this will have on the populace should it reach critical levels.
As for the characters, I loved Logan in this book, he was really fleshed out and became someone I could rally behind. Logan also matured quite a bit and I definitely feel that benefited him greatly. The other characters (The Dust, Hailey, Dane) were great as well, even Erin who I flat out hated in Swipe redeemed herself. The addition of Logan's Grandmother was nice. Her and Hailey's mother had me laughing midway through and I'd like to see more of them in the next book.
While Swipe I felt was geared much more Middle Grade, Sneak falls firmly in Young Adult territory. While this is still a clean series (no foul language, violence,sexual situations etc) I didn't feel deprived in any way since the writing was just so darn good this time around.
Sneak was good, but how good was a shocker. It is really rare for a series to go from 2-5 stars but somehow this book has pulled it off. I am really looking forward to Storm which is the third book in the series. If Storm is even half as good as Sneak, I'll be happy.
Overall, I am highly recommending you pick Sneak up and give it a go. The book does get a bit "preachy" near the end but it's not overbearing and like I mentioned above this is a clean Dystopian so if you like yours with a bit more oomph you might (though I doubt it) be disappointed. That being said I will be rating Sneak by Evan Angler ¿¿¿¿¿.
*I received this book to review from Netgalley. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way for providing them.
Anonymous
Posted January 8, 2013
I like it because it makes you want to keep reading
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 6, 2013
Its one of the best books ever!!!!!!!!!!!:)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.gjo50
Posted December 31, 2012
Second in Series, Filled with Surprises
Sneak is the second in Evan Angler’s dystopian series that has distant echoes of predictions from Revelations, including one world rule and a mark required by the government. When Logan’s discovers at the end of the first book in the series that his sister is not dead as his family was told, he sets out on a quest to save her from prison. He learns who his true friends are and finds help in the most unlikely places. When he finally makes his way across the country, he gets the shock of his lifetime. The main characters at around the age of thirteen, but they act with much more responsibility than that. While this might be surprising for today’s teenagers, during WWII, many early teenagers contributed to the war effort and even fighting with troops in many countries.
I read the first two books in a matter of a few days, and now I cannot wait for the next book in the series. This is a clean series without heavy love interests, and no profanity. Angler wrote this series for younger teen readers, and it will definitely be a hit there. However, readers of all ages will enjoy this story.
Received from NetGalley.
Anonymous
Posted December 27, 2012
This is one of the best books iv ever read! And im hopeing there will be another book like this
One of my first thoughts about <i>Sneak</i>
, having read <i>Swipe</i>
over eight months ago, is that the book could have done with a little more review. I am used to having some of the events and characters of previous novels glossed over to some extent in series books. Particularly since it is targeted to a middle grade audience, I believe some overview would have been beneficial to enhance the reader’s understanding, familiarity, and comfort with what has happened so far and how that is affecting the beginning of the novel.
However, once I got back into the flow of things, I found myself really enjoying <i>Sneak</i>
. When I first read <i>Swipe</i>
, I hadn’t really picked up on the Christian connections. However, between Logan finding the bible in <i>Sneak</i>
, the marked faces, and a friend’s casual comment about the series, I started to put it together. <i>Sneak</i>
is still definitely enjoyable if you aren’t a Christian, or don’t know the stories very well. It is a well-played, solid dystopian novel that’s got enough thrills for young adults (and adults, if they choose), but clean enough for the younger set. However, when you consider the parallels with Revelation and the mark of the Beast, <i>Sneak</i>
becomes even more clever. (Look at the cover! All the sets of the three numbers add up to six! The devil’s in the details :P )
<i>Sneak</i>
picks up where <i>Swipe</i>
left off, with Logan searching for leads on Acheron, the mysterious place which holds his sister. DOME is cracking down on the Markless harder and harder, enraged after the Dust and Logan slipped through their fingers. As threads of the stories of Logan, Erin, Hailey, Peck, and the other Dust intertwine, we discover more and more about DOME and how they really treat the Markless, the Marks, and a bit about how things were before. Angler weaves the political and religious themes through the characters and dystopian science fiction story with a deft hand, never feeling like he is forcing them on the reader.
I recommend this book to people of all ages who think they might want to pick it up. The series is well-crafted and clean enough for young readers. While there is violence, it is not particularly graphic. Any curses or slurs are manufactured for this futuristic world, so the language is clean. Also, the characters are mostly young (Logan had just turned thirteen). Overall, I feel that is very suited for a middle grade audience and up. <i>Sneak</i>
continues an interesting story set forth by <i>Swipe</i>
, and leaves a lot more excitement to come. I definitely look forward to the next installment!
<b><i>This book was obtained freely from the publisher, Tommy Nelson, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i></b>
Anonymous
Posted September 29, 2012
I'm risking my life to even speak of this, but the world NEEDS to know. Read this book at your own risk. I don't care who sees it, heck, I hope Cyllis himself reads this, at least he'll know that we're not afraid of taking a stand!!! We will NOT lethe government own us! WE ARE THE DUST. IT'S TIME TO FIGHT BACK! (I highly reccomend. A really gripping tale...)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The continued story of the markless and their struggle to survive.. Really good stuff.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.JVDLA
Posted September 21, 2012
Having not been familiar with the series, I read Swipe first. It was excellent. The thing I like the most about the series is that it is fast paced. Also, it breaks the rules of the typical YA point of view. Much of the time, YA is written in first person. And when it's done in third person, it's usually third person, limited, which means that we can only see what's happening from the main character's perspective. Angler pulls off a third person omniscient point of view and does so with class. Third person omniscient is when the story is told from an outside narrator (using the pronouns 'he' 'she' 'they') and we can see what each character is thinking. It's not from one individual perspective. Never once did I get confused as to who was thinking or speaking. Even when he jumped perspectives in mid chapter, I followed easily. That in and of itself lends credence to the ability of this author.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The_Psychotic_Housewife
Posted September 20, 2012
In near times, the country has gone through an awful civil war. In order to get citizenship, one must participate in the MARK program. Without it, you cannot buy food, see a doctor, or do just about anything. Those who do take the MARK can go about life as normal - just like before the war. Those who don't take the MARK, tend to disappear, never to be seen or heard from again. Logan Langly, a teen who was supposed to get his MARK on his 13th birthday, backs out at the last minute - just like his sister did, five years ago. Lily disappeared right away. When Logan discovers that Lily might be held in a secret government prison called Acheron, he contacts an underground network to try to rescue her. Along the way, he hears tales of a mysterious banned book with whisper thin pages that could hold the answers to the real meaning of the MARK. Will Logan make it to find Lily and save her? If you're into end of days fiction, you'll enjoy this book. Note that I received this book for free in exchange for sharing my thoughts on it.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Sneak by Evan Angler pretty much follows where the first novel, Swipe, left off. Logan Langly is off on his own personal mission to find his sister, Lily, and free her from the clutches of Acheron, a prison for the Markless where tales of torture run wild. Logan must risk everything in his attempt to locate this hidden prison, and do the impossible.
In Sneak, we are introduced once again to the many characters that we know and loved in Swipe, and meet new characters that fit perfectly with this cast of misfits. Once again, I was, swept right up into this Dystopian world created by Evan Angler. There was much doubt as to which of Logan’s friends (new and old) could be trusted. Who are exactly the good and trusting Markless that will help Logan and his friends travel all the way to Acheron? And which ones, who are hidden amongst the underground “River” (aka underground network of Markless who work together to help other Markless in need of assistant and guidance), are there just to set the trap and capture them? With all the cards not actually in their favor, and being separated after an unfortunate incident, the two Markless groups head in search of Acheron with the same mission. Only hoping that both groups can survive the outside and that they will all be reunited once again.
There were so many different plot twists and turns that made this book so entertaining to read! I, myself, was seriously doubting the conclusions I was coming up with on the fly. Apparently, my deducing skill are seriously lacking. There was one scene in particular that absolutely captured my attention… a scene, actually, that happens while utilizing the Markless River. My eyes were glued to the pages, and I honestly, gasped out loud, and smiled. I didn’t smile because I was glad to read what was happening…because seriously, this particular incident really sucked for our group of heroes. The worst luck possible actually. I smiled because I was ready for some action, and was so happy that the time had come!
Author, Evan Angler, does it again in Sneak. Not only does he do a fantastic job carrying on the storyline and suspense from Swipe, but we are introduced to a new brand of Marked. His descriptions of the events that transpire through the book were done so well that the images were jumping right off the pages for me. I was able to visualize every detail, and imagine what life outside the walls of a Marked community would be like. I love so much how love for his sister is the driving force behind Logan’s decisions. I also loved the symbols used by the Unmarked River that would help Logan and his friends find helping hands. There was so much thought and imagination in Sneak that fans of Swipe will love this second installment.
Since I loved the first book, getting in to the next book is easy. Logan is on the run, searching for answers and the whereabouts his sister. I really loved that once again, this plot is face-paced full of action. With each chapter, Logan begins to learn the truth, the REAL truth! This makes me so excited! It felt so amazing to watch Logan learn the real truth and be awed by it.
There are more characters introduced and this time they are not good. They invest false hope in them, giving food and shelter only it's a trap. This high adrenaline plot made my heart race. Not to mention to global warfare with diseases. Scary!
The best part of the book is when Logan knows the truth and begins to trust and call on him. It just goes to show that whatever situation your are in he is always there. And while I was reading this section, it felt so amazing that I wanted to play Casting Crowns, "Courageous" in the back round. Young men and women, standing together fighting the fight. AMAZING!
Sneak is far better then the first book. With bigger revelations on the enemies plan, you must decide which side you are on? The pleasure in stepping in such a realistic book captures the reader. Coming in full force, Sneak is an action thriller that will blow you away!
Sneak was a good read
Did I enjoy this book: I did enjoy this book but not as much as the first book, Swipe. I thought Sneak was a bit slower than Swipe. That could be because it is the second book in a series and a bridge between two books. I'm not sure. Don't get me wrong, Sneak was a good read...just not as exciting as Swipe.
Sneak picks up about a month after Swipe ends. Logan is on the run and The Dust is looking for him. The same players are involved - Logan (finding his way and he is the symbol of hope for the Markless); Peck (the leader, another symbol of hope for the Markless); Erin (a traitor but also searching for the truth through some unconventional - illegal - means); Hailey (a supporter and friend); Dane (an old friend with a great radio presence). And some new characters are introduced - Grandma (still clinging to the old ways and her "exclusive" religion); Lily (Logan's lost/stolen sister, possible traitor or possibly brainwashed); and Hailey's mother (knows enough to keep her mouth shut and her head down but willing to help out Grandma when the time comes).
I enjoyed the Unmarked River being like the Underground Railroad...not actually a river but a path to help and freedom. The symbols along the River that help guide the Markless were creative. The Fishers - the helpers to the Markless along the River - use the same method of identification that early Christians used...drawing the fish symbol with their feet (or hand in the air, etc). This really helped me to see where this series may be headed in the next installment...which cannot be released soon enough in my opinion!
Would I recommend it: I would recommend Sneak if you have read Swipe. I would not recommend it if you haven't read the first book in the series. I would recommend this series though.
Will I read it again: I probably won't. But I cannot wait for the next book to come out!!
Overview