The Broken Vow (Spill Zone Series #2)

by Scott Westerfeld, Alex Puvilland (Illustrator)

Overview

All hell breaks loose in Spill Zone Book 2: The Broken Vow, the second volume of this dystopian graphic novel duology by science fiction visionary Scott Westerfeld and artist Alex Puvilland.

Three years ago an event destroyed the small city of Poughkeepsie, forever changing reality within its borders. Strange manifestations and lethal dangers now await anyone who enters the Spill Zone. Addison got close enough to the Spill Zone to touch it, literally. She survived the encounter, but came back changed.

It turns out she's not alone. North Korea has its own Spill Zone, and a young man named Jae is the only one who made it out alive. Alive, but changed. Now Addison, Don Jae, and, curiously, a rag doll named Vespertine, share an unholy bond and uncanny powers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626721500
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	07/10/2018
Series:	Spill Zone Series , #2
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	652,385
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	15 - 17 Years

About the Author

Scott Westerfeld is the author of the worldwide bestselling Uglies series and the Locus Award–winning Leviathan series, and is co-author of the Zeroes trilogy. His other novels include the New York Times bestseller Afterworlds, The Last Days, Peeps, So Yesterday, and the Midnighters trilogy.

Alex Puvilland was born in France where he grew up reading his father's comic books. He now lives in Los Angeles with his ridiculously talented wife and two children. He works for Dreamworks Animation, and does comics whenever he has a moment. Alex co-illustrated Prince of Persia and Templar.

Editorial Reviews

"Spill Zone: The Broken Vow is a masterpiece that sticks with you long after you read it once, twice, three times. A horrifyingly beautiful world that springs out at you every page that you turn." —Fangirlish

"Bestseller Westerfeld's second installment is the quintessential page-turner. Groundwork laid in the first volume pays off in nearly nonstop action here." —Kirkus, starred review

"[Westerfeld]...crafts a sprawling, complex plot that he tightens with suspense and distinctive character dialogue, which keeps the story spinning, and brings it all to an action-packed but emotionally satisfying climax. Puvilland supports the cracking tale with baffling and beautiful visions of the otherworldly...The saga, now complete, is as gripping a sci-fi thriller as the form has produced." —Booklist, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 09/01/2018
Gr 10 Up—Addison has returned from a quest in the Spill Zone only to find that her sister's doll, Vespertine, is possessed by a being whose past is intertwined with the Spill's origins. Meanwhile, the North Korean Spill site has given a young man named Don Jae powers. When the sinister connection among Vespertine, the Spill, and Don Jae's abilities is revealed, Addison must fight for her sister's life and avenge their parents. Westerfeld and Puvilland's first volume introduced nightmarish landscapes and a fascinating world and characters but was unable to answer the burning questions it raised. This riveting follow-up goes above and beyond expectations, bringing each plot thread to a close and creating a web of intense intrigue. The art continues to pop off the page, with unsettling, psychedelic flashback and action sequences. The stakes for Addison and her friends are even higher than in the first entry. Though Addison's tale wraps up, the author leaves the door open for future installments. VERDICT Between Westerfeld's masterly storytelling and Puvilland's impeccable art, this is a must-read for Spill Zone fans.—Matisse Mozer, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

★ 2018-05-28
Addie has finally made her big score: Does that mean she and her little sister can escape the Spill Zone?When the Spill occurred three years ago, Addie and Lexa's parents became two of the thousands of floating corpses in the wasteland that was Poughkeepsie, New York. Addie has made ends meet by selling photographs of the bizarre conditions inside the Zone, and she possesses growing paranormal abilities thanks to a very close encounter with "the dust." Now that she's sold an artifact from the Zone for $1 million, she can leave. However, Lexa's possessed rag doll, Vespertine, has other ideas for the family, and the North Koreans—who had a similar incident—have sent their Spill survivor, a youth named Don Jae, to investigate conditions in Poughkeepsie. Of course, the American government has their eyes on the situation too. Vespertine's eventual revelations about the nature of the Spill harden Addie's resolve to get out…but also make the situation so much more complex. Bestseller Westerfeld's (Nexus, 2018, etc.) second installment is the quintessential page-turner. Groundwork laid in the first volume pays off in nearly nonstop action here. Puvilland's (Spill Zone, 2017, etc.) colorful, jagged, totally alien art is the perfect partner for this trippy tale. Addie and Lexa are white, Jae is Korean, and there is diversity in secondary characters.The richly satisfying conclusion won't keep readers from demanding a third volume. (Graphic novel. 12-adult)

Kirkus Reviews

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