In Pike's second in her Earthbound series, Tavia Michaels has come to grips with her fallen goddess powers, but she is desperately trying to remember the harsh secret of her past lives. Captured by the evil Reduciata, which has created a virus that's wiping out the world's population, Tavia uses her resurging skills to craft an escape plan. Just when the plan appears doomed, she is rescued by medical personnel from the Curatoria, the Reduciata's rival earthbound faction, and secreted away to its underground facility. Tavia, who has been warned not to trust the Curatoria, especially its leader, Daniel, must also grapple with the knowledge that she alone has the power to save the world. Readers who loved Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games (2008) will find much in this series to enjoy. Tavia has far more fantastical powers than Katniss, but her struggle to choose between two lovers and her determination to survive so she might save others will ring familiar. It's another thrilling adventure fantasy featuring a strong young woman pitted against evil forces that will have readers eagerly awaiting the third installment. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: New York Times best-selling author Pike will be on your radar with this highly publicized series.

Gr 9 Up-After discovering in Earthbound (Penguin, 2014) that she is a fallen goddess with the power to remake the Earth, Tavia is imprisoned along with eternal lover Logan by a rival faction that is set on destroying humanity with a virus. Mankind's fate hangs in the balance. A tense read that will leave fans of the series eager for the next book.

Tavia Michaels has recently discovered that she is an "Earthbound," a goddess who has been trapped in human form and has spent the past several centuries living a series of human lives. Unfortunately, although she knows that she has lived those all those lives, she does not have any concrete memories of them, only vague hints from her dreams. What she does know is that (a) there is a virus threatening to destroy not only the population of the planet (both human and Earthbound), but even the planet itself, and (b) buried within her is the key to unlocking the cure. Now Tavia is in a race against time to discover the secret to the virus before a group of other Earthbounds, called "the Reduciata," finds her and uses her abilities to their own nefarious purposes. On a less global scale, Tavia finds herself caught between her feelings for Benson, a young man she fell in love with while she was still "human," and Logan, her eternal lover without whom she cannot access the full extent of her powers. Will Tavia discover the secret to curing this virus? Are those who are helping her discover this cure being truthful, or do they have a sinister agenda of their own?The book feels like two separate stories that have been skillfully welded together. One tale is a familiar "race against time" plot, as Tavia attempts to find a cure for the virus. The other is a "romantic triangle" plot as Tavia attempts to figure out her feelings for both Benson and Logan. The narrative itself is told exclusively from Tavia's perspective, and allows the reader to join Tavia as she discovers new secrets. Although this is the second book in a series, it stands alone well. Matters from the previous book are brought up and explained without being overly summarized. The ending makes it clear that a third book is already in the works. The book deals with issues of trust, discovery of abilities, and romance. This would be a worthy addition to most high school library collections, and would appeal to fans of the urban fantasy subgenre that is so popular these days.Jonathan Ryder.Though filled to bursting with interesting characters and complex subplots, there were several areas of the book that simply did not resonate well with this reviewer. Without having read the first novel, it was difficult to truly connect with the storyline. It felt as if I was always missing out on some inside joke; the story felt incomplete. Earthquake fails to stand well on its own. The characters are not relatable; Tavia is intriguing, yet too fantastical. While this may work for those who have read the previous installment, as a stand-alone book, it falls short. 2Q, 4P.Rebecca Smith, Teen Reviewer.