School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-The second book in this engrossing and suspense-filled dystopian trilogy picks up where the first title left off. Faith, still angry and looking to avenge the death of her best friend, is learning to use her supernatural abilities for the upcoming battle with villain Andre; his brutal wife, Gretchen; and their evil twin offspring Wade and Clara. In her corner, the teen has the calming influence of Dylan, her boyfriend and fellow second pulse (a person with a superpower that renders them nearly indestructible), and her nerdy, faithful pal Hawk. A scouting report reveals that the nefarious family is holed up in a maximum-security prison in Colorado. In a reverse tip of the Luke Skywalker hat, Dylan enters the compound to tell Andre that he is his biological father. Although the evildoer is noticeably softened, he cannot allow his son to dissuade him from his mysterious criminal plan. The conflict between the desolated Eastern states and the strictly government controlled Western states takes a backseat in this volume. Instead, the focus is on the main characters, along with their allies, as they attempt to save the world while dealing with secrets, lies, and their own personal limitations and weaknesses. The conclusion sets up an exciting, climactic confrontation in the final volume, for which fans will be eagerly awaiting. Cindy Wall, Southington Library &; Museum, CT

Voice of Youth Advocates

With superhuman powers of telekinesis and near invincibility, the second pulses are divided unevenly into opposing camps"good guys" Faith and Dylan on one side, and Gretchen with her offspring, Wade and Clara, on the other. áEach force is bolstered by an army of first pulses, who have substantially weaker powers. áAs each side trains for all-out war, Meredith sends her son Dylan to infiltrate the enemy, revealing that the head of the opposition is actually Dylan's father. áThe ploy gains no advantage, however, and a showdown unfolds with spectacular violence and the unleashing of a foe thought to have been neutralized long ago.The ostensible main characterFaithis too angry and abrasive for readers to connect to her. áIn addition, her (supposedly) passionate romance with Dylan falls flat.á A strange aspect of the novel is the doubling of character personalities, specifically that of the females. áIn terms of personality, the matriarchs on both sidesMeredith and Gretchenare near carbon copies of each other, as are Faith and Clara.á Unfortunately, the bulk of the novel slogs along with lackluster conflicts and action scenes, and it is only during the last few pages that the narrative sparks to life and the reader begins to feel a nudge of sympathy for the characters.á Most likely, few readers will make it that far.Cheryl Clark.

ALA Booklist

The earth is in danger, and once again, it appears that only Faith, Dylan, and their supergenius friend Hawk can save it. The good news is that Faith and Dylan both have "the second pulse," the power of telekinesis. The bad news is that three of the bad guys have the same power. Worst of all, Dylan has just discovered that Andre Quinn, "the enemy of all that is good," is his father! Filled with action, suspense, and some welcome humor, this is an accomplished second volume in Carman's Pulse trilogy, and fans will eagerly await volume three.

Horn Book

In the second dystopian installment (Pulse), telekinetic-powered Dylan infiltrates the enemies' camp after learning a shocking secret about his parentage. Acting as backup, fellow pulse Faith, still enraged over her best friend's death, has to decide whether revenge is worth risking the entire rebellion. Uneven plotting and continuity issues don't slow down the action enough to prevent readers from racing to the end.

Kirkus Reviews

Faith Daniels and Dylan Gilmore are two of only five people with an extra pulse, giving them strange and amazing abilities well beyond those of normal teenagers. But life in 2051 is anything but normal. They've already faced off against the Quinn twins, teens who have extra pulses along with really bad attitudes. Clara was responsible for murdering Faith's best friend, and Faith has vowed vengeance. The fifth extra pulse is Gretchen, the twins' mother, who has a military mind and the desire to change the world to something beyond twisted. Faith, Dylan and their computer-geek friend, Hawk, set out to discover where the Quinns are hiding. Surveillance leads them to an abandoned prison in the Colorado mountains, which they decide to infiltrate by having Dylan establish contact with Andre, the twins' father, who just happens to be his father as well. But this won't be a happy family reunion; it's just the best chance they have to discover what the Quinns have been planning…and to stop it if they can. The second installment in this trilogy keeps the pace moving and provides additional background to flesh out the characters' back stories. It all leads up to a tantalizing glimpse of what's yet to come in the final volume. (Dystopian romance. 13 & up)