The sisters of reckoning

Gr 9 Up--Davis's sequel to her debut novel The Good Luck Girls will satisfy readers and keep the door open for possible future stories. Set a year after the events of the previous book, Aster continues to work for Lady Ghost, but eventually splits from her to start a bigger rebellion. The first installment is about Aster saving her sister, her friends, and herself from the "welcome houses" (brothels), and this story follows Aster trying to dismantle their tyrannical society and take down landmasters. Much of the narrative is focused on Aster realizing she truly wants to be a leader and that the rebellion should focus on taking down the whole system instead of saving a couple people at a time. Davis has a knack for effortlessly tying in character development to the fast-moving plot. Readers will enjoy meeting and continuing to get to know the diverse cast, who have various skin tones. This book is hard to put down and readers will be inspired by its ending, though some may find it a little rushed. VERDICT Recommend reading Good Luck Girls first. Perfect for fans of Snowpiercer and Firefly.--Melanie Leivers, Burnsville, MN

The Good Luck Girls spread a little bad luck. When we last saw Aster, she and her sister, alongside two more former Luckers (girls forced into sex work at welcome houses, or brothels), had finally escaped the Scab and made it to the border of Ferron, a country ready to receive them as refugees from Arketta. A year later, Aster is helping the Lady Ghosts, an underground network that supports escapees, working right under the noses of the wealthy landowners, capitalists, and government officials who live in the border city of Northrock. There, Aster comes across Violet Fleur, the girl she thought was killed during their escape. Violet now seems to be in league with the McClennon family, whose patriarch led the hunt for the runaways. Charged with opening the first welcome house in Northrock, Violet may actually be on the side of the Lady Ghosts, and Aster may have a shot at taking down Arketta's elite. While The Good Luck Girls (2019) focused on the subjugation of women in Arkettan society and the dangers associated with resistance, this sequel does that and more, exploring and exposing the workings of a nation created by exiled convicts who exerted force over Indigenous peoples and created a system of de facto slavery through colorism, sharecropping, and unfair debt systems. The worldbuilding--slang, settings, gory dangers, and all--is rich and complex in this novel featuring a racially diverse cast. A smart, thrilling duology closer. (Speculative adventure. 15-adult) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.