Where the last one left off, they were going up against a very militarized group that was just going into small settlements like the one that the main character Adam is living in, and killing people and taking what they needed by force. Adam's group is able to defeat the group that has come to attack their neighborhood by blowing up the bridge while the enemy is on it. But when they decide to go to the town where the enemy group was from to end it for good, they find it is deserted. Well, other than a bunch of people that they'd locked up to die in one of the warehouses. Herb and the rest of Adam's neighborhood council cannot take back the people they find, as their own food resources are dwindling. And while Adam's girlfriend Lori's father is really getting the farming going so that they will have a good harvest, that won't be ready until fall, so they have to have enough food to last till then. They've put Brett, the creepy guy, in charge of a night patrol that goes out and keeps their area safe. They also search for whatever types of resources they can find while they're out. And while Adam is dealing okay with Brett, there is still the psychotic tendencies that he shows in how much he enjoys the violence, as well as putting himself into dangerous situations.
The town has a whole system set up, the younger kids are in school during the week, then they go and work on the farms on the weekends. The older kids, teenagers, are part of the patrols on the walls, as well as work on the farms during the days. Adam flies the little plane still to help with keeping them informed on what is going on around their neighborhood. Until they find a Cessna at the enemy camp, and hope to get it working for him to use. They begin hunting deer, which leads to meeting some of the people living in tents outside their walls, and in the forest. Herb says the forest is a weak link in their security, and with it the tent city.
I think I'm kind of rambling. I don't know a lot I can say without giving away too much. Suffice it to say that there will be some major catastrophes, fires, people being attacked, and there will also be betrayal by people working for the neighborhood, as well as reunions with family members who have been missing since it all started.
It's left on a huge kind of cliffhanger, the bad guy gets away, barely. But Adam knows they haven't seen the last of him, there will be trouble in the future. I was really much more into this one. Maybe because I knew the characters from the last book. So we didn't maybe need any of that this time? I was able to jump right back into the story, didn't really have to try to remember anything as it all picked up at a perfect spot. I recommend reading on in this series, and starting it if you haven't yet. It has the male main character which would make it a good one to recommend for the boys, not that I think it is only for boys, I just know it may seem like a lot of dystopian books have female main characters.
