Reading Teen

At a Glance:At first glance, Monument 14 is just another of the multitude of apocalyptic-story-centered-on-a-teenager books that have come out this year. We've all seen something along these lines before, right? Well going past the cover, I discovered on the very first page that this isn't just some other book. It had me hooked right from the start and I was immediately drawn into the story.Cover:I love the cover of this book. The simplicity of the characters standing together as a massive tornado forms on the horizon. Definitely an eye-catcher.Action:From the very beginning of the book, there is a lot of intense action. The book is centered around teens living in a grocery store during a weather apocalypse (Hail the size of basketballs, massive earthquakes). On top of that, there are several instances where the teens fight amongst themselves, and the fact that there is a chemical in the air that will make some people instinctively want to kill each other. So yes, lots of action.Romance:There wasn't a whole lot of romance in this book, but the ending was set up to where we can almost expect there to be a lot more in the sequel.Hero:I wasn't a big fan of the main character, Dean. He was rarely the one to step up in a situation, and was most of the time very passive. There are only a few instances in which he can be called a hero.Favorite Supporting Character:My favorite supporting character by far was Nico. He was one of the only characters to consistently do the right thing, as well as being one of the only characters to go the entire book without getting either high or drunk.Something I loved:I really loved the constant sense of danger in this book, and the fact that a group of teens who didn't particularly get along each other had to deal with these challenges together. It was interesting to see how it all got accomplished.Cliffhanger? Definitely a big cliff hanger ending.Would I recommend it?I would recommend this book for anybody who loves a thrilling read. Though, I must warn you, there is some mature content in these pages, so this is definitely a book for older teens.-AustinReadingTeen.net