Body Count: Paige Hanson Book 2 Author SM Thomas
Book Review
5 out of 5 stars!
First and foremost, this series goes in order and ends on cliffhangers! If you haven't read the first book go and do that otherwise this review will be confusing and contain spoilers!
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"What worked Leo?" - Paige
Paige had to return to the other side of the fence, only because Franklin wasn't with her! She will never be like her mother and will always place her son's life higher than anything else. But now she must play the part because what she comes back to is worse than what she was used to. . . The State already controlled so much but Paige really feels the strings of a puppeteer tightening around her. She has no choice but to follow. . . her life isn't the only one on the line!
The President is dying, and Paige must find a cure for him. Does she really want to save his life? Who can she trust and who should she keep at a distance? Which way is up?! Paige is trapped within a spider's web, and she must untangle herself as she still tries to remember what happened that night! Leo's voice still echoing in her head.
"I was sick of the lies and secrets." - Paige
Paige couldn't enjoy being free if Franklin wasn't with her! Returning wasn't something she ever wanted to do but she wouldn't rest until her son and her were together. Only she's a bit of celebrity in the eyes of the public and the State isn't too thrilled about it. Paige soon feels like she's nothing more than a doll that they dress up and move around.
She wishes to act out and rebel against everything that's happening to her and her friends. But conditions have been set in stone and if she crosses the line, consequences will be dealt. I really enjoyed getting to see how the Government of Earth Two really operates. How much control they ultimately have over the lives of their people. It also made me angry which I enjoy feeling such strong emotions whilst reading!
In this installment we also get to truly see the influences of Paige's upbringing and how being raised by a leader of a rebellion really molded her. I was intrigued by just how skilled Paige was, I mean we do see hints of it and have some degree of understanding in book one. But with this installment we truly see how masterful Paige is at manipulation and reading people. This read is very much a grand game of who has the upper hand and the control.
Mysteries and clues are lurking everywhere but connecting the dots is difficult. Paige's still trying to remember everything that happened the night Leo and her crashed. There are also things not adding up that involved Leo and some of his work. Paige has to be cautious about how she proceeds with investigating things because with one wrong step the cat will pounce.
Paige's still dealing with her grief of losing Leo, though grief never truly goes away. Within this installment she has to face things she didn't think she would ever have to. There are questions and concerns that arise as she tries to understand if it's alright to have such feelings and desires. We get more details into the two largest Acts the State is trying to ensure always happens, regardless of how individuals feel about it. . .
There are some parallels to today's current issues within the book. One of the biggest things that is a highly controversial topic amongst individuals is abortion. This may be a little bit of a spoiler but if you have read book one you kind of know about it or could guess how the State would view such medical procedures. It was well written and respectful a character even had a story to tie into why they believed it shouldn't be illegal. Ultimately a woman should be able to decide what she wants to do with her body.
The author spoils us a bit with recaps of things that happened within book one. Bit of refreshers to help jog the memory and be able to continue diving into Paige's story! Manipulation is a very apparent thing within this read and we get to see just how far people will go to ensure control/dominance. . . Strong feelings of grief, anxiety attacks, and deep-seated guilt. Language here and there, violence, and bloodshed. Slight gore within a couple of scenes or being able to understand what characters wish to do to others.
Paige's the only POV we get in this read and we are still getting flashback moments. She's having to battle nightmares and some mental health issues, but can you blame her?! This isn't the end of her story, and the cliffhanger is brutal! You will feel an array of emotions as you read through this thriller. The twists and turns were phenomenal, and I really loved finding out some of my theories were correct! Some of the plot twists still got me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We have some LGBTQ+ representation in this book along with some little romances.
Enjoy the read that has a little bit of a sci-fi vibe to it and don't forget to give the author some stars!
Book 1
Book 2
SM Thomas (@smthomas_author) | Instagram
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