(2) YA Overthrow series. In this sequel to sci-fi/horror novel Bloom, the heroes discover that destroying the predatory alien plants taking hold of Earth was only the first step in fighting to save the human race. At the same time, Petra, Anaya, and Seth continue to learn more bizarre details about the alien DNA in their bodies. The group of friends is "detained" by government scientists who will stop at no moral boundary to study the connection these kids have to the species supposedly bent on taking over. They meet other young people in the menacing facility, begin to communicate psychically with the aliens, and rebel against their captors. With peril around every corner and plenty of raw emotion, Oppel has crafted a compelling story about what makes a person a human being. The narrative's alternating points of view give readers multiple sides of a conflict, where everybody thinks they are doing the right thing, adding friendship struggles to the already high stakes of an alien invasion.

Reviewer: Sarah Berman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021