The Scattering

Author: Kimberly McCreight Publisher: Harper ISBN: 9780062359124

THIS is the second book in the Outliers trilogy, and because there is not even a hint of what happened in the first book, a new reader would probably be a tad confused. Do we even know what an Outlier is?

Well, have a little patience and you will deduce that Outliers are a small group of teenage girls blessed – or cursed – with special abilities.

So we have Wylie who must come to grips with her abilities, which can be as difficult as it is dangerous. Taking off from the first book where she and her friend Jasper had escaped and returned home from a camp where a fire killed his girlfriend Cassie, things are spiralling out of control.

Jasper is racked with guilt over Cassie’s death, and Wylie finds herself caught between helping him and a group of strangers – strangers just like herself.

Amidst uncertainty and fear, Wylie must navigate her way through doubts, secrets, and betrayals.

And true to this book being part of a trilogy, it ends with a cliffhanger that should make you bite your nails until the final instalment.

Events, and the twists and turns, provide an interesting enough read. However, The Scattering lacks the oomph that provides that adrenalin rush for me, and oftentimes, I find my attention straying.

It’s a shame, because I find the cover of the book absolutely intriguing. – K.K. Wong