Something I have never thought about: if there is an emergency would I want to be trapped in a Super Store? Well, Monument 14 answered this question for me on many levels. On the way to school one day, a school bus is hit with hail, not normal size hail but monster-size hail. Their bus tips over, people realize things are not the way that they should be, and another bus sees their predicament and rescues them. Both buses crash into the Super Store. The gates come down and they are trapped inside. Everything is at their disposal but now we have the beginning of Lord of the Flies unless someone becomes the leader. Imagine children from ages 4-17 living in this store, somehow surviving without adult supervision while the world outside deals with the worst natural disaster in recorded history. Watching TV, they see the outside world and realize they are lucky to have this facility. Are they safe inside this store with each other and for how long? The disasters keep piling up as a chemical cloud is now causing havoc. Sealing the facilities and unwanted guests now add to the frustration for the kids. I love how the author puts the emotion and the energy into the children who are stranded at the Super Store. The frustration, the hope, the excitement, the desperation they all feel is all laid out for the reader and each character is different. Whether they wanted to leave and find their parents or stay because they feared what they would find once they opened the door, the author gives you that feeling of anticipation. Can’t wait to see what is next as you know, there will be more with her next book.There is some reference is swearing without actually saying of the words: “a**hole” and other references like that. There are some bloody scenes in the book and some references to sex. I think this book is for the mature reader as it deals with these issues.
