A Single Light by Tosca Lee
Thriller. 384 Pages. 5 Stars
Synopsis:
In this gripping sequel to The Line Between, which New York Times bestselling author Alex Kava calls “everything you want in a thriller,” cult escapee Wynter Roth and ex-soldier Chase Miller emerge from their bunker to find a country ravaged by disease, and Wynter is the only one who can save it.
Six months after vanishing into an underground silo with sixty others, Wynter and Chase emerge to find the area abandoned. There is no sign of Noah and the rest of the group that was supposed to greet them when they emerged—the same people Wynter was counting on to help her locate the IV antibiotics her gravely ill friend, Julie, needs in order to live.
As the clock ticks down on Julie’s life, Wynter and Chase embark on a desperate search for medicine and answers. But what they find is not a nation on the cusp of recovery thanks to the promising new vaccine Wynter herself had a hand in creating, but one decimated by disease. What happened while they were underground?
With food and water in limited supply and their own survival in question, Chase and Wynter must venture further and further from the silo. Aided by an enigmatic mute named Otto, they come face-to-face with a society radically changed by global pandemic, where communities scrabble to survive under rogue leaders and cities are war zones. As hope fades by the hour and Wynter learns the terrible truth of the last six months, she is called upon once again to help save the nation she no longer recognizes—a place so dark she’s no longer sure it can even survive.
Fast-paced and taut, A Single Light is a breathless thriller of nonstop suspense about the risks of living in a world outside the safe confines of our closely-held beliefs and the relationships and lives that inspire us.
My Review:
This was the conclusion to Lee’s Line Between duology. And, guys, the first book took my breath away. I could not put it down. I was so thankful my library had the sequel!
Inside the silo was tense, y’all. There were definitely some twists and reveals I hadn’t expected, especially toward the beginning. I’m blown away by Lee’s ability to build suspense and compel the reader to continue the story. She’s absolutely figured out the key to hooks and cliff hangers. She’s got thriller down to a T! Bravo!
I loved getting to see Chase and Wynter again! And Truly and Julie and some of our other side characters. We had a few new characters in the silo, and admittedly I struggled to keep a few of the minor ones straight. But the tension in the story kept me turning pages. I needed to know what was going to happen! Oh! Also, Otto!! I adored Otto! He was one of my favorite new characters <3
I will say I had thought much more of the story would be focused on Wynter trying to save everyone (as the blurb), so I did kind of feel the pacing wasn’t quite as smooth as the first book. That said, I was thoroughly engrossed for the first 75% of the book leading up to that teased plot thread. It just kind of threw me for a loop that we focused so heavily on a different thread.
Overall, I’ll say I’m a fan. She’s won me over. I’m excited to see what else is in her catalog!
Content: there was some mild swearing scattered throughout, some apocalyptic violence, but nothing super graphic, and a clean romantic thread, though one of the characters has dealt with unwanted advances and has some lasting ramifications from that. The story deals quite literally with dark and light, what makes us human, and how we deal with fear, scarcity, survival, and impossible situations. I’d recommend 16/17+
More:
The first book in the Line Between duology is The Line Between
The books should be read in order. Check out more info using the links above!
On GraceBought
Miss my review of the first book? Check out The Line Between here!