DNF at 25%. It's been over four years since I received this ARC. I gave it a go and have decided it is not for me. It interested me then and no longer does now.

Did not realise this was a sequel, and will not be reading for that purpose. It wasn't clear when I requested

**I received a copy of this book off Netgalley and a physical copy from the author in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
I am actually disappointed in myself that I didn't read this book sooner because it was so good! Did it have its problems? Of course, not every book is perfect, but I really enjoyed this one almost as much as the first one.
Anyone who knows me knows that I love dystopian books. They've always been some of my favorite reads and this series has joined that list. I love the characters and how they develop into better people. The main character though still has a lot to work on. He still seems pretty weak to me, but there's still a whole book to prove himself and I'm hoping he does.
The world building is amazing. The first book focuses on the world building of New America and the history of the Convergence. The second book opens up to the outside world and the people who actually survived the Convergence. It also starts to unwrap the web of lies that the Bureau has spun about the outside world, so we get even more back ground there. Towards the very end of the book, we also get a little bit of information on the other parts of civilization and how they thrived after the Convergence. I'm hoping we get more of that history in book three.
The one thing I can't stand, about any dystopian book (not just this one) is the ROMANCE! A romance always has to spring up and almost takes over the story and I don't like that. And a lot of the time, it's a love triangle which I dislike even more. And both are present in this story. Is it going to stop me from enjoying it? No. Do I still hate it? Oh, absolutely.
Overall, I'm really enjoying this series and can't wait to pick up the last book. I would definitely recommend it, especially to those who really enjoyed the Hunger Games series. I do, however, which the romance would go away, but I will live.

This is the second book in a Trilogy. I enjoyed the first book The Initiation , which was fast paced , intelligent , and exciting. The second book did not disappoint at all , it picks up right where The Initiation ended. The Expedition is certainly not the end of hardships for the teens . Just when you think they have earned the lives they were dreaming of , they are given a new "mission" . They must leave New America and travel to Boston with four Guardians to ask for assistance. But getting there is an almost impossible task. Just like Book 1 it is full of excitement , danger and teenage angst. Can't wait for Book 3.

***This eBook was supplied from Netgalley for an honest review***

I enjoyed the Initiation better than the second book. That being said the second book wasn't bad, I will recommend the series to those that enjoy dystopian books.

I wish I could provide a full review of this book, but I can't, for two reasons: 1) My Kindle wouldn't let me access it once I got about 10% in. I contacted NetGalley support and Kindle support and tried rebooting and doing various things, but that didn't fix the problem. The NetGalley support person recommended I resend the book to my Kindle, but since the title's been archived, I can't. 2) It wasn't apparent from the description that this was the second book in a series (unless I'm totally blind). I had a hard time connecting with both the characters and the plot, not having read the first book.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful! If there's still a way for me to re-send it to my Kindle, let me know.

A very well written sequel to a great book that can easily be devoured in a single sitting. I think the first book in the series struggled a bit with pacing and being too slow, but here we get into the action quickly and I enjoyed this a lot.

This second instalment takes places almost immediately after the end of the first book. After surviving the Initiation, Drayden and his fellow survivors, Sidney, Catrice, and Charlie, are thrown into a new challenge, tasked with travelling to Boston on a mission crucial to the survival of New America.

Although this second book didn't move along at the pace of the first, there was enough to keep me interested. Several twists and turns to the story and an element of uncertainty around one member of the group kept things fresh, although unfortunately the love triangle aspect still remained. I am still at a loss for the reason all male characters seem to favour drippy Catrice over the more kick-ass Sidney. Overall, it was an entertaining read, and I'm looking forward to the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Permuted Press, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

The first book was amazing and this one absolutely did not disappoint. I absolutely LOVE dystopians and the plots and story lines for these are absolutely unique so you don’t feel like you are reading the same story over and over again. Not to mention, its extremely action packed and will keep you on your toes. Highly recommend!

I really loved <u>The Initiation</u> and was excited for the sequel. However, sequel syndrome hit hard with <u>The Expedition</u>. This was the slowest burn and yet things still weren’t progressing.

There was action and adventure, but nothing compared to the edge of the seat adventure from the first book. And honestly, the action in this second installment felt very redundant. Everything the kids did was repetitive: their actions, things they talked about, etc.

I was hoping to see Drayden grow a backbone and stand up for himself. He did to a degree, yet still managed to stick his tail between his legs when things didn’t go as he wanted. The whole thing with his girlfriend got under my skin, too.

This book’s saving grace was Charlie’s one-liners (which weren’t as great as they were in <u>The Initiation</u>) and the ending! It’s giving a nice setup for book three and I’m very interested in seeing how things will come full circle.

LOVEEEE it. The first was so good and this one did not disappoint! I cannot wait to see where the story goes next! Pleaseee write more Chris Babu!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my thoughts in any way.

I have read and loved the first book in the series, The Initiation, which was spectacular in multiple aspects (you can read my review here) so I was so excited to read this next one! I was also a bit skeptical at first since I barely remember the nitty-gritty about the previous book due to my severe forgetfulness, but I pushed through, hoping for the best. Fortunately, everything came back to me and I got to really enjoy this book.

The Expedition was a fast-paced book that is equal parts action and strategics. This allowed the group of privates to maximize their own individual strengths during their mission, and I loved seeing, in the little things, how they have grown closer compared to the first book.

I still very much liked Drayden as a character. If I were to think about an expedition, I’d probably immediately think that physical strength is a prerequisite for undertaking such. I had my doubts as to how Drayden might cope in the expedition, yet it proved to be unnecessary. What Drayden lacked in physical strength, he made up for in quick thinking, wit and intelligence. And frankly, I admire the latter far more than the former.

The challenges that the group faced in the expedition were much more different and difficult than the ones in the initiation. In this books, the struggles that the privates experience were much more crucial since they deal with unexpected troubles now, in the part of their world they’ve never set foot on. So seeing them all work together, and contribute each their own skills for their collective objective was really invigorating since, as you can tell, I’ve really grown attached to this group of brave kids.

And although I did kinda foresee one aspect in the book that is supposed to be shellshocking, I did doubt myself more times than I would care to admit. Thus, the book really has some unexpected twists and turns that would make you second guess yourself multiple times.

But despite all those, I still ticked off a star from my rating since I was not keen on how the sentences in dialogues sometimes run waaaaay too long, as if they’re each doing monologues. Aside from that though, I think my mood contributed a lot on this decision as well since I was pretty distracted with life when I read this.

Overall, if I were to pick this book up some other time, when I really am in the mood for a post-apocalyptic-ish adventure, this really would have the potential of earning a 5-star rating from me. I highly recommend this series, especially if you’re a fan of the genre. I can’t wait for the next book!

I went in to this not realising it was a sequel, I looked up on the first book before continuing.
I really enjoyed the writing style, I felt that it flowed really nicely and there wasn't much 'down time' in the plot, I liked the fast pace. Drayden and his fellow 'Initiation' survivors can't rest just yet as they are sent off beyond the safe city boundaries in a near suicidal mission to Boston to seek out other survivors and try to determine if the 'virus' is still active. Engaging characters, a love triangle and good humor. An overall great YA dystopian read.

I didn't know this was second in a series. I think it's better if you read the first book. I love the cover. It's like an Amazon adventure. This is a ya dystopian novel with lots of action and drama with great characters. It's a good read overall.

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review, so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
The cover and title is what originally drew me to this book.
They survived the Initiation. Now the real test begins.

Drayden and his friends thought nothing could be harder than the Initiation. Little did they know it had only been a warmup for the challenge that lay ahead.

With New America’s situation dire, Drayden and the pledges venture into the unexplored world beyond the walls, escorted by a team of elite Guardians. The group seeks to contact another civilization in what remains of Boston, but Drayden has secret goals of his own.

Dangers abound in the outside world, including Aeru, the deadly superbug that wiped out humanity. While they battle the elements of a desolate landscape, a power struggle emerges within their ranks. The Guardians seem to be carrying out a covert mission themselves, and the quest turns everything they thought they knew about New America upside down.
This was my first book by this author. It was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
4.5 star rating!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
So I didn't realize this was the second book in a series and had to go back and read the 1st book before moving on. I loved the landscape that this book took place in our post apocalypse hero and his crew must set out for Boston to find out if anyone else has survived and get help. They are sent with "help" trained military men. Pretty quickly we see that Drayden and his crew all being shoved aside by the military guys. But instead of stepping up Drayden pretty much falls apart. He's so consumed with jealousy that his GF is possibly crushing on the new military hunk that I felt like that main plot of reaching Boston got lost. I feel like if the jealously plot line had been taken out completely or been cut down I would have loved this book. Instead I found myself yelling at Drayden, focus! get to Boston! Make a plan!
So with that said the book was ok I liked it but I wanted to love it.

Expedition, the second novel in The Initiation series, is set in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian landscape with a plot that is all too real and strikingly relevant to recent world events. I loved the complexity of the plot which is intelligently written and makes you think, and there are threats around every corner hellbent on precipitating the demise of characters I have come to love. The tension ramped up over the course of the novel and had my heart pounding at certain points.

Pacing is quick and there is so much action throughout. The descriptive prose was also right up my street and made the world and characters come alive. One of the most compelling and compulsively readable dystopian fiction titles I've had the pleasure to read this year. A very entertaining tale, albeit a little more predictable than the series opener. However, the plot twist at the end was really unexpected and now has me excited and patiently awaiting the third instalment.

Many thanks to Permuted Press for an ARC.

"The Expedition" is a sequal to the book, "The Initiation", by Chris Babu. If you're a fan of stories with young adult characters, around about sixteen or so, the world post apocalypse due to a virus, that are full of action and mystery, you're going to love this series in general, and you need to check it out. Following a boy named Drayden, we follow him and his closest friends, who he went through The Initiation with, as he finds himself being taken out of the walls of New America, and out into the rest of the world.

When I picked up this book, the first thing I noticed was the cover, I love how green it is. I wasn't sure where Drayden and his friends were going, but I was excited to find out. At the beginning of the book, he's training to be a guardian. Something everyone calls The Expedition is happening within the next week, and he's not sure he's ready. After all, he's still trying to figure out what happened to his mother. Him, his group of friends, and a group of guardians will all be going to Boston, on a boat and then on foot. Their city is in danger, and they need help. The only thing, is that Drayden is told he's in charge, and the Leader of the Guardian's isn't about to relinquish his power over the mission.

If you've read the first book, you would know that these books are full of action. The characters react to the world around them like any teenager would. The world that they live in is just as interesting as ever, and I was really glad to get to know a lot more about it. I would say that a lot of the book is set in the wilderness, interacting with other people out there and just trying to survive on their way to Boston.

My favourite character would probably be either Drayden or Sidney, because they're both strong and think things through, and they both just work really well together. Either of them could be the leader and I would be happy. The other characters I just don't really care about as much, not that they're bad, they're just not as interesting.

I can't wait to see what happens next, because the book ended somewhere that really just needs another book to follow it up. I'm really interested in learning more about the world outside New York/New America, because I just love post apocalyptic worlds. I also hope that we get to know more about Drayden's mother, because that's kind of been a big chunk of these books, and I really don't know that much about it.

The book is available here, and here's a link to the author's Twitter if you'd like to keep up with him.

Thanks for reading!
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

Second book in dystopian trilogy

This is the second book in this post-apocalyptic dystopian trilogy, following THE INITIATION. The first book was great and this one was just as good.

Drayden and his fellow three winners of the Initiation find that they are being sent on a mission from New America (what was once New York City) by boat to Boston, where it is believed some people are still living.

They are accompanied by four elite Guardians - well trained soldiers. And right away things aren't happening the way the young people were led to believe they would.

The author does a superior job creating believable characters and the dystopian world he describes is easy to visualize and pretty darn scary.

There are twists and turns throughout the book and the ending is a shocker.

My only complaint is that we have to wait until the Fall 2019 for the final book in the trilogy.

I received this book from Permuted Press through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

I received this book not knowing until after that it was a second book in this series. After tracking down a copy of the first book and reading it was an interesting story.
The world building is eerily comparitive to a modern day civilisation and human race if paired with a similar fate. This real life comparitive vibe felt throughout the book from the descriptive language and stark vast "apocalyptic" feel was a welcome addition to the overall reading experience.
The characters were well developed and complex though none really blew me away with thier passion or commitment and some were petulant bratty even and possessive.
Pacing was quick and writing was simplistic yet descriptive which made this a very fast read.
I would recommend you give it a go but read book one first.
3.5 Star read.

Many thanks to Chris Babu, Netgalley and Permuted Press for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
(All opinions expressed are my own and unbiased)