Publisher: Berkeley Trade
Pub. Date: July 1, 2026
Pages: 320
Book Links: AMAZON / B&N / GOODREADS
Synopsis: Sixteen years ago, a plague wiped out nearly all of humanity. The Company’s vaccine stopped the virus’s spread, but society was irrevocably changed. Those remaining live behind impenetrable city walls, taking daily doses of virus suppressant and relying on The Company for continued protection. They don’t realize that everything they’ve been told is a lie…
Clover Donovan didn’t set out to start a revolution—quiet, autistic, and brilliant, she’s always followed the rules. But that was before they forced her into service for the Time Mariners. Before they condemned her brother to death, compelling him to flee the city to survive. Before she discovered terrifying secrets about The Company.
Clover and the Freaks, her ragtag resistance group, are doing their best to spread the rebellion and stay under The Company’s radar. But when their hideout is discovered, they are forced, once again, to run. Only this time, The Company has special plans for Clover, plans that could risk her life and stop the uprising in its tracks…
Last year, when I had the opportunity to read the first book in Shaunta Grimes' Viral Nation series, I knew I had found something special. It wasn't "just another" YA dystopian novel. It was truly and totally different, in the way we always hope books will be and so many, disappointingly, aren't. (You can read my review of book 1 HERE). So of course, when book 2 came along, I was all over it. Armed with high expectations, I dove in, fully prepared to have my socks rocked off.
Congratulations, Shaunta Grimes. You did it. I was even more impressed by book two than I was by book one.
In Viral Nation, the primary focus was on discovering the secrets the dreaded Waverly-Stead Company didn't want anyone to find out - proof that they'd been lying to everyone for years, following their own agenda and forging a new world where everyone is dependent on them and the supposed life-saving drugs they provide. In Rebel Nation, that focus changes a bit. It's no longer about finding out what the secrets are. It's about surviving them.
Clover is, hands down, one of the most unique and remarkable heroines I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. Her brilliance, her tenacious spirit, her determination to not be defined by her autism...no amount of praise I heap on her will come even close to doing her awesomeness justice. I will tell you this, though. I am consistently blown away by all the times Clover "rises above", as they say. All the times she has raised a defiant finger to adversity and somehow, some way, beaten the odds. Which is why, when the book ended on a sort-of cliffhanger for her, I didn't feel any fear or nervousness on her behalf. Because I know this girl. I know she will do exactly what she promised and find a way to prevail. She always does.
I ranted and raved a lot about Jude in my review of book 1, and I was sooo happy that he didn't lose any of his amazing-ness in book 2. I just adore him. Totally, completely, break-out-the-fangirl-t-shirt love his character. He is exactly the guy Clover needs by her side and I was beyond thrilled that their relationship had a chance to grow and deepen without any of that pesky angst getting in the way. They're just so beautiful together.
As for West....oh, West. I just want to hug him, because damn, if anyone could use a good hug in this book, it's him. He's under such enormous pressure in this book, but like his amazing sister, Clover, West may be down but he is never out. Over and over again, he is able to dig deep and find the strength to keep fighting another day. Even when it all seems impossible. Even when he's so tired and pulled in so many different directions, it feels like he will surely break.
Character love aside, for me one of the best things about this book was the tone. There's this intense, almost desperate feel to every situation and chapter. The struggles the characters are forced to endure, the sheer stress and strain they are all under, is contagious, and as a reader, I was completely infected by it. I was on edge almost the entire time, constantly waiting for the next bomb or axe to fall - and when it did fall, I was caught up in a whirlwind of frantic emotions, right along with the characters, as they tried to figure out how to deal with this new challenge that had come their way. It was crazy, and I loved every second of it.
Now about the ending. OMG, the ending! I've been sucker punched in the feels by books before, and I've even been knocked out a few times, but the ending of Rebel Nation hit me so hard, so fast, I didn't even know what was happening until I heard myself make this weird, half-strangled noise and felt the burn of tears in my eyes. And it wasn't even a sad type of ending! But after everything that had happened, the relief I felt knowing there was even a tiny ray of light at the end of the tunnel was so overwhelming, it sent my emotions into immediate overload. I wanted to hug everyone. I wanted to scream. I wanted to hunt Shaunta Grimes down and demand she give me the next book, right effing now.
If you haven't read this series yet, I strongly encourage you to do so. Like, immediately. Because everything that I've said here? All the praise I've heaped on the book? It doesn't even come close to matching the awesomeness of the books themselves. You simply must read them.
5 Stars ★★★★★
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.
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5 *finished* copies of REBEL NATION (international)
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