Book Review - Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen

Disclaimer: Michael Vey #1 Prisoner of Cell 25 was an outstanding book (4 ½ of 5 stars), setting the bar high for the second book of the series.  I will be comparing Michael Vey 2 (MV2) to the first book.  There may be slight spoilers ahead from both books.  Read at your own risk.

 

 

Let’s quickly get this out of the way: MV2 is a great book, with great writing and an excellent story.  So if you haven’t read it yet, go out and get it, to continue the story of the Electroclan.

MV2 picks up right where MV1 left off.  Michael and the gang are at the Elgen Academy and trying to figure out what to do next.  As the teenagers wander around trying to think of their next idea, the writing also does the same thing.  I felt the story for the first few chapters meandered around, not really knowing where it wanted to go.  Whether or not it was intentional, I still felt a little bored with how they went to a house, got in trouble, and then went to another house, and so on.  This could have been sped up a little.

 

Why I felt it was foolish: I know their teenagers, but not knowing that going back to your house—where a powerful company could be waiting for your return—is not a great idea, is just stupid to me.  The first thing I would have said was, “We can’t go home, none of us, because that’s the first place they’ll be looking.”  But Michael and crew can take down a mighty powerful company and escape death several times, but thinking nobody is waiting at your house…damn it Ostin, you’re smarter than that!  But I digress.

 

Once that house hopping party is over, and the actual story starts to kick in, the book is a pleasure to read.  The kids are together, they make new friends, Michael talks with his girlfriend, there’s even a part where Michael develops new powers—just as exciting as the first time around.  Everything is really moving and the book is awesome, and then—

 

We switch point of view to Hatch and his kids.  I have to commend Richard Paul Evans for researching and creating an entire power-plant/electric-kid station/taking-over-the-world facility, and having the whole thing laid out to us.  But again, this is where the book slightly loses me.  Instead of telling a story, we begin to hear all of Hatch’s plans and exactly what each and every building in the Elgen Peru plant does, and is meant to do.  Finishing the story, I felt this area could have been quite limited, and still told the story just as well.  At least, if I had—SPOILER—a million electric rats in the jungle, I’d know exactly how to take over the world.  Exactly how much water you would need to cool it down, how many bulls to feed them, and even how much excrement the rats would produce.  Do I need to know this?  *shrugs shoulders*

 

Some people love details.  I love details.  But I love them in small doses, with story thrown in.  The funny thing is: not only do we get a walkthrough of the Elgen Plant with Hatch and gang, but when we switch POV back to Michael, we get it again falling out of Ostin’s mouth. 

 

Now, once we get passed those sections and revert back to Michael, we’re in the clear.  The action moves, the story moves, and the pages seem to fly by.  SPOILER—the book ends on a cliffhanger.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but the last chapter through Michael’s eyes, felt out of character to me.  Or maybe the writing was a little different.  Either way, something didn’t feel right, but we are left hanging until book three.  Boo.

 

All in all, MV2 is an exciting book, that can be slow at parts, and I don’t think it was as fresh or as awesome as the first, but it was well written.  MV2 should be a nice addition to your Richard Paul Evans collection.

 

Solid 3 1/2 out of 5 Stars.