Official Review: Come on Home Children by Victoria Randall
Posted: 01 Dec 2015, 05:56
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Come on Home Children" by Victoria Randall.]
4 out of 4 stars
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I was more than honored to have the chance to read and review Victoria Randall's novel Come on Home, Children, which is the second book in the YA dystopian thriller Children in Hiding series. I recently read City of Hidden Children, the third book in the series, without having read the previous two books. Although part of a series that follows the same premise, the stories are independent of one another and can easily be read out of order. I still have not read the first book of the series, but I had no trouble at all understanding the events of the other books in this series.
Come on Home, Children tells the story of Willa, who grew up in the Children's Center, where children who are born without a license are sent and brought up under less than ideal conditions. Willa manages to escape from the Center and live on the streets of Seattle for several years, after finding refuge with a single woman and having a unplanned, unlicensed child of her own. Her daughter, Katy, is four years old before the Bureau of Population Management finds the little girl and takes her off to the very same Children's Center that Willa previously escaped from. Desperate to get her daughter back, Willa turns to Thomas, a man she met by chance who happens to have the resources and funds to help her reinvent her identity. Willa and her new team of friends then launch a deceptive plan to rescue Katy from the Children's Center and bring her family back together.
Because I read the following book in this series prior to reading this book, I already knew about much of what would happen. However, my enjoyment of this story was not spoiled at all, despite already knowing how the book would end. Willa has her own story and her own personality, and it is easy to sympathize with her and understand her motivation for the choices that she makes. Her daughter, Katy, is the most believable four-year-old I have ever read about. She has a strong sense of individuality and isn’t dumbed down at all, a mistake that a lot of writers tend to make when writing from the perspective of a child.
The world that Randall has created in this series is amazing. It’s so realistic, lined with subtle social commentary about the potential of modern society. This particular story is fast-paced and almost impossible to put down – my experience was exactly the same when I read Randall’s other book. This time around, I couldn’t pinpoint any plot-holes or unanswered questions; in fact, I felt that my previous review was too harsh for pointing out “flaws” in the story. Reading the series in order probably makes more sense and would prevent any confusion.
To put it mildly, I loved this book so much. Reading about Willa and Katy is a unique experience, and I will probably never forget about this futuristic world. I am pleased to give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars, and I recommend this book (and the others in this series) to those who enjoy dystopian novels or young adult thrillers.
******
Come on Home Children
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4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
I was more than honored to have the chance to read and review Victoria Randall's novel Come on Home, Children, which is the second book in the YA dystopian thriller Children in Hiding series. I recently read City of Hidden Children, the third book in the series, without having read the previous two books. Although part of a series that follows the same premise, the stories are independent of one another and can easily be read out of order. I still have not read the first book of the series, but I had no trouble at all understanding the events of the other books in this series.
Come on Home, Children tells the story of Willa, who grew up in the Children's Center, where children who are born without a license are sent and brought up under less than ideal conditions. Willa manages to escape from the Center and live on the streets of Seattle for several years, after finding refuge with a single woman and having a unplanned, unlicensed child of her own. Her daughter, Katy, is four years old before the Bureau of Population Management finds the little girl and takes her off to the very same Children's Center that Willa previously escaped from. Desperate to get her daughter back, Willa turns to Thomas, a man she met by chance who happens to have the resources and funds to help her reinvent her identity. Willa and her new team of friends then launch a deceptive plan to rescue Katy from the Children's Center and bring her family back together.
Because I read the following book in this series prior to reading this book, I already knew about much of what would happen. However, my enjoyment of this story was not spoiled at all, despite already knowing how the book would end. Willa has her own story and her own personality, and it is easy to sympathize with her and understand her motivation for the choices that she makes. Her daughter, Katy, is the most believable four-year-old I have ever read about. She has a strong sense of individuality and isn’t dumbed down at all, a mistake that a lot of writers tend to make when writing from the perspective of a child.
The world that Randall has created in this series is amazing. It’s so realistic, lined with subtle social commentary about the potential of modern society. This particular story is fast-paced and almost impossible to put down – my experience was exactly the same when I read Randall’s other book. This time around, I couldn’t pinpoint any plot-holes or unanswered questions; in fact, I felt that my previous review was too harsh for pointing out “flaws” in the story. Reading the series in order probably makes more sense and would prevent any confusion.
To put it mildly, I loved this book so much. Reading about Willa and Katy is a unique experience, and I will probably never forget about this futuristic world. I am pleased to give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars, and I recommend this book (and the others in this series) to those who enjoy dystopian novels or young adult thrillers.
******
Come on Home Children
View: on Bookshelves
Like ALynnPowers's review? Post a comment saying so!
