Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne Book Review

Hello readers! Prior to being introduced to the list of TBF authors in my young adult literature course this semester, I had never heard of Emmy Laybourne nor her book Monument 14. With this being said, I decided to tackle the challenge of reading a work of literature from an unfamiliar author. And I am extremely glad I did! I would highly recommend Monument 14 for those of you who have yet to read it.

       It all starts when brothers Dean and Alex woke up late for school and in a panic, rushed down the stairs to catch their bus. Without even a "goodbye" or "I love you" to their mother. Would the two brothers have taken the time to say these things if they had known what was "in store" for them?(This "pun" will make a lot more sense as you continue to read my review!)  What seemed like a normal ride to school, quickly turned into a catastrophe complete with a giant hailstorm falling from the sky, destroying everything in its path. After Dean's bus crashes, the high-schoolers are luckily picked up by the elementary school bus and taken to seek refuge in a Greenway superstore.
       Things start to get really interesting when Mrs. Wooly, the bus driver, leaves the group of students on their own while she goes to find help. Forced to create their own "society" in the superstore, the students begin to understand the importance of teamwork, rationing food and living together in harmony. As if being on their own doesn't prove to be enough of a challenge for the students, the Network is knocked out as a result of the hailstorm. The ability to communicate with others and use the internet have been destroyed. Honestly, losing the Network would be enough to send me into a panic! After hailstorms, the Network outage and a nuclear power plant spill, the students are simply put over the edge.
       Things start to look really bad when Mr. Appleton and Robbie inform Dean and the others that their only hope is to seek refuge in Alaska.  With a plan in motion to drive the school bus to the Denver airport, Dean, his twin neighbors and Astrid decide to stay in the superstore.
        Will the others make it to the airport and safely land in Alaska? What will happen to Dean and the rest of his classmates who stayed behind? I'll let those questions linger with you for a while! Again, I would highly recommend Monument 14 for those of you who enjoy scientific fiction novels or would like to step outside of your comfort zone. And when this book captivates your interest and reels you in, you'll be glad to know that it is part of a series!