Although I loved the first book, I was a little annoyed to find that they gave the whipsaw action scenes at the expense of vital necessities of a situation like the Zone. So I was totally pleased that this second volume than makes up for it until the children living on reserves left by their ancient world. Here they are exhausted and the food runs out. In addition, there are more adults to impose order and Sam, who after all was only fifteen, fails to enforce obedience of others, especially as the burn-out under threat the weight of responsibilities and countless problems which are parasitized by too many frivolous claims.