Unnaturals #2: Escape from Lion's Head - Softcover

Hughes, Devon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062257587 ISBN 13: 9780062257581

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books, 2018

Synopsis

In the second book in the action-packed Unnaturals duology, perfect for fans of the Animorphs or Warriors series, the amazing hybrid animal heroes embark on a dangerous journey as they fight to find home.

K-07M0 has never had a name. As a fox-bat, she has lived her entire life silently hiding from the other hybrids and the scientists who created her...until the day a new animal gives her the name Kozmo and they help each other escape the underground lab.

In the outside world Kozmo meets a pack of hybrids just like her, led by a feisty eagle-dog named Castor. But Castor and his pack are being viciously pursued, and Kozmo is forced to do something she's never done before: trust others to survive. Kozmo will discover that Castor and his friends have unexpected human allies but can they uncover the truth about why the Unnaturals were created together?

About this title

About the Author:

Devon Hughes is the author of the Unnaturals series. She has always been inspired by the frontiers of nature and science and enjoys imagining how our ever-changing relationship with animals will look in the future. Like some of her characters, Devon lives in a city next to a river, with a view of distant trees that always seem to beckon her to another adventure. Though Devon did grow up with a beloved pet named Pookie, she is actually terrified of spiders.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 4–7—Hybrid animals on the run from a shifting enemy and a futuristic world made almost unlivable from toxins and pollution are at the center of this action-packed sequel. Creature K-07MO, a hybrid fox-bat, has spent her entire life hiding from humans in the underground lab where single species are turned into hybrids. One day, her curiosity leads her to get a closer look at a new arrival, who turns out to be a friendly dog named Runt, a character readers will remember from the first installment. He suggests the name Kozmo for the lonely creature and becomes the first friend she has ever known. They help each other escape the lab and soon meet up with Runt's brother Castor, who has been turned into an eagle-dog and is now a star of a brutal virtual reality show where hybrids fight for entertainment. Meanwhile, humans Marcus and Leesa successfully free the hybrids who are forced to do battle, and continue to investigate the tangled web of secrets behind the creation of the Unnaturals. Readers, particularly animal lovers, will warm to the endearing characters—especially sweet, sensitive Kozmo, who is learning what it means to have a family for the first time. Although the journey feels overlong at times, the characters' kind and caring treatment of one another makes the novel satisfying. The chapters given over to the humans in the narrative are less cohesive and occasionally confusing, with too many characters and motives to keep track of. Still, fans of the "Warriors" series will enjoy the combination of action and adventure. VERDICT A worthy addition to medium and large middle grade collections; sure to please fans of animal survival stories.—Kristy Pasquariello, Wellesley Free Library, MA

About this edition

• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 0062257587
• ISBN 13: 9780062257581
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384