Refuge City is supposed to be just that—a refuge. But suddenly, the safe haven where Kiandra and Enu have lived since they were tiny has been taken over by Enforcers, and Rosa, Edwy, Zeba, Bobo, Cana, Enu, and Kiandra find themselves running for their lives. Not only that, but everyone expects twelve-year-old Kiandra to know what to do. Kiandra’s a tech genius and great at finding answers, but she’s definitely not used to having anyone depending on her. To Kiandra’s dismay, the others expect her to lead them even when the tech is taken out of the equation, and the stakes could not be higher.

Children of Jubilee is a cracking ending to the Children of Exile series which started with Children of Exile and moved on to Children of Refuge. Click the links to read my reviews of the previous books. Every book builds on the story through the eyes of a different main character, and yet the impeccable tension, pacing, and consideration of the human condition make a strong thread through all of the books.

I enjoyed—as will most middle grade readers, I think—the opportunity to learn about the worlds and cultures within the books and ponder the ethical questions that arose. Each main character, first Rosi, then Edwy, and finally Kiandra, is a hero to be revered who also gained my sympathy. The action kept me reading and the ethics kept me pondering. The questions of ethics are universal ones, and ones particularly suited to this series’ audience, I think. Each book could stand alone, but I think they’re especially satisfying read as a series.
I recommend this series as an addition to libraries, classrooms, and as gifts for middle grade readers who like a gripping, high-stakes, sci-fi tale.

I received a copy of Children of Jubilee from NetGalley.

The Children of Exile series closes with this heart pounding finale. Each book is narrated by one of the young characters. In book one, Children of Exile, twelve-year-old Rosi, led the charge. Her friend, Edwy, took over in book two, Children of Refuge. In Children of Jubilee the final book, (releasing tomorrow, November 6th), Edwy’s older sister—thirteen-year-old Kiandra gives us her narrative.

Three viewpoints provided much depth to the series. It was interesting to read their first person reactions to the other characters. With Kiandra, she is the tech nerd, and finds her older brother Enu’s tough guy approach quite irritating. When all the kids are captured by the evil Enforcers and taken to another planet, the scenes are terrifying. It’s gut wrenching to experience the feeling of what they go through thanks to the top notch writing. The Enforcers mean business and you can’t resist.

This sci-fi thriller will appeal to both boys and girls and all three read well as a standalone. I in fact started with Book 2, before going back and reading Book 1, and then the final. The author does a great job filling in the blanks along the way in case you missed a plot point.

Surprises abound with new characters and settings. Nothing is quite what it seems. It made me glad to be a simple human on good old planet earth. Here I can enjoy the great ride present in each of the Children of Exile stories. It would be a perfect book for a parent and child to read at the same time—a thought provoking tale sure to bring about much discussion.

See my full review at ALWAYS in the MIDDLE: https://gpattridge.com/2018/11/04/children-of-jubilee/

Children of Jubilee is the final book in the Children of Exile series. If you've read the first two books, great, keep reading! If not, beware, there are spoilers ahead from the first two books. I have loved this series, and though I'm sad to see it end, I love the conclusion. Rosi narrated Children of Exile. and Edwy narrated Children of Refuge. This time Kiandra is telling the story.

At the end of Children of Refuge, the Enforcers had arrived in Refuge City and forced the children (Enu, Kiandra, and Edwy {siblings}, Rosi and Bobo {siblings} and Cana) to go on the run. While they initially get away, Enu, Kiandra, Edwy, and Rosi are captured by the Enforcers. The Enforcers transport them to another planet, Zacadi, where they're forced to mine a precious energy resource.

Children of Jubilee is a very satisfying conclusion to an exciting series that's been filled with great characters, and a wonderful storyline. As with the author's other series, children and adults alike will enjoy the Children of Exile series. The message that the series promotes is one we all need to hear.

The third book in Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Children of Exile series is told through Kiandra’s point of view as the alien Enforcers raid Refuge City, capturing Edwy, Kiandra, Enu, and Rosi and transporting them to an alien planet, where they are forced to labor in mines as slaves with no bodily autonomy. Somehow, the Enforcers control their every movement, pushing them to mine and harvest strange bluish pearls from the planet, long past the point of exhaustion and only giving them their bodies back for the briefest amount of rest. Kiandra plots to find a way out, but she can’t do it alone – luckily, little Cana has found her way to the group; working under the Enforcers’ radar, she’s able to explore the planet and just maybe, find some help.

Margaret Peterson Haddix writes fantastic science fiction and dystopian fantasy. I discovered her Shadow Children series when my eldest read the first book, Among the Hidden, in elementary school. The two of us hit our local bookstore and bought every book in the series that weekend, and I can’t wait until my youngest is ready to read them in a few more years. She creates fascinating characters and morally ambiguous situations that leave a wealth of room for discussion. Children of Exile has been a voraciously readable series from the first installment; Children of Jubilee includes some final plot twists, subplots, and a reveal that left me picking my jaw up from the floor. It’s that good.

For my home and my library, Margaret Peterson Haddix books are a must-have. If you have sci fi/fantasy readers, they should be for you, too. There’s a free downloadable discussion guide for the first book, Children of Exile, on Ms. Haddix’s author website; they provide excellent jumping-off points for deeper discussion into the series.