I absolutely loved the first book! It was gripping, the aliens were chilling, and I loved the dark Alien-esque feel it had going for it. It was a space horror through and through and kept you on the edge of your seat.

The second book, not so much. There was some major Second Book Syndrome going on here. The parts that I loved so much about the first book – namely, the scary aliens – were almost missing from this book. There were things happening but it didn’t feel like anything was really happening, if that makes any sense? The first half felt very redundant. It felt like there wasn’t much plot except “stop the ship’s signal from reaching the aliens.” I was actually quite bored for the majority beginning, and the middle really dragged. There was such a buildup in the beginning leading up to the inevitable “aliens receive ship’s signal” that it was almost painful. They kept talking about the aliens and what would happen if they got the signal, and I desperately wanted the aliens to come back and spice things up. I missed that from the first book!

Sadly, I didn’t get what I wanted until the last third of the book. So it didn’t get exciting for me until three hundred pages into the book. That’s a lot of pages to not grab my full attention. Like I said, I was pretty bored until the real action started. I didn’t really care about what was happening until that point, because it just felt like a bunch of running, getting caught, and escaping (followed by more running) and that was the extent of events leading up to the aliens returning.

It’s not that I didn’t like the book, it’s just that I felt massively underwhelmed and disappointed after loving Sanctuary so much. The sequel was definitely missing the magic of the first book. On the bright side, though, it was actually a pretty fast read despite my lack of interest.

It's probably a good thing I can't find the original review I wrote because I was fuming when I finished this story. I still haven't forgotten though how much Kenzi drove me absolutely insane!! I got extremely tired of listening to her self pity party and constant indecision about whether she should tell the crew the truth about Matt. I thought it was overdone and exhausting to say the least. Some of the same lines were also repeated one too many times throughout the book including Kenzi's fascination with Robo Mecha Dream Girl 5. The only reason I didn't give this two stars was because I really liked all of the other characters in Kenzie's crew and I even liked quite a bit of the plot and the action that came with it. Unfortunately though, Kenzie's insufferable character overshadowed her crew and just detracted from the story as a whole. It's ashame too because I liked her in the first book.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for allowing me the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

I liked this thrilling, slightly creepy sci-fi duology. It really kept me guessing as to how it was going to end and who may or may not make it out alive!

<u>Synopsis</u>
It's been weeks since Kenzie, Cage and the group escaped Sanctuary. They've been drifting through space on the alien's ship until one day a message from the aliens is intercepted. The group must decide if they should keep going or return to warn Earth and convince Omnistellar to destroy the alien ship.

<u>Pacing & Points of View</u>
The overall pacing was average until around halfway through when it picked up. It definitely got creepy vibes at that point, but it was a little less than the first book. Kenzie was the main point of view for this story.

<u>Characters</u>
I still like Kenzie, Cage and the group. Kenzie is becoming more independent every day and I really enjoyed reading about her discovering who she wants to be.

<u>Overall</u>
I really liked this creepy, romantic space duology! The story definitely had some slower points in the beginning that felt mostly about the characters feelings and dealing with the events that happened in the first story. Then halfway through the sequel, it started picking up. There was more action and thrills reminiscent of the first book! Overall I'd give this duology 4 stars and I'm interested to read the next journey the author takes us on in the future.

This books was AMAZING. I could not put it down and I was on the edge of my seat! It’s predator vs super kids what’s not to love!

This book is the second in the Sanctuary series and is best read in order.
After escaping the aliens on the prison Sanctuary and stealing the alien ship, Kenzie, Cage, and the rest of the escapees are searching for a safe place to go where they can stay away from Omnistellar. After a few weeks of drifting in space, they begin running out of provisions and Kenzie and Rune discover a disturbing truth: the aliens are tracking them and coming for them. The group must make the difficult decision to turn themselves in on Mars and destroy the ship before the aliens catch up. Things don't quite go according to plan, and soon the group is escaping to the lawless ship Obsidian when bounty hunters and Omnistellar try to capture them. Will they be able to survive and evade their captors, or is there an even bigger threat lurking in the shadows?
Just like Sanctuary, this book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I couldn't stop reading this high stakes sci-fi thriller. The writing and descriptions are stunningly realistic, and the character development is well done. I found myself immersed in the story and caring about what happened to the main characters. There is definitely an element of horror here with the aliens and the violence they create. Though this is not a genre I typically read, I enjoyed it because of the thrilling storyline and the realistic characters. I didn't care for the profanity used, but other than that, if readers can handle the violence and gore, I recommend it. There is a cliffhanger ending, and I cannot wait to find out what happens next. It will be a hard wait, that's for sure.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Containment is a wonderfully thrilling sequel to Caryn Lix's prior novel, Sanctuary. Containment picks up shortly where Sanctuary left off, and didn't slow down from there. While the alien threat still lurks, new threats arise, in the forms of setting and new characters. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and my only complaint was that the ending felt a bit abrupt. However, it did leave enough open for a potential sequel, and enough closure to keep you content and thinking about the series long after you've closed the book.

I commend Caryn Lix for having such a diverse cast in her novels, racially and mentally. Science fiction and fantasy novels can be easily white washed, and I appreciate the work Lix put in to ensure that her novel was inclusive.

YES!!!! I loved the first book but this was just...the perfect sequel. We really grow closer to the characters. The world-building, once again, is second to none. I truly love how the writing style pulls you in and makes you a part of the story.

There’s been many books I’ve read where the sequel just isn’t as good as the first book. Containment is not one of those books. This sequel lives up to its predecessor and I actually think it’s even better. There’s so much character development and nonstop action that I was hooked from page one and I could not put this book down.

The story starts off with Kenzie and her friends (the prisoners from Sanctuary) stranded on an alien ship. But soon enough, Kenzie and Rune realize the ship isn’t as safe as they were hoping: it’s broadcasting to another potential alien ship. This leaves Kenzie with no choice: to destroy the ship they’re on, she makes a call to Omnistellar. But, as usual, not everything goes as planned and Kenzie and some of her friends are back on the run, on a foreign planet with the help of someone Kenzie isn’t ready to trust. And soon enough, it’s not just Omnistellar Kenzie is running from.

Kenzie continues to be a strong and relatable protagonist. The guilt she has from her mistake in the first book is powerful and there were times where I felt her guilt, her sorrows and anger for what happened. The reader watches her struggle with PTSD throughout the book, and I liked how real her feelings felt. She continually struggles to get a grip on her guilt and understand her feelings, but she soon realizes that not everything is as simple as she would like it to be, especially when she needs to focus on keeping her friends safe. And especially when all of their powers start to develop into something more.

What I also really enjoyed was how much more the reader learns about Kenzie’s friends, mainly Mia, Alexei, and Cage. All three have a dark and dangerous past and as the reader, I saw how each of their pasts shaped them to be the person they are in this book. It was nice to see Kenzie’s relationships with them continue to grow and become more trusting. They all rely on one another and work as a team and I thought that was a great addition to see.

On a side note, though, there’s not much alien action in this book; there’s still a good amount, but Containment has more of a focus on what’s happened after Sanctuary and how the crew can outrun Omnistellar and Legion bounty hunters. We do learn a bit more about the aliens, which is always cool to read about. But I liked how Containment focused more on the development of each character rather than their battle with the aliens. Granted, there was character development in Sanctuary, but the development in Containment is outstanding and just what was needed to make the sequel a huge hit in my mind.

Containment is an action-packed and thrilling ride. Every chapter consisted of this group of kids on the run from not just the aliens, but also Onmistellar. There was never a dull chapter, never a dull scene that wasn’t filled with character development, relationships, and/or action. Caryn Lix’s writing is stunning and captivating; she knows how to bring a story to life and how to keep the readers hooked. The characters she weaves and describes are beautiful and full of flaws, which helps make them feel human and not a weapon. I can see how much heart Lix put in this story and the characters and to me, that’s one of the qualities that makes a great book.

Containment blends science fiction with action and horror that truly leaps off the page and makes the reader feel as if they are there with Kenzie and the group; I felt like I was on the run with them and facing these nearly impossible obstacles. I absolutely cannot wait to read Salvation, the third and final book in Kenzie’s story. But in the meantime, if you haven’t picked up Sanctuary and are looking for a great science-fiction story, then I recommend checking out this series!

I really enjoyed Sanctuary when I read it last year. And as it ended on quite the cliffhanger, I was eager to jump into this one! I have to say, props to the author for dropping in bits from Book One where it was necessary. She did it in a way that didn’t take me out of the current book, but also refreshed my feeble memory. Thanks!

What I Liked:

Same action-packed fun as before! Yeah this series does not let up on the adventure. And most of the time that’s a good thing! You won’t get bored, that is for sure.

Love the characters, just as in the last book. Kenzie is just really relatable. She’s dealing with so much, and all her doubts and insecurities feel really authentic, but then when she is strong and fierce, that too feels authentic. And the secondary cast? They’re beyond awesome, so fleshed out that they really enhance the book.

Gray morality ftw! I just love this sort of book for that very reason. I am not getting into detail about any of them because spoilers, but there are so many decisions that are just flat out hard. Because sometimes there just is no right answer, you know?

Portrayl of mental health outside contemporary (and it’s handled quite well!) Kenzie has some legitimate PTSD from everything that went down on Sanctuary. She watched so many loved ones die, had to kill people herself, that honestly it wasn’t a shock that the girl was suffering.

What I Didn’t:

Lie of omission trope, which lead to a fight, which is not my fave. Especially since I didn’t even really think the omitters were wrong in this case, and that the mad folks were being a little over the top? Especially in situations like those presented in this series, when every choice you make means life or death. Cut your buddies some slack, yeah? Anyway, I just didn’t love the addition of this storyline, I guess.

I struggled a little in the middle. Ugh guys I know this is unfair, but I just didn’t have a lot of motivation for a little while? This might be more a case of a Me Problem™ than a book problem. I think at times, too much going on makes me bleary eyed. Idk, I don’t totally blame the book though.

Bottom Line: A really solid sequel in an overall awesome (so far!) series- can’t wait to find out what’s next for Kenzie & Company!

Containment is an excellent and noteworthy sequel. Like Sanctuary, Containment is driven by the action and the tension around every corner to provide another gut-wrenching story with creepy aliens and improbable odds. The characters, however, cannot be ignored.

As the characters continue to battle aliens and bounty hunters, their powers began to evolve. This provides another layer of tension that propels the plot forward. Kenzie's own demons also affect her decision making as a leader. She's fighting PTSD from the experience on Sanctuary and her guilt over her actions. Caryn Lix does a great job juggling all of these elements and while also keeping the action moving.

Again, like Sanctuary, Containment is a long story. Almost too long. While it's mostly action, some aspects came across repetitive and I was just waiting for another bad thing to happen to sidetrack them from their mission. 

But overall, fans of Sanctuary are sure to enjoy Containment. I look forward to reading book three!

Review being posted to all sites/links in my profile today

Containment, the second installment of the Sanctuary Series takes the characters and worlds that were introduced and richly fills in their history, their secrets and their personalities. We get to know everyone as well as we got to know Kenzie in Sanctuary.

That isn’t to say the secondary characters weren’t developed in Sanctuary, but you always knew there Lix could go deeper. Her depiction of PTSD through Kenzie is very well thought-out. It isn’t just mentioned and dropped. Throughout the book you see examples of how PTSD impacts her processing of what is happening around her due to flashbacks, emotions or not having properly processed what has happened.

The station bore only a superficial resemblance to Sanctuary, but my last moments on the orbital prison refused to leave me. Facing the aliens there had been bad… I choked on my own fear… Bile touched the back of my throat, and I stared at my shoes until the sensation subsided. Every time I thought of the aliens, it left me hallowed inside.

Meanwhile, grief plagued most characters. Imani had lost her sister, everyone was reeling from the deaths of Tyler and Matt. Kenzie continued doubting Cage’s decision to lie about how Matt died, not at the hands of the Aliens but Kenzie’s attempt to save him only to misfire and shoot him, instead.

Everyone was grieving something and this wasn’t just left behind. The emotional pain ricocheted throughout the book , cascading into a chain of events and consequences. Self-defense mechanisms were explored as masks.

For me it was strength. For Mia it was aggression. For Cage, authority.

Peel that layer away and Lix pushed Containment forward by filling in the past. Utilizing the characters pasts as plot devices that didn’t just give them history but also filled in the universe.

As current characters start to reveal their stories and secrets, new characters are introduced (pay really close attention to the interview linked at the beginning of the review- Lix is sneaky and that’s all I’m saying about that) with their own hidden agendas. With each backstory of our current cast and new character, the universe started to expand, which brings me to my next point.

It was pretty much a given that Omnistellar wasn’t what it seemed. There was a lot to be revealed and corruption to come into play when Containment was released. For some reason, maybe short sighted on my part, I didn’t see anything but Omnistellar.

So, while I hoped for the character development and that exceeded my expectation (as did exposing Omnistellar for the devil incarnate corporation… when it came to new worlds like Obsidian and Mars there were many…

WTH Did I just read

… moments, as well.

Each character had a connection to these different worlds (and if you think I’m being vague in parts I am. Because. Spoilers). Their life on each world and knowledge of the different corporations provided essential connections for the plot. Even more importantly it gave us a connection to those characters we had previously only had with Kenzie.

These worlds and corporations aren’t just side distractions, along with the characters, they are cogs that make Containment move. They are detailed, nuanced and each with their own dynamics, classes and means of existence. Their connections to Omnistellar are revealed in a suspenseful and careful way that keeps you guessing, along with their motives towards the group as they struggle to find safety and shelter from those that are trying to hunt them…

Aliens? Yeah them. And Omnistellar and bounty hunters. It almost seems like everyone is after our group. One more evil than the next. The peril they are all in never stops. For 496 pages they can’t take a breath. Every time they think maybe.. uh, no. And each group becomes more terrifying than the last. Even the aliens?

Yes. Even the aliens manage to become more terrifying than the last group. They are stronger, more physically aggressive. I think the only thing we still don’t know but hopefully we get in the next installment about the aliens is the why. What do they want (other than to kill) and why? Unless they are just mindless creatures… why do they harvest and what is their endgame? I believe these answers will come.

In the meantime, let’s just say there is something about the aliens that is changing, growing in strength, which is also true of the kids powers. And while this is a great advantage for the kids to have, it is terrifying to find out the aliens are experiencing it, as well.

There are cliffhangers at the end Containment about a few characters and histories for a couple that are still to be explored. There is yet another world that is introduced and left in question, as well. So there is plenty of meat here to go forth and I can’t wait for it in third book of the series.

I read the first book in this series, Sanctuary, last summer and referred to it as a mixture of Alien and X-Men.  I was thrilled to receive an ARC of book two.  

First, I have to comment on the book covers - they're beautiful, bold, and completely eye-catching.  It's easy to tell they're part of the same series.  To say this diverse cast of characters experienced traumatic events in Sanctuary is an understatement.  Because of what happened to them, some are understandably suffering from PTSD - which is something you don't see addressed very often in YA novels, and is handled very well.

This author is brilliant at ending chapters on exciting cliffhangers.  I'd plan to read a couple of chapters before bed, then wind up going through two more because I had to know what happened next.  Character development is also a strength, and it's easy to see how these characters have evolved from the first book.

Pacing was a bit of an issue for me.  This book sits at around 500 pages, and I felt it could have been tightened in some areas.  Kenzie is dealing with a lot of issues - guilt, relationship woes, death of a parent - and her internal thoughts about this take up a chunk of the first 50% of the book to the extent I felt it overshadowed what was happening in front of her.  I read an ARC, so this may change with the final version.

Containment ends on a cliffhanger (just like most of the chapters!), so I'll be anxious to read the next book in the series.  If you enjoy high stakes sci-fi that ventures into the horror arena, I'd recommend this series.  

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC. I loved this and felt like it was even better than the first book which was hard to do! I loved the first book too! Will read more from this author in the future.

Wow, just wow. I will read Caryn Lix any day. This book is strong science fiction for any age, even given its youthful target audience.

I would be scooping this up for my school, classroom, and personal library. Lix is making sure the next generations have some thrilling adventures to hook them into reading.

Fantastic.

When I finished Sanctuary I had no idea if there was going to be a sequel or not. So when I saw news of Containment I was super excited! Though I loved Sanctuary it was left very open ended, so I was excited to get the answers that I been waiting for. Containment answered some of those questions but also added more to that list. This book was a 500 page emotional roller coaster that had me laughing, crying and angry all in the span of ten pages.

It isn't often that you see PTSD represented in Science Fiction novels and I really enjoyed seeing that representation in Containment. Some characters go through hell and back and can bounce back, but others can't. Watching Kenzie's actions through out Containment you can see how the events on Sanctuary shaped and changed her. How in certain moments she freezes up or how she had nightmares about Matt's death. I'm intrigued to see where Kenzie's character is going to go in the next book.

Overall I loved Containment and I am eagerly awaiting news of a third book. Containment was action packed and didn't slow down for a moment. With the introduction of knew characters, powers and setting Containment will keep you entertained from the first and until the last page.