The Map of Bones by Francesca Haig

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Young Adult

Pages: 416

Published May 3rd 2016 by Gallery Books

Four hundred years in the future, the Earth has turned primitive following a nuclear fire that has laid waste to civilization and nature. Though the radiation fallout has ended, for some unknowable reason every person is born with a twin. Of each pair, one is an Alpha—physically perfect in every way; and the other an Omega—burdened with deformity, small or large. With the Council ruling an apartheid-like society, Omegas are branded and ostracized while the Alphas have gathered the world’s sparse resources for themselves. Though proclaiming their superiority, for all their effort, Alphas cannot escape one harsh fact: whenever one twin dies, so does the other.

Cass is a rare Omega, one burdened with psychic foresight. While her twin, Zach, gains power on the Alpha Council, she dares to dream the most dangerous dream of all: equality. For daring to envision a world in which Alphas and Omegas live side-by-side as equals, both the Council and the Resistance have her in their sights.

The Map of Bones is the second book in the Fire Sermon trilogy. This takes place in a dystopian world after a nuclear war and since that nuclear war, it led to mutations. Every mother has twins, an Alpha, and Omega. The omegas are riddled with mutations, some have extra appendages while others are born with lesser mutations, such as visions. Alphas are obviously the stronger, normal twin that goes on to become important figures while Omegas are shunned from society and often kept hidden as they are a weakness to their alpha. Because in this world, if one dies then so does the other.

Cass is an omega and her mutation is being a Seer, visions are linked with madness in this world. She’s counting down the days until she loses her mind.

I’ve not read the first book but having read this one it isn’t exactly necessary because for nearly the first 100 pages it’s nothing be a recap and rehashing the first book. I would have thought that a second book would have hit the ground running, but it’s a lot of slinking around and small developments. Maybe the first book was more set on building the world, but I haven’t had a chance to read that one yet.

I felt as though the primary focus of this book was more about developing the characters rather than the world, which is okay, but for me personally I wanted to be submerged into this world that had oodles of potential. I wanted to taste, feel, see this twisted world and in spots I most certainly could. There were moments where I felt like I was in a world similar to The Hills Have Eyes and it made me shudder, but then there were moments where it really was just ‘okay’ for me.

I never felt really submerged into this world, I never felt highly connected to the character and maybe that is partially due to me not reading the first, but I am a firm believer in no matter where you pick up a book in a series you should feel connected.

It just wasn’t there for me.