Crashed by Robin Wasserman

Lia Kahn has given up on her old life. She’s accepted what she is, a mech and not a human. She’s left her family and their home to live with others like her. They live a crazy life without rules or boundaries, searching for ways to defy their programming so that they can feel and dream. But though Lia tells herself that she’s gotten used to it all, that she doesn’t care about her past anymore, she’s lying because there are people from her background she’s not willing to give up on. When Lia’s past turns against her, her new life starts to spin out of control. In a world increasingly hostile to the inhuman, hate mail isn’t all the mechs have to face, and when war between the orgs and mechs becomes a possibility, everything is at stake. But only one side of anything can win, and Lia must make a choice to determine what—and who—she’s fighting for.

This second installment in the Skinned trilogy is just as original and thrilling as the first. Things are even more dangerous and uncertain for the mechs, especially due to a radical religious group intent on stopping what they view as the unnatural creation of humanlike forms, or mechs. This, or course, lends itself to many new twists and turns in the story, all of them unexpected. Wasserman is a master at manipulating plot, and I’m glad to say there’s not one section of this book that isn’t interesting or exciting. Crashed was less about personal identity than its prequel Skinned was; it focused more on control of one’s life, choices, and the different sides to every conflict. Lia’s experiences and struggles continue to force the reader to consider many aspects of life we often take for granted, like the ability to feel emotion and basic human rights. Crashed is an enthralling continuation of a story about what it means to be alive.

The Skinned trilogy will be enjoyed by fans of Unwind by Neal Shuterman, the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld, and The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from Amazon Vine