Kelly
Written on Apr 5, 2015
Havoc is a brilliant follow up to The Bridge, but darker and more enthralling than the original. Tensions between Southside and Cityside have never been higher, and Nik with the blood from the failed exchange on his hands. His former life is in tatters and he now lives in limbo, no longer welcome in Cityside and not quite a Southsider either. In Havoc, the reader is introduced to One City, where the community is believe to be working with Southside and now a target for a Cityside infiltration. Nik isn't the leader of a revolution, but is determined to play a hand in finding the truth beyond the war torn landscape, discovering who he is along the way.
The biggest drawcard of the Southside series is the characters and political unrest. It's tense and provides the reader with a sense of rightness as Nik emerges from once a brainwashed teen, into a brave young man who isn't afraid to ask the difficult questions, no matter the answers.
It's simply an intelligent read for dystopian readers. Jane Higgins doesn't follow the usual tropes, but creates her own path. The political aspects are suspenseful and delicious. I adored it. It's hard to fathom that Southside stems from a debut novelist, and I can't wait to see what Jane brings out next. She's definitely an author to watch out for.