Really enjoyed this book, maybe more than I did the first one. I may have a bias because I'm from NYC, and this hit home (no pun intended) when it came to landmarks, how people act, and what the city would have really done. I loved the inclusion of the giant rats roaming the streets cause, well, NYC rats are just different. The reason why this book is staying at a 3.25 Stars is that the characters weren't really THAT likable. There is nothing to really like about Alex, he seems to just be going with the flow, and there's no real character with him. I think Julie is the most loveable character that really does have a personality and seems to be the only sensible one. I didn't like how big the religious stuff played into the book this book DRAGGED IT. I'm part Puerto Rican-American, and this was just stereotyped PRs in the book. The children, mainly Briana, are blinded by religion to an extent that it's not realistic now crazed she is by it, thus leading to her death. At the start I was rooting for all of them to get out, however towards the end I only really cared for Julie.