Skitter

Boone’s apocalyptic sequel to 2016’s The Hatching picks up about 10 days into the end of the world. In the first book, Prof. Melanie Gruyer received a 10,000-year-old egg sac from Peru; it hatched flesh-eating spiders that rapidly spread all over the planet. The situation is now dire, and Melanie desperately tries to unlock the key to the spiders’ destruction while nuclear bombs fall, cities burn, and corpses litter the streets. When the spiders start dying off, many see reason for hope, but Melanie is afraid something bigger is coming, and no one knows how to stop it. Returning readers will recognize FBI Agent Mike Rich, President Stephanie Pilgrim, survivalists Gordo and Shotgun, and Melanie’s ex-husband, Manny Walchuk, all of whom have their parts to play. This installment retains much of the scary fun of the first, but too many plot threads make it choppy, and it’s obvious that this is a setup for the big finale. Still, Boone’s fans will undoubtedly enjoy this globe-hopping, seriously creepy read. (May)