"THE RULE OF THOUGHTS: Mortality Doctrine, Book 2," by James Dashner, Delacorte Press, $18.99, 325 pages (f) (ages 12 and up)

Michael is awake and sitting on a bed. But he doesn’t know if it is his or someone else's. His thoughts are clear, but his surroundings seem different. There are pictures of people in the room; he just isn’t sure he recognizes any of them.

Most importantly, he doesn't know what has happened to his family or what events have passed since he was last awake. He only knows that he needs to escape from Kaine and complete his mission for the authorities.

In his new book, “The Rule of Thoughts,” author James Dashner continues the story of Michael, a gamer/hacker working with VirtNet Security to capture the Tangent cybercriminal Kaine.

But Michael is having second thoughts about his mission. And his current status is nearly impossible to believe — he is different. He seems to have become mortal. That means his previous life was that of a Tangent, a virtual existence residing solely in the world of data streams.

As Michael continues his adventures, he must decide how far he is willing to go to help the authorities capture Kaine.
Success requires that he find help somewhere along the way — preferably from his two friends, Sarah and Bryson. Michael is unsure how they can help, but he is certain they are the only ones he can trust in his present situation.

Michael also finds that Kaine is everywhere and has the ability to enlist others in forcing the confused boy to do his bidding. Everything comes down to how well Michael can employ his talents as a hacker and gamer to save his own life and that of his family and friends.

The world of cyberspace, as presented by the author, is a dangerous and exciting place in this follow-up to “The Eye of Minds” in the Mortality Doctrine series. The characters are interesting, and teens, the target audience of the series, are likely to relate to the events and people portrayed. As in his Maze Runner series, Dashner has created an environment that offers thrilling and entertaining experiences.

There is no swearing, foul language or sexuality, and the few violent situations are only generally described. There are situations and personal interactions in the story that can be tense and challenging.

Mike Whitmer's email is grundelwalken@gmail.com. He also writes, periodically, at mtwhitmer.blogspot.com.