Nora and Alai: Trust is the second installment of the Nora and Alai sci-fi series by David Sines. A lot has changed since the self-aware AI Alai entered Nora Blaker's life and helped her elude the clutches of the nefarious organization, Oversight. For one thing, the AI app "Trust" created by Alai is now used nationwide by the general public. However, Alai discovers glitches and anomalies in the app that prohibits him from using it to its full extent. Additionally, he suspects some people working at the ACT (Advanced Creative Technology) building to be connected to Oversight. After a photographer instigates the publication of an article on Nora, the Blaker family is hounded by reporters and Oversight agents alike. Now, with a former acquaintance as their bodyguard, Alai must find a way to keep them safe. But will he succeed?

Filled with mystery, suspense, and plenty of thrills, Nora and Alai: Trust is an entertaining adventure odyssey bound to entice young adult sci-fi lovers. Author David Sines builds on a unique and compelling premise to keep readers hooked throughout the pages. Sines doesn't waste much time putting readers into the thick of the action, and right from the get-go, you find yourself catching up to the breakneck pace of the plot with its unexpected twists and turns. All the major characters feel well-developed. They have well-defined personas, and their goals and motives are easily discernable. Despite being a sequel, Nora and Alai: Trust also functions as a standalone. Overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it to young adult sci-fi readers.

Trust is the second novel in the Nora and Alai series by David Sines. Now that the government has approved the app Trust, Alai was seeing a lot more than he anticipated. Granted, Alai created the app to protect Nora from the clutches of the mysterious organization called Oversight, but the app had potential. With the promise of 24/7 monitoring and intelligent personal assistance, Trust was the app of the moment. That allowed Alai to look at things that were hidden from him before. There were changes Alai wanted to make, but the A.C.T. didn’t let him. That made Alai question what the A.C.T. was hiding. On the other hand, Nora had issues of her own. Identifying her attacker and getting justice was one thing, but finding her footing in her family was another. Both were emotionally draining and things could be fixed if only Nora revealed her secrets. But would she? Could Alai figure out what the A.C.T. was hiding in time?

Nora and Alai: Trust was fascinating, to say the least. The premise of the story is unique, and I have never read something like this. While most science fiction novels paint their sentient AIs to be evil, Alai (as his name reflected) was a positive character that I thoroughly enjoyed. Alai was far more perceptive and emotive than most characters in science fiction novels in general. Nora’s character was relatable and a little soft in the beginning. I felt she had a lot of growing up to do, which turned out to be true. Her character growth was exceptional. David Sines created opportunities for Nora to grow as a person and a protagonist, which was vital for the success of the story. The Blaker family dynamics were relatable and enjoyable as well. The descriptions were vivid, the pace was just right, and the mystery was almost a character in the story. To say that I loved the story would be an understatement.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel! The story once again pulled me in from the start. I especially enjoyed getting to know Alai better as a "person". His observations while dealing with people in general often made me chuckle. And his struggles to build trusting relationships echoed what many of us experience in real life. David Sines' writing style creates such vivid pictures, the reader becomes completely immersed without even trying. It's the perfect read for a leisurely afternoon.

Just like the first book in this series, I wanted to keep reading to find out what will happen. Nora is a great character, and I enjoyed getting more insight into her personality. The last few chapters are "nail biters".
I would recommend this book to everyone...and I have.

I'm super excited that this book is finally out! I really enjoy this storyline and I love David Sines' writing style. This sequel was every bit as enjoyable to read as as book one (ACT).

It was nice to see the characters develop further. And it was neat to see Alai interacting with other people, too. The idea of having a "trust" app to give humankind the ability to start trusting and helping each other was very cool, and well done.

Both books (Nora and Alai: A.C.T. and this one...Nora and Alai: Trust) have been great to read because of the storyline and writing style. But also I can't say enough how wonderful it is to be able to sit and read a book that's not full of "garbage". I can freely recommend this book without any reservations. And I'm happy to hand it off to family members (including young ones) without worrying about swearing or inappropriate content.

The rest of the family hasn't read it yet. They're pretty excited that it's out, but they're waiting for the paperback copies to come out (soon, I hope).

I "Trust" that you'll enjoy this book, too! The only thing I didn't love was the ending. But only because it's a bit of a cliffhanger. Which will be no doubt remedied by the third book. I guess I'll just have to wait for the next book to come out. Can't wait!