Author: Rachel Fisher
Published: April 8, 2012
Pages: 382
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Description from Goodreads:
The year is 2033 and the
world hovers on the edge of explosion as unexplained crop deaths lead to
severe global food shortages. In the United States, the Sickness is
taking lives slowly, creeping its way into every family. Fi Kelly has
already faced the Sickness in her own family, toughening her beyond her
years. But a shocking confession from her dying father will push her
toughness to its absolute limits. Saddled with an impossible secret and
the mission of saving her little sister, Fi sets out to transform
herself into the warrior that she must become to survive the coming
collapse. Along the way, she will discover that evil can be accidental
and that love can be intentional.
Review:
Dystopian novels are quite popular now, but finding one that catches and holds your attention throughout the book is harder to find. This one not only caught my attention from the first page, I was found it difficult to put it down. The author creates a realistic world where genetic crop manipulation has created an environmental disaster, resulting in a place where crops no longer grow and a worldwide food shortage ensues. It is a world created with care and easily pictured with the author's descriptions.
The characters are well crafted and easy to relate to. Fi and her family bond together to search for Eden, a place where they can find safety in a world gone wrong. She makes a wonderful, strong heroine that fights to keep her family alive against all odds. As they make their journey across a barren land their plight for survival is well told and frightening to watch at times. No need for monsters or zombies here; the cruelty men have for each other is makes survival difficult.
My only complaint here is that after following their journey over time the ending seemed a bit rushed. But this is a minor complaint, anyone who enjoys this genre of literature will want to add this one to their reading list. A sequel, Seeds of War, is now available and I cannot wait to see what happens to Fi and her family next.
Review: A well crafted dystopian tale you will not want to miss.
4/5 Stars
Author: Annie Oldham
Published: September 26, 2011
Pages: 235
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Description from Goodreads:
The Burn is full of
nuclear fallout, roving gangs, anarchy, unreliable plumbing. That's what
Terra's father tells her. She has lived her whole life in comfort in a
colony at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. She hates it. And she would
pay any price to leave. But when Terra finally escapes the colony, she
finds out her father is right.
She finds a group of survivors
that quickly become friends, and every day with them is a race for
survival. When she witnesses and commits unspeakable acts, she has to
decide where her loyalty lies: with the colony she despises or The Burn,
where every day is filled with nightmares.
Review:
I am always looking for a good post apocalyptic book and this one adds another voice to the genre. Set 100 years after the end of WWIII, the story opens with Terra living in an underwater world, The Colony, that was built by her ancestors who sought refuge from a destroyed world above the sea. It is a highly regimented place where everything is planned, down to the number of calories and vitamins you consume each day. As a teen, soon to be an adult, Terra is being encouraged to choose her job in the Colony. She feels like a prisoner here, and longs to see the world above the water, a place that she learned about from a teacher and old books. Another society exists in what is left of America, known as "The Burn". The people who survived the war struggled to build a place where they eked out a meager life. The people in The Burn have heard about underwater colonies, but do not know where they are located and resent those who found a safe place to go when the world fell apart. Terra eventually finds a way to leave her underwater home, paying a high price in order to escape. The book follows her journey as she discovers how difficult life in The Burn can be.
Oldham has done a magnificent job in building an underwater world, as well as a dark, realistic, post-war world where survival is difficult and harsh. As Terra explores her new world she experiences all of this but also finds moments of happiness and love, showing how the human spirit can deal with adversity.
The characters are well developed and Terra is a strong girl who makes sacrifices to get what she wants out of life. But her choices are not easy and she struggles with them and questions herself along the way, just like any normal teen who is making their way in the world does. She has to learn how to survive in The Burn, making friends (and enemies) along the way, while always keeping her background as a Colonist a secret.
This was a great read. The story grabbed my attention and kept it throughout the book. I was fascinated by both worlds Oldham built and feel that this is a great read for anyone who enjoys post apocalyptic novels. A sequel is planned for the Fall of 2012, I an anxiously awaiting to continue Tessa's journey. The book is available in print or as an e-book for only .99 on Amazon.
Rating: A great story set in a devastated world, you will enjoy this one.
Author: Michael Mullin
Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget.
Note: I received this book from the publisher via NeyGalley for review but did not get any compensation for the review.
Author: Amanda Hocking
Published: September 28, 2010
Pages: 306
Rating: 5/5 stars
Description from Goodreads:
"This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door."
Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.
Review:
Remy is left alone with her small brother in a world where a rabies type virus has turned most of the population into zombies. She has learned to protect herself and when her brother is transported to a government safe house she has to try to find him. The story follows her as she goes across the western US, picking up colorful characters along the way. There is plenty of zombie type violence and the action is nonstop as she tries to locate her brother as readers wonder what makes him so special that the government wants to protect him?
I was sucked into this book from the first page and found it hard to put down. Remy's is a wonderful character, strong and independent, but wanting to be with others makes her vulnerable. She is on a mission to find her brother, all she has left of her family. The other characters are also well done: Lazlo, a rock star, and Tatum, a soldier who goes out of his way to help Remy, and a tame lion they find on the side of the road. There is plenty of blood and gore here, with zombies who seem to be getting smarter as they evolve.
There is no guarantee that the characters will survive, and many don't as they run for their lives. The dark, hostile world Hocking has created is a joy to read about, and the love story thrown into the action packed novel makes this a wonderful read.
Rating: An Excellent story you will not want to miss.
Author: Cameron Stracher
Published: January 1, 2011
Pages: 256
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Review:
In a futuristic, dystopian America environmental disaster has occurred and water is the new gold. Countries have dammed their rivers and fresh water cannot be found. This is the world Vera and her brother Will grew up in. Their mother is ill and bedridden, sick from drinking toxic water. Then the meet Kai, a rich kid with a father who drills for water. When Kai is kidnapped and they try to find him, Vera and Will find themselves in danger after being kidnapped by water pirates. Their odyssey through post apocalyptic America weaves a story that is fast paced and well told.
The story grabbed me in the first chapter and the nonstop action carried me along to the end of the book. The dry, parched world was so well developed, you could feel the thirst of the characters. In a world covered with water it is a scary thing to think that the drinkable portion could be taken and used as a commodity. The characters were well developed and you wanted to cheer them on as they fought for their lives. The story was believable to a point, but it is unlikely that someone will be there every time you need help. But that is the fun of fiction so I was willing to overlook this flaw and go with the story. It was a fun, fast read and although the ending was satisfying, I can't wait for the sequel to find out what happens to Vera and Kai in the future.
Rating: A fun, fast paced adventure that you will enjoy
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Author: James Dashner
Published: October 6, 2009
Pages: 400
Rating: 2/5 Stars
My Review:
Thomas wakes up to find that he has arrived in a strange place called the Glade, a and he has no memory of his past life. The Glade is a dystopic self sufficient colony without adults in the middle of a maze with lots of boys and weird monsters. This is the setting for The Maze Runner. The kids in The Glade have tried for two years to find a way out of The Glade without success. Every day several boys run through the maze trying to find a way out, every night the walls in the maze move. The day after Thomas arrives a girl also arrives, an event because there had never been a girl in The Glade before. The book explores how Thomas reacts to his situation in The Glade, what his relationship with the new girl is, and if there is a way out of the maze.
I am a huge fan of dystopian fiction and I was really looking forward to The Maze Runner. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I was disappointed. The characters in the book were not well developed and there was nothing to make me care about what happened to them. Even when they died, I felt nothing for them. The premise of the story sounded good, but after hearing about the maze that could not be solved over and over again, I didn't really care if they found a way out or not. What was meant to be an adventure with building tension was a boring story that I found difficult to get through. The use of words unique to The Glade didn't make any sense. I think that if an author uses unique words or languages, there should be a reason for it. As used the words made no sense and were distracting. Finally, the end was abrupt and obviously a set up for the sequel, but I think books should have some sort of a stopping point, not just a cut off that leaves the reader hanging. There was nothing here that made me want to seek out the next book in the trilogy.
I will note that my opinion of this book is in the minority. Many other reviewers love the story and have given it very positive reviews. I encourage you to read other opinions and decide for yourself if this is a book that will appeal to you.
My Rating: A disappointment
Author: Charile Higson
Release Date (U.S.): May 11, 2010
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Genre: Science Fiction,Fantasy, Horror
Pages: 448
Rating: 5/5 stars
Description From Goodreads:
They'll chase you. They'll rip you open. They'll feed on you...When the sickness came, every parent, policeman, politician - every adult - fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive. Now there are rumors of a safe place to hide. And so a gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city - down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground - the grown-ups lie in wait. But can they make it there - alive?
The world has been hit with an unknown disease that turns everyone over 16 into zombie like creatures that seek to kill the children they left behind. The book is set in London and follows the saga of a ragtag group of kids as they try to stay alive in a world turned upside down.
The kids have found refuge in a local supermarket. They have been there a year, but things are getting desperate as the older kids have to travel father from their store base to find food to keep them alive. The older kids know it is only a matter of time until they cannot hold out any longer and are looking for a way out. They find it when an older boy arrives telling them to come to Buckingham Palace, where they have set up a safe zone, with food and comfort within the palace walls. Knowing their plight is grim, the older kids decide they should leave the shelter of the store and make a dash to the palace. The story follows them as they make their way across London. Who will survive the trip and when they get there what will they find?
Another part of the story is little Sam, a nine-year-old with an imagination who is stolen from the supermarket grounds by the grownups in the opening pages of the books. He keeps his wits about him and is able to escape only to find himself alone in the big city of London. The book follows his adventures as he strives to stay alive and make his way back to the little sister he left behind in the supermarket. He is a wonderful character who just wants to be a kid again, but is forced to grow up too fast in a world where everyone must take care of themselves.
The book is fast paced with plenty of zombie type violence. The world created in the novel is a dangerous and many characters do not survive their odyssey. We never learn why the new disease has affected grownups, but it really doesn't matter. These decomposing, flesh eating creatures are the things nightmares are made of. But they are not the only thing the kids have to worry about. All is not as it seems at Buckingham Palace and the kids have to determine who besides the diseased grownups are the enemy.
At its core the book makes one think about how children and young teens would be able to cope and survive if left in a world without adult authority. The characters find themselves longing for the structure and love their families provided, and note the unfairness of how they had to grow up too fast. The characters are wonderfully developed and this allows the reader to care about, cheer for and mourn with them. There were twists and turns in the novel I didn't see coming, something that is refreshing. I really enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down. There is a prequel book that will be published in North America later this year. I can't wait to read more about the fascinating world Charlie Higson has created in this series.
Rating: An outstanding read, don't miss this one
