Review: Partials by Dan Wells

Partials by Dan Wells

Release Date: February 28, 2012

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Pages: 468

Received: Purchased

Rating: 3 out of 5 Books

GOODREADS BLURB:

Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the world’s population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanity’s time is running out.

When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friend’s pregnancy, she’s determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the war’s origin that she never knew to ask.

 

THE GOOD:

Dan's descriptions are vivid, and his pacing is great. There's not really any slow part to this book, as he keeps plowing forward with a great combination of information, plot, and action. He leaves enough to keep you ready for a second book, but wraps up enough to not make you feel like, "Well, what the heck?" In that instance, I really liked it. He definitely has great world-building skills and you feel for Kira as she reveals each layer behind the secrets she never knew existed. Marcus was great and I absolutely loved Xochi. She was definitely my favorite character of the bunch, and also displayed the most true emotion, in my opinion.

THE BAD:

This is Mr. Wells' first foray into YA, and for me, it definitely shows. I felt as though this was an adult novel written with teenage characters. It wasn't bad, it just didn't feel as genuine YA as others I've read. There is a LOT of science behind his plot, so you need to be ready to truly pay attention to different parts of a virus, etc. to really understand what's going on. Also, the core of the story is that the human race is dying out. Every baby that is born, dies within days from a virus. For me, it just hit a little close to home, because I have a young son, so that part made me a little sad to read and imagine the loss I would have felt personally. Although, that can be a good thing, since Wells is illiciting emotion in his readers. Another issue I had was that I really didn't feel attached to many of the characters. At one point, Kira calls two soldiers "Skinny" and "Scruffy," and a lot of the characters felt like that to me - Medic #1, Senator #2, etc. I wanted to feel emotionally attached to characters. Kira says she loves Marcus, but I never really felt like she did, and then Samm...well, I wondered if anything would happen for a second, but then it didn't. Kira doesn't strike me as a girl that will stop for anyone, and I won't give spoilers, but I just felt like Kira didn't have too many hormones, and neither did anyone else. Perhaps it's because these teens had to grow up so quickly, and that would definitely attribute to it. I just didn't feel like this was a YA, and that's okay, but if that was his target audience, I felt like it missed the mark a little.

OVERALL:

It's not that this book was bad, so don't get me wrong there. It was a good read, and I enjoyed it. It just...wasn't what I was expecting. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't my favorite book, either. I'll read the sequel, which I'm assuming there will be one, but it won't be one that I run out to get, either. Maybe you'll have different feelings and you'll love it. It just wasn't my favorite I've read.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
"I've never been a real traditional guy," said Marcus. "Besides, I'm not saying I know a bright side, I just think this would be a good time to look at one."

Jayden raised his fist, and the group stopped walking.

"Jayden just heard a bright side," whispered Marcus. "There's an uplifting metaphor creeping through those bushes."

RATING: 3 of 5 Books

Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Release Date: March 27, 2007

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Pages: 485

Received: Purchased

Rating: 3 out of 5 Books

GOODREADS BLURB:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

I'm coming away from this one a little disappointed, but I didn't dislike the book...

THE GOOD:

This was Clare's debut into the Shadowhunter world, and she did it was great finesse. Her world planning was well thought out and she delivered an excellent array of characters. Her writing was great - not as good as it has obviously developed into with the newest of her installments, but still very, very good. I enjoyed the ride and I will certainly be reading the rest of the series

THE BAD:

This book wasn't bad, it's just it took me a lot longer to read than her others I've read thus far. I kept thinking to myself that she has a bit of a formula: girl who doesn't know what she is, snarky & sarcastic boy, and a gentle soul boy. Not to say it isn't a good combo, but I guess I just wished that the main character roles weren't quite so similar. The twists were a bit more in plain sight than in her other books too, but I believe that is something that again she's honed after all of the great books she's put out. So the bad isn't bad, it's just not my taste. Still, it's a good book.

OVERALL:

Clare is still by far one of my favorite authors. This just wasn't my favorite book from her. I think I'm going to give Clare a rest for a bit and come back to her Mortal Devices series after having read a couple different books, just so it's fresh again. I still recommend her books vehemently, I just think it might be time for a change in palate for me. :)

RATING: 3 of 5 Books

Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Release Date: March 22, 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Pages: 358

Received: Purchased

Rating: 3 out of 5 Books

GOODREADS BLURB:
Obviously, something went terribly wrong. Genetic mutations have festered, reducing human longevity to twenty-five, even less for most women. To prevent extinction, young girls are kidnapped, mated in polygamous marriages with men eager to procreate. Sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery, a recent victim of this breeding farm mentality, has vowed to break loose from its fetters; but finding allies and a safe way out is a challenge she can only hope she will survive. A dystopian fantasy series starter with wings.

What did I think of Wither. Hmm...that's a tough one. :-/

THE GOOD:

DeStefano can write. Her prose is flawless and it's an easy read. You can definitely tell she has a degree in English. Gabriel is simply one of the sweetest guys I've read about, and it makes me sad we didn't really get to know him. Hopefully in the second book his character is more fleshed out.

THE BAD:

This book was bad, not at all. It's just the idea of this being a YA book and the context of it war with me. The Hunger Games was much more violent, much darker, but it still felt YA. This felt very adult, and it was hard for me to envision the world the way she painted it. I could see it, sure, I just couldn't swallow it...and that's totally me, not the book. So, I guess really I didn't find the book bad, it just wasn't what I'd imagined it'd be when I picked it up...and that's totally okay, too.

CONCLUSION:

It's not that I didn't enjoy Wither...it's just...it didn't feel YA. The tones and the storyline felt much more adult. The fact that Linden impregnates a 13-year-old and there is no feeling of shame or loss of childhood, save for Rhine's inner thoughts, feels off. I hate to even imagine a world where that would be necessary makes me kind of ill. The fact that the wives talk about sexual positions in order to find a way to become pregnant seems much more of an adult book than YA. It's not that sex doesn't belong in YA. I'm pretty sure YA can be just about anything, including sex. It's just this didn't feel YA. Polygamy, especially at the age of 13, 16, and 18 seems a bit stretched. The fact that Linden was completely oblivious to everything made me annoyed, but not as much as the fact that Rhine felt it was okay to not inform him. She chastised him internally and felt bad for him not having the knowledge, but didn't make any attempt to make him aware. I guess I just kept questioning the characters. I identified the most with Jenna, and she was sadly, one of the shortest-lived characters in the book.

Overall, I didn't not like the book, it just didn't feel right. And that's okay. Actually, that's great, because not every book is for everyone. I will definitely read the second to see what DeStefano brings to the plate in the future, I just wouldn't jump up and down and write home about this book, either. DeStefano is a strong writer and I look forward to reading her subsequent books.

FAVORITE QUOTES:

"And then there's another voice, and my eyes fly open so fast that the room spins. 'Rhine?' Gabriel's voice can reach me anywhere. Even in a hurricane."
~*~
"I always knew I was an excellent liar; I just didn't know I had it in me to fool myself."

RATING: 3 Books