I am a sucker for post-apocalyptic books and I particularly enjoy the ones that are straight-up, unadulterated plot. A little character development can always be gleaned from actions and choices, etc., but for the most part, I just enjoy reading about young people adapted to a harsh world killing nasties (usually some sort of zombie-like mutant); and being geared toward young adults, there are usually startling realizations that the elders in any community lie about the world in the name of "protection." This fit all of that criteria and I flew through it and the second book is on hold for me at the library.
All of this novel is entertaining and fun to read, peppered with cliffhangers in nearly every chapter, but two things, in particular, stood out to make this one a great book: the severity of the lies the elders told and the harshness of the book.
Deuce began a constant stream of questioning about halfway through that never let up. As usual, it was fear of punishment that caused her refusal to alter her beliefs in the first place. The way Aguirre chronicled Deuce's internal struggle and journey with becoming rebel-minded pleased me - the perfect amount of questioning at the perfect times. And of course, when one becomes enlightened to lies, one has no choice but to become an advocate for the truth, whether or not it loses you friends or makes you more enemies.
I appreciated the harshness of this world; Aguirre does not sugar-coat anything, but nor does she go into graphic detail with two of the worst atrocities occurring here. Be prepared for violence, serious injuries, and death - lots of death. Post-apocalyptic worlds are never supposed to be pretty. The level of horror in this one is more along the lines of Battle Royale. If you have a teenage son, this would be perfect because the action will retain his interest and he will appreciate the strength and intelligence of the female main character. Also making an appearance, to help destroy the conventionality of gender roles, is a male breeder, who raises the children and supplies an incredible amount of affection.
If you can handle realism in a fictional environment, check this one out because it won't cost you a lot of time and although written for teens, contains little bits of brilliance, scattered throughout.
All of this novel is entertaining and fun to read, peppered with cliffhangers in nearly every chapter, but two things, in particular, stood out to make this one a great book: the severity of the lies the elders told and the harshness of the book.
Deuce began a constant stream of questioning about halfway through that never let up. As usual, it was fear of punishment that caused her refusal to alter her beliefs in the first place. The way Aguirre chronicled Deuce's internal struggle and journey with becoming rebel-minded pleased me - the perfect amount of questioning at the perfect times. And of course, when one becomes enlightened to lies, one has no choice but to become an advocate for the truth, whether or not it loses you friends or makes you more enemies.
I appreciated the harshness of this world; Aguirre does not sugar-coat anything, but nor does she go into graphic detail with two of the worst atrocities occurring here. Be prepared for violence, serious injuries, and death - lots of death. Post-apocalyptic worlds are never supposed to be pretty. The level of horror in this one is more along the lines of Battle Royale. If you have a teenage son, this would be perfect because the action will retain his interest and he will appreciate the strength and intelligence of the female main character. Also making an appearance, to help destroy the conventionality of gender roles, is a male breeder, who raises the children and supplies an incredible amount of affection.
If you can handle realism in a fictional environment, check this one out because it won't cost you a lot of time and although written for teens, contains little bits of brilliance, scattered throughout.
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