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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
This book was just okay for me. While the story ended up picking up for me in the second half of the novel, I was forcing my way through the first half. Characters are usually what I really, really enjoy about books, and I didn't really connect with any of the characters, though, finally, towards the end of the book, I grew to love Sebastian as an awesome anti-hero and he became my favorite. I think I'm planning on reading the sequel, and I really hope he totally comes on the good-guy side.
Because he's awesome.
Because he's awesome.
I thought this was going to be much better than it was. It's an interesting read. Vampire dystopian.
I wanted this to be so much better...the idea of a disease that attacks and turns humans into a zombie/ vampire hybrid...a disease that devastates the US and forces people into apocalyptic scenarios...a disease that focuses on teenagers so they round them all up and imprison them onto old university campuses. All the pieces were there, and it is a good read. But it could have been a great read if the author hadn't focused on how much the main character Lily was in love (but of course wouldn't admit it because she was too strong and had to take care of her sister, and why would someone so handsome like her). Just hold the guy's damn hand and kiss him, then move on and save the world together. I understand tension is important to the story, but I believe the constant chase from the Ticks and battle scenes provided that story element. It's good, but be warned there is an inevitable sequel. However, I will say the ending had a twist I didn't see coming which redeemed its many sappy parts.
I had the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.
Yes, it's a vampire book, and yes I'm suffering the same vampire fatigue that a lot of people are currently suffering. But, the good new is, there are no languishing in the woe of lost humanity sparkle vampires in this story. The vampire McKay introduces us to comes from the gritty, darker lineage of Lestat and the Ticks are more like a cross between the traditional animalistic Nosferatu and a stark raving Renfield.
And you won't find a forced love triangle between the girl, the human boy, and the vampire. The driving relationship is between Lily and her autistic sister Mel, which McKay writes superbly. Carter, the love interest, takes second seat to the sisters. Unfortunately, I didn't find his voice as compelling as the two girls and thought his POV chapters were distracting if not a little disappointing. I suspect his role and presence will become more necessary in Book 2, hopefully his voice will really shine then.
McKay's writing is strong. She knows how to tell a story and keep the reader turning the page. The story is fast-past and the characters are great fun. Everyone has their own agenda and secrets that keep them mistrusting and questioning each other throughout the entire story. Even the secondary characters have dimension.
I'm really looking forward to reading the next in the series and seeing what happens. Especially after the way Book 1 ended.
Yes, it's a vampire book, and yes I'm suffering the same vampire fatigue that a lot of people are currently suffering. But, the good new is, there are no languishing in the woe of lost humanity sparkle vampires in this story. The vampire McKay introduces us to comes from the gritty, darker lineage of Lestat and the Ticks are more like a cross between the traditional animalistic Nosferatu and a stark raving Renfield.
And you won't find a forced love triangle between the girl, the human boy, and the vampire. The driving relationship is between Lily and her autistic sister Mel, which McKay writes superbly. Carter, the love interest, takes second seat to the sisters. Unfortunately, I didn't find his voice as compelling as the two girls and thought his POV chapters were distracting if not a little disappointing. I suspect his role and presence will become more necessary in Book 2, hopefully his voice will really shine then.
McKay's writing is strong. She knows how to tell a story and keep the reader turning the page. The story is fast-past and the characters are great fun. Everyone has their own agenda and secrets that keep them mistrusting and questioning each other throughout the entire story. Even the secondary characters have dimension.
I'm really looking forward to reading the next in the series and seeing what happens. Especially after the way Book 1 ended.
The Farm by Emily Mckay is about a girl named Lily and her twin sister Mel. For the past six months Lily and Mel have been living on The Farm. The Farm is a place where teenagers are sent to be "safe". They are sent there because the Ticks, humans that were accidentally turned into cannibalistic monsters, like teenage hormones. At The Farm blood is taken from all of the teenagers and given to the Ticks. When someone turns eighteen they are taken away. Lily decides that she wants to escape and risk what is beyond the fence instead of seeing what happens when you turn eighteen. Mel is autistic which helps her notice things that can help then escape. But before they escape Lily meets Carter. Carter is someone that they knew in the Before (before the ticks) and when they meet him everything gets crazy. But Carter is going to help them, but he has his own plans…
I did not like this book. The idea for the story was good but the writing was bad and that sometimes got in the way of the story. It also seemed like more should happen but the story did not go very far, it was only about escaping.
I did not like this book. The idea for the story was good but the writing was bad and that sometimes got in the way of the story. It also seemed like more should happen but the story did not go very far, it was only about escaping.
4.5 stars
I picked up The Farm after reading the prequel, which was a Kindle freebie at the time that I read it. After finishing the prequel, I was eager to learn more about the secrets and mystries behind the farms, and I was definitely ready to see why Lily and Mel were so desperate to escape a place that was described as a perfect refuge from a zombie outbreak, at least in the prequel.
Since everyone, of course, hasn't read the prequel, I'll back up a bit to cover a brief overview of the characters and plot. We meet Lily and Mel, twins who have been sent against their will to a Farm, a place described to their parents as a sanctuary from the Ticks, genetically modified mutants that most closely resemble zombies -- although, The Farm is definitely not a book that I would just describe as a zombie novel.
Anyways, Lily is the strong and determined twin, protector of her sister Mel, who tends to get lost in her own world of nursery rhymes and melodies since she has an autistic disorder that heavily impacts the way she communicates with the world. Once Lily and Mel are in The Farm, they learn that these supposed places of refuge are actually more like horrific prisons where teenagers are harvested for their blood, which is made into food to appease the monstrous Ticks who would otherwise kill any human in sight. Although those in charged are hushed on the topic, everyone knows that life is over once you turn eighteen in The Farm -- and Lily and Mel are nearing this special birthday, which makes now the perfect time to escape.
When the girls run into Carter, an old classmate and former crush of Lily's -- one that they hadn't seen or heard from since well before the Tick outbreak -- they are confused by his motives.. especially when they learn that he may play a dangerous role in the teenage blood banks. It is clear that Carter has his own agenda, one that centers upon Lily, who he believes may have powers beyond her wildest expectations. But Lily can't determine quite yet if Carter's plans for her might be more devastating than she can handle.
But something terrible lies behind The Ticks, making these killer monsters less of a danger than what lies behind their creation. Is Lily really a key player in the ultimate fight for humanity or is Carter setting her up for something far more sinister?
I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed The Farm -- both because it was full of twists and turns that really captured my attention and also because portions were written with so much heartfelt emotion that I really wasn't expecting in this type of novel. The story alternates in perspectives between Lily, Mel, and Carter -- although Mel's segments tend to be very short and melodic, a flow of consciousness written to convey the way that she sees the world through the autistic spectrum. The addition of Mel's chapters really added more depth to the layers of the plot, I think, while Lily and Carter's separate sections added to the backstory as well as pushed forward the plot with exciting twists and turns.
It did take me a while to really get into the story, but I was especially enthralled by the last quarter of the book, especially the touching scenes near the end that dealt with some of the final interactions between Mel and Lily. Lily's strength and Mel's loyalty were so wonderfully captured through McKay's thoughtful writing style, and I am definitely interested in reading the next book in the sceries.
I think if I were to loosely compare The Farm to another series, I would forget The Hunger Games and Resident Evil references on the front of the book, and instead relate it as a less complicated, equally heartfelt YA comparison to Mira Grant's Newsflesh Trilogy (which is just beyond brilliant and one of my favorites of all times). Both have realistic, touching sibling relationships and unique, intriguing perspectives on zombies, which contribute to the action and excitement without really being the ultimate purpose of the series. I'd give this one a strong 4.5 stars and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend The Farm to all of my friends who love an exciting YA series!
I picked up The Farm after reading the prequel, which was a Kindle freebie at the time that I read it. After finishing the prequel, I was eager to learn more about the secrets and mystries behind the farms, and I was definitely ready to see why Lily and Mel were so desperate to escape a place that was described as a perfect refuge from a zombie outbreak, at least in the prequel.
Since everyone, of course, hasn't read the prequel, I'll back up a bit to cover a brief overview of the characters and plot. We meet Lily and Mel, twins who have been sent against their will to a Farm, a place described to their parents as a sanctuary from the Ticks, genetically modified mutants that most closely resemble zombies -- although, The Farm is definitely not a book that I would just describe as a zombie novel.
Anyways, Lily is the strong and determined twin, protector of her sister Mel, who tends to get lost in her own world of nursery rhymes and melodies since she has an autistic disorder that heavily impacts the way she communicates with the world. Once Lily and Mel are in The Farm, they learn that these supposed places of refuge are actually more like horrific prisons where teenagers are harvested for their blood, which is made into food to appease the monstrous Ticks who would otherwise kill any human in sight. Although those in charged are hushed on the topic, everyone knows that life is over once you turn eighteen in The Farm -- and Lily and Mel are nearing this special birthday, which makes now the perfect time to escape.
When the girls run into Carter, an old classmate and former crush of Lily's -- one that they hadn't seen or heard from since well before the Tick outbreak -- they are confused by his motives.. especially when they learn that he may play a dangerous role in the teenage blood banks. It is clear that Carter has his own agenda, one that centers upon Lily, who he believes may have powers beyond her wildest expectations. But Lily can't determine quite yet if Carter's plans for her might be more devastating than she can handle.
But something terrible lies behind The Ticks, making these killer monsters less of a danger than what lies behind their creation. Is Lily really a key player in the ultimate fight for humanity or is Carter setting her up for something far more sinister?
I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed The Farm -- both because it was full of twists and turns that really captured my attention and also because portions were written with so much heartfelt emotion that I really wasn't expecting in this type of novel. The story alternates in perspectives between Lily, Mel, and Carter -- although Mel's segments tend to be very short and melodic, a flow of consciousness written to convey the way that she sees the world through the autistic spectrum. The addition of Mel's chapters really added more depth to the layers of the plot, I think, while Lily and Carter's separate sections added to the backstory as well as pushed forward the plot with exciting twists and turns.
It did take me a while to really get into the story, but I was especially enthralled by the last quarter of the book, especially the touching scenes near the end that dealt with some of the final interactions between Mel and Lily. Lily's strength and Mel's loyalty were so wonderfully captured through McKay's thoughtful writing style, and I am definitely interested in reading the next book in the sceries.
I think if I were to loosely compare The Farm to another series, I would forget The Hunger Games and Resident Evil references on the front of the book, and instead relate it as a less complicated, equally heartfelt YA comparison to Mira Grant's Newsflesh Trilogy (which is just beyond brilliant and one of my favorites of all times). Both have realistic, touching sibling relationships and unique, intriguing perspectives on zombies, which contribute to the action and excitement without really being the ultimate purpose of the series. I'd give this one a strong 4.5 stars and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend The Farm to all of my friends who love an exciting YA series!
My experiences with vampire fiction are rarely successful. I read the Twilight series and that was a complete flop. I tried the first Sookie Stackhouse novel, and that was forgettable, certainly nothing to brag about. Finally, I came across The Farm, and it broke the streak. You get a well-established world and setting, interesting characters, a "romance" that actually feels real, and action-packed scenes that are fueled with adrenaline and gore. And the "vampires" are not your classic image of the creature. I liked these Ticks, and the buggy image they bring to the genre.
Our main duo is Lily and Mel, twin sisters who have been part of the country-wide round up of teenagers. They are kept in camps that used to be college campuses--in this case, Texas--called Farms. And it's pretty obvious that the name is what this place has become. Teen are safe in these area, away from the Ticks that prowl the wastelands that remain of the mainland US. Their teenage blood full of hormones and such (I know, not the greatest explanation, but still reasonable) is very tasty to the Ticks, so the government has the teens donate blood on the Farm to help fend off Ticks. Still not the best solution, right? Get the Ticks all doped up on raging-hormone blood and expect them not to try and attack the institution that provides such nummy treats? That's what sets off Lily. She suspects that released teens (18-year-olds, who supposedly no longer carry nummy blood) are actually being fed directly to the Ticks instead of finding refuge in one of the remaining cities.
Cue escape plan montage! Lily feels she has to plan it herself entirely due to Mel's autismn, and she does a pretty good job at the beginning. Here's where we meet love-interest Carter. He knew the twins before the world went to pot, and Lily had a crush on him for years. He convinces them he has come to rescue teens from this Farm and bring them to Canada and safety (why is Canada always a safe ground? Wonder if Canada sees that as a compliment...).
The ensueing escape and aftermath make for a very adventurous story, and I had a hard time putting it down. I was thankful that McKay was not afraid to put some "icky" stuff in. Icky is good for horror stories. Show me the mutilated corpses surrounded by satanic candlelight and deformed humanoids ripping out hearts with their bare hands to drink the warm fluids. Excellent! The different perspectives throughout the book was also nice. I kind of wish Mel had more chapters, but I also wonder if her POV was.. accurate? I can't say for sure what it's like to be autistic, but those chapters were interesting, and I enjoyed how Mel saw things so differently than Lily. In many ways, Mel was doubley level-headed and ran the show.
The ending actually caught me by surprise, and that deserves kudos. We'll see how the story continues in the next one. Hopefully it will continue the streak!
Our main duo is Lily and Mel, twin sisters who have been part of the country-wide round up of teenagers. They are kept in camps that used to be college campuses--in this case, Texas--called Farms. And it's pretty obvious that the name is what this place has become. Teen are safe in these area, away from the Ticks that prowl the wastelands that remain of the mainland US. Their teenage blood full of hormones and such (I know, not the greatest explanation, but still reasonable) is very tasty to the Ticks, so the government has the teens donate blood on the Farm to help fend off Ticks. Still not the best solution, right? Get the Ticks all doped up on raging-hormone blood and expect them not to try and attack the institution that provides such nummy treats? That's what sets off Lily. She suspects that released teens (18-year-olds, who supposedly no longer carry nummy blood) are actually being fed directly to the Ticks instead of finding refuge in one of the remaining cities.
Cue escape plan montage! Lily feels she has to plan it herself entirely due to Mel's autismn, and she does a pretty good job at the beginning. Here's where we meet love-interest Carter. He knew the twins before the world went to pot, and Lily had a crush on him for years. He convinces them he has come to rescue teens from this Farm and bring them to Canada and safety (why is Canada always a safe ground? Wonder if Canada sees that as a compliment...).
The ensueing escape and aftermath make for a very adventurous story, and I had a hard time putting it down. I was thankful that McKay was not afraid to put some "icky" stuff in. Icky is good for horror stories. Show me the mutilated corpses surrounded by satanic candlelight and deformed humanoids ripping out hearts with their bare hands to drink the warm fluids. Excellent! The different perspectives throughout the book was also nice. I kind of wish Mel had more chapters, but I also wonder if her POV was.. accurate? I can't say for sure what it's like to be autistic, but those chapters were interesting, and I enjoyed how Mel saw things so differently than Lily. In many ways, Mel was doubley level-headed and ran the show.
The ending actually caught me by surprise, and that deserves kudos. We'll see how the story continues in the next one. Hopefully it will continue the streak!
This book came out of nowhere!
I had never heard of The Farm, when it appeared on my doorstep one day. To be honest, I wasn't all that interested in yet another story about vampires. Yet I still found myself slipping it into my bag to take to work, in case A Clash of Kings (Game of Thrones book 2) got too heavy for me. It did...and that's how three hours into my shift, I picked up The Farm and couldn't put it back down until I was finished. I was blindsided by this book!
The first thing that caught my attention is the relationship between Lily and Mel. I really liked hearing the story from both of them; their feelings towards each other, and how much they love each other, despite things not being perfect for them. Mel's chapters (which are my favorites) are short, spoken mostly in rhymes and riddles, but have a poetic quality to them that tells so much about how much she knows and understands. Lily's chapters are long and have a gritty reality to them. She fights to protect Mel, but also fights her own budding feelings of resentment for it.
One of the stranger things about the book is that it also tells the story from Carter's point of view, switching from first person in Mel's and Lily's chapters, to third person in Carter's chapters. I can't remember ever encountering that in a book before, but it worked wonderfully for the story. The transitions between chapters are pretty much flawless.
The circumstances the characters are put in are harsh. Even when things are calm, there is tension in the story. You get the feeling that the characters are never really safe--and they really aren't. Though there are definitely times when things seem a bit too contrived, it was for the most part a very twisty ride. It was hard to tell what to expect, or what would happen next. McKay created an original spin on vampires, and allowed them to take over the US (for our "protection"), causing a collapse in society. The book begins more than six months later, giving us a taste of a post-apocalyptic America. The Farm is where we find Mel and Lily, who have been corralled with other teens (again, for their "protection") and given a false sense of safety. Lily being the smart character that she is, has figured this out, and is trying to get her and Mel out of there. *Cue obstacles*
What surprised me the most about the story, were the characters. Even the minor characters are just so well developed and written. My feelings for each character changed as Lily's did--a testament to how fantastic Lily's character is. I really cared about the people in the story, and when bad things happened, I felt bereft. Likewise, I really cared about the romance. It would have been so easy to overdo it. Still, the romance isn't pushed, and it's not the most important theme in the story. But it's definitely there, and it's definitely sweet.
There are some contrivances, part of the ending was easy to guess, and I wasn't entirely satisfied when the book was through (though it was pretty close). But overall, it's a fantastically weaved story.
Read this if:
...you like strong characters, and you want a new take on vampires.
Content Warning
*This section may contain some spoilers about content!*
This review was originally published on my blog. See it at: The Reading Fever.
*I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I had never heard of The Farm, when it appeared on my doorstep one day. To be honest, I wasn't all that interested in yet another story about vampires. Yet I still found myself slipping it into my bag to take to work, in case A Clash of Kings (Game of Thrones book 2) got too heavy for me. It did...and that's how three hours into my shift, I picked up The Farm and couldn't put it back down until I was finished. I was blindsided by this book!
The first thing that caught my attention is the relationship between Lily and Mel. I really liked hearing the story from both of them; their feelings towards each other, and how much they love each other, despite things not being perfect for them. Mel's chapters (which are my favorites) are short, spoken mostly in rhymes and riddles, but have a poetic quality to them that tells so much about how much she knows and understands. Lily's chapters are long and have a gritty reality to them. She fights to protect Mel, but also fights her own budding feelings of resentment for it.
One of the stranger things about the book is that it also tells the story from Carter's point of view, switching from first person in Mel's and Lily's chapters, to third person in Carter's chapters. I can't remember ever encountering that in a book before, but it worked wonderfully for the story. The transitions between chapters are pretty much flawless.
The circumstances the characters are put in are harsh. Even when things are calm, there is tension in the story. You get the feeling that the characters are never really safe--and they really aren't. Though there are definitely times when things seem a bit too contrived, it was for the most part a very twisty ride. It was hard to tell what to expect, or what would happen next. McKay created an original spin on vampires, and allowed them to take over the US (for our "protection"), causing a collapse in society. The book begins more than six months later, giving us a taste of a post-apocalyptic America. The Farm is where we find Mel and Lily, who have been corralled with other teens (again, for their "protection") and given a false sense of safety. Lily being the smart character that she is, has figured this out, and is trying to get her and Mel out of there. *Cue obstacles*
What surprised me the most about the story, were the characters. Even the minor characters are just so well developed and written. My feelings for each character changed as Lily's did--a testament to how fantastic Lily's character is. I really cared about the people in the story, and when bad things happened, I felt bereft. Likewise, I really cared about the romance. It would have been so easy to overdo it. Still, the romance isn't pushed, and it's not the most important theme in the story. But it's definitely there, and it's definitely sweet.
There are some contrivances, part of the ending was easy to guess, and I wasn't entirely satisfied when the book was through (though it was pretty close). But overall, it's a fantastically weaved story.
Read this if:
...you like strong characters, and you want a new take on vampires.
Content Warning
*This section may contain some spoilers about content!*
Spoiler
Violence, murder, one gory scene using human body parts, a few swear words, (including use of religious names), and an attempted rape.This review was originally published on my blog. See it at: The Reading Fever.
*I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book made me feel so many emotions that I don't even know what to say.
Interesting premise with the expected twist for the conclusion- nice set up for the next book