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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I couldn’t get into the story. Too many characters and too much going on that wasn’t explained.
A brilliant YA dystopian book, a stellar debut for Sarah Daniels!
The story's background had me instantly intrigued. Thousands of people living their whole life in a stranded cruise ship, denied landfall to the Federated States (a fragment of the former USA) where they fled to after a catastrophic war in Europe released a deadly virus.
The background sets the tone about the conditions the ship residents face: discrimination, scorn, outright hatred from the government and the people of the Federated States. Their treatment gets worse and worse through the years. Not only they aren't allowed to set foot on land, but they are systematically opressed, imprisoned and killed. Sarah Daniels creates a world where the worst of humanity has surfaced and become the new normal.
As any self-respecting authoritarian regime, they allow some of the opressed people to cling on to hope for a better life. Esther trains to be a medic, dreaming of being one of the select few. So does her boyfriend Alex. Her sister, May, will be a cadet. Other people are scheming to rebel against the opression. One of them is Nik who knows brutality first-hand. Enid and Silas, the gang leaders of the ships' bowels.
Conflicting loyalties are a big theme of the book. What's worth risking and what's not. Who's worth risking everything for.
Most characters aren't black or white, but shades of gray. The rebellion's leaders aren't good people. You won't even like most of them. The "enemy of my enemy" mentality is prevalent out of necessity.
There is darkness and pain, but also hope and the power of sheer will.
The Stranded is an intriguing adventure, which is to be continue in Daniels' sequel book. I can't wait for it !
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC!
The story's background had me instantly intrigued. Thousands of people living their whole life in a stranded cruise ship, denied landfall to the Federated States (a fragment of the former USA) where they fled to after a catastrophic war in Europe released a deadly virus.
The background sets the tone about the conditions the ship residents face: discrimination, scorn, outright hatred from the government and the people of the Federated States. Their treatment gets worse and worse through the years. Not only they aren't allowed to set foot on land, but they are systematically opressed, imprisoned and killed. Sarah Daniels creates a world where the worst of humanity has surfaced and become the new normal.
As any self-respecting authoritarian regime, they allow some of the opressed people to cling on to hope for a better life. Esther trains to be a medic, dreaming of being one of the select few. So does her boyfriend Alex. Her sister, May, will be a cadet. Other people are scheming to rebel against the opression. One of them is Nik who knows brutality first-hand. Enid and Silas, the gang leaders of the ships' bowels.
Conflicting loyalties are a big theme of the book. What's worth risking and what's not. Who's worth risking everything for.
Most characters aren't black or white, but shades of gray. The rebellion's leaders aren't good people. You won't even like most of them. The "enemy of my enemy" mentality is prevalent out of necessity.
There is darkness and pain, but also hope and the power of sheer will.
The Stranded is an intriguing adventure, which is to be continue in Daniels' sequel book. I can't wait for it !
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC!
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Amazing concept, great beginnin and middle, but I found the ending disappointing. The ending felt very rushed, and was ended abruptly, now that could have been on purpose for a sequel however as far as I can tell this book is a stand alone and for that I have to judge it appropriately.
The world building was decent and was a concept that has been done be for but the author had a fantastic take on it and for that I commend them. That being said I would have liked to have learnt just a tad bit more about the world as a whole. The charaters are well written and each main charater has a drive and ambition although the side charaters I found rather confusing and I kept mixing them up due to them being quite forgetful and not a lot of expansion on their character as a whole.
Over all I wish this book was longer I really think another 60-100 pages would have allowed the author to flush out more of the concept and charaters and to have not rushed the ending as much. That all being said I know it sounded harsh, but, I do hope there is a sequel because I would love to read more about/from this story line.
The world building was decent and was a concept that has been done be for but the author had a fantastic take on it and for that I commend them. That being said I would have liked to have learnt just a tad bit more about the world as a whole. The charaters are well written and each main charater has a drive and ambition although the side charaters I found rather confusing and I kept mixing them up due to them being quite forgetful and not a lot of expansion on their character as a whole.
Over all I wish this book was longer I really think another 60-100 pages would have allowed the author to flush out more of the concept and charaters and to have not rushed the ending as much. That all being said I know it sounded harsh, but, I do hope there is a sequel because I would love to read more about/from this story line.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Violence, Fire/Fire injury
dnf at 24%
i like the premise, but it was a bit slow and too political for me
i like the premise, but it was a bit slow and too political for me
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fun ya dystopian novel--interesting concept
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated