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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Review will come closer to release date, but WOW. Beautifully done. I couldn't stop reading this one. Fantastic YA dystopian.
Fans of Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth will dig for sure.
Fans of Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth will dig for sure.
I really wanted to like this book, I really did. But there were so many things that annoyed me that it was, unfortunately, beyond saving.
The writing was inconsistent and choppy in places and the characters were hard to relate to.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
1. The Writing.
Like stated above, the writing was inconsistent: sometimes it was good, other times it needed work.
There were odd phrasings and you could tell where the edits had occurred, and where they were needed.
There was a line in the book that I just can’t get over, I know that it was only once, but there were a few lines like these in other places, though not like this:
“It was a different from the buildings that surrounded it, more beautiful and with rounded points atop the windows. Most of them hung in jagged shards, and it had been marked with white painted that identified it as claimed territory.”
2. The Characters.
You couldn’t have made them relatable? I know they are in a dystopian world, but really? I couldn’t relate to Deuce, who, only until the middle part of the book realized that her Enclave had been keeping secrets and lying to her.
And then when they got Topside, she finally started to realize just how much she had been lied to.
I think the reason that Deuce bothered me so much is due to the fact that most YA (and especially Dystopian) protagonists are unhappy with their situation, they are always looking for something different, or they are more adventurous and see more for themselves then when they are dealt, unlike Deuce, who was quite content to live out her life in ignorance and blindly following the Enclaves rules.
The opposite of Fade, who is our other protagonist, and I have to say, I did like him better because he didn’t blindly do as he was told, but he annoyed me also because he fell into himself too easily when something happened. Banner was killed, he fell into himself and blamed Deuce for her death, Pearl died, he fell into himself, and at the end there is still an apparent rift between them, because of Stalker, who is a character that I feel was just added to create an unnecessary love triangle.
Fade and Deuce initially clash, but over time bond, and I don’t know if they are supposed to be in love yet or not, I honestly don’t know. It seems like that’s the plan, but Fade never opens up, and Deuce doesn’t know how to interact with a romantic interest, so most of their scenes where I guess they are supposed to be falling in love or something were awkward.
Then it kind of went downhill even farther with the introduction of Stalker, who, as stated above, I felt was an unnecessary character, as he seemed to be there just to be the opposite of Fade, mainly in appearance.
Deuce admires the fighter in him, but other than that, I don't see anything that indicates she has any other feelings for him, in fact, seeing as how he had 'claimed' her when she was taken by his gang to be a 'Breeder', you'd think she'd have more of a problem with him joining them, like Tegan did, and even her protests didn't last long.
And I don't even know what to say about Tegan, you sympathize with her character, but other than that, there isn't any real growth, or anything to really add substance to the friendship between Deuce and Tegan. She's just kind of there.
3. The Plot
The plot was kind of slow to get going, nothing actually happened until the middle of the book when Deuce and Fade took the blame for one of Deuce's friends, who had been accused of 'hoarding', which she knew he was innocent of, and was shunned as a result and forced to go Topside, where you'd think things would pick up, but no. Things seemed to drag a bit Topside as well, and then they got attacked by a gang, the Wolves, twice. And I didn't care.
Deuce was taken to be a 'Breeder', and is claimed by the leader of the Wolves, Stalker, and Fade was taken to be hunted for sport.
This is where she meets Tegan, who had also been taken as a Breeder some time previously.
And, after escaping, they literally run into Fade and, after taking out a great deal of the Wolves, who, as it turns out, were initiates, basically, they run.
After meeting up with a girl, Pearl, that Fade knew from his past, they locate a library where, not too long later, they are once again attacked by the Wolves, who are then attacked by the intelligent Freaks that had been encountered previously, where Pearl, who had been abducted by the Wolves, is killed.
And, this is where the book lost me, and I realized that there was no hope: they let Stalker join them. SERIOUSLY? It wasn't even a long discussion, it took ONE PAGE! And only Tegan protested.
And then Deuce on the next page, after this had been decided observes of Tegan: "Tegan hunched her shoulders, tension in the lines of her body. She seemed upset with Fade's decision." YA THINK?!?
Okay, I'm going to end this review here because I wrote it out previously, and it got WAY too ranty lol
The writing was inconsistent and choppy in places and the characters were hard to relate to.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
1. The Writing.
Like stated above, the writing was inconsistent: sometimes it was good, other times it needed work.
There were odd phrasings and you could tell where the edits had occurred, and where they were needed.
There was a line in the book that I just can’t get over, I know that it was only once, but there were a few lines like these in other places, though not like this:
“It was a different from the buildings that surrounded it, more beautiful and with rounded points atop the windows. Most of them hung in jagged shards, and it had been marked with white painted that identified it as claimed territory.”
2. The Characters.
You couldn’t have made them relatable? I know they are in a dystopian world, but really? I couldn’t relate to Deuce, who, only until the middle part of the book realized that her Enclave had been keeping secrets and lying to her.
And then when they got Topside, she finally started to realize just how much she had been lied to.
I think the reason that Deuce bothered me so much is due to the fact that most YA (and especially Dystopian) protagonists are unhappy with their situation, they are always looking for something different, or they are more adventurous and see more for themselves then when they are dealt, unlike Deuce, who was quite content to live out her life in ignorance and blindly following the Enclaves rules.
The opposite of Fade, who is our other protagonist, and I have to say, I did like him better because he didn’t blindly do as he was told, but he annoyed me also because he fell into himself too easily when something happened. Banner was killed, he fell into himself and blamed Deuce for her death, Pearl died, he fell into himself, and at the end there is still an apparent rift between them, because of Stalker, who is a character that I feel was just added to create an unnecessary love triangle.
Fade and Deuce initially clash, but over time bond, and I don’t know if they are supposed to be in love yet or not, I honestly don’t know. It seems like that’s the plan, but Fade never opens up, and Deuce doesn’t know how to interact with a romantic interest, so most of their scenes where I guess they are supposed to be falling in love or something were awkward.
Then it kind of went downhill even farther with the introduction of Stalker, who, as stated above, I felt was an unnecessary character, as he seemed to be there just to be the opposite of Fade, mainly in appearance.
Deuce admires the fighter in him, but other than that, I don't see anything that indicates she has any other feelings for him, in fact, seeing as how he had 'claimed' her when she was taken by his gang to be a 'Breeder', you'd think she'd have more of a problem with him joining them, like Tegan did, and even her protests didn't last long.
And I don't even know what to say about Tegan, you sympathize with her character, but other than that, there isn't any real growth, or anything to really add substance to the friendship between Deuce and Tegan. She's just kind of there.
3. The Plot
The plot was kind of slow to get going, nothing actually happened until the middle of the book when Deuce and Fade took the blame for one of Deuce's friends, who had been accused of 'hoarding', which she knew he was innocent of, and was shunned as a result and forced to go Topside, where you'd think things would pick up, but no. Things seemed to drag a bit Topside as well, and then they got attacked by a gang, the Wolves, twice. And I didn't care.
Deuce was taken to be a 'Breeder', and is claimed by the leader of the Wolves, Stalker, and Fade was taken to be hunted for sport.
This is where she meets Tegan, who had also been taken as a Breeder some time previously.
And, after escaping, they literally run into Fade and, after taking out a great deal of the Wolves, who, as it turns out, were initiates, basically, they run.
After meeting up with a girl, Pearl, that Fade knew from his past, they locate a library where, not too long later, they are once again attacked by the Wolves, who are then attacked by the intelligent Freaks that had been encountered previously, where Pearl, who had been abducted by the Wolves, is killed.
And, this is where the book lost me, and I realized that there was no hope: they let Stalker join them. SERIOUSLY? It wasn't even a long discussion, it took ONE PAGE! And only Tegan protested.
And then Deuce on the next page, after this had been decided observes of Tegan: "Tegan hunched her shoulders, tension in the lines of her body. She seemed upset with Fade's decision." YA THINK?!?
Okay, I'm going to end this review here because I wrote it out previously, and it got WAY too ranty lol
Bought on Audible
Story Rating 4.5
Audio Rating 3.75
NOTE: I don't usually start my reviews with a note but it is important to make the following statements. I don't read a whole lot of YA and even less Dystopian. I am one of those people that only read 2 out of 3 books in the Mockingjay series. The story, world, and characters created by Ann Aguirre blew me away. So I must thank those people who pushed me to read this despite it being out of my "normal" reading structures. It did not disappoint.
What I Loved: This very unique world that Ann Aguirre created in Enclave is both fascinating and horrific. There were many times that one could imagine living in a place where your life span was so short and very dictated. You have a role in your society and the rules were meant to keep everyone alive for as long as possible. The elders who are meant to know what is best and dole out punishment are your only source of information about what is right and wrong. The world is small and it is dangerous to go beyond the perimeters. This has all been drilled into your head since you were brat (what all children are called) and well-learned by the time you get to the naming ceremony. This is your world and no one really questions it. Then on the other hand there is this whole other world that Ann Aguirre created in Enclave that also thinks that their way is the only way to live. They have their rules, survival techniques, and standards by which they live. We see less of it but while different these two societies are set up with one goal: survival. What happens when people from these two societies meetup under horrible circumstance and then must team up in the ultimate quest for survival? That is the circumstances that lead to another journey to find a 3rd group who has been rumored to be in the world too. This is the time they must throw all their differences aside and learn to trust and work with someone that is from somewhere foreign to them. This to me was the most fascinating thing about this story. Watching these teenagers whose lives were so secluded, yet terrifyingly cut throat, navigate through the unknown without guidance. The sheer bravery, perseverance, and persistence that our 4 main characters (Duece, Fade, Stalker, Teagan) display at each step in their journeys is mind-blowing. What would you do to survive and could you?
What I Liked: The layers of Enclave are built on sturdy characters and great descriptive prose. Whether a person is in the story for 5 seconds or 5 pages, they are there to make you grasp the world in which these characters exist. Nothing is wasted in this book and each moment counts.
Complaints: The ending was abrupt, which isn't my favorite way to end a book, but I understand why A.A. chose to do it that way.
Audio Specific Review: Narrated by Emily Bauer and she has fantastic pacing, pronunciation, and emotions. Her voice is excellent for most of the characters including Duece and Teagen, whom I thought were exceptionally delivered. The two voices that I had a hard time with were Fade and Stalker; whom sounded much younger than 16 or 17 year olds that they are. Once I got used to their voices, it did not distract from the story but in the beginning it was hard to imagine either of them as young men instead of boys.
Why I gave it a 4.5: It probably would have gotten a 5 if not for the abrupt ending. This book was a fantastic read (listen) from beginning to end. I cannot wait for the 2nd installment!
Who I would recommend this book too: Dystopian, Fantasy, and Darker/More Mature YA readers. I feel anyone who enjoys any of these 3 genres will like this book immensely.
Story Rating 4.5
Audio Rating 3.75
NOTE: I don't usually start my reviews with a note but it is important to make the following statements. I don't read a whole lot of YA and even less Dystopian. I am one of those people that only read 2 out of 3 books in the Mockingjay series. The story, world, and characters created by Ann Aguirre blew me away. So I must thank those people who pushed me to read this despite it being out of my "normal" reading structures. It did not disappoint.
What I Loved: This very unique world that Ann Aguirre created in Enclave is both fascinating and horrific. There were many times that one could imagine living in a place where your life span was so short and very dictated. You have a role in your society and the rules were meant to keep everyone alive for as long as possible. The elders who are meant to know what is best and dole out punishment are your only source of information about what is right and wrong. The world is small and it is dangerous to go beyond the perimeters. This has all been drilled into your head since you were brat (what all children are called) and well-learned by the time you get to the naming ceremony. This is your world and no one really questions it. Then on the other hand there is this whole other world that Ann Aguirre created in Enclave that also thinks that their way is the only way to live. They have their rules, survival techniques, and standards by which they live. We see less of it but while different these two societies are set up with one goal: survival. What happens when people from these two societies meetup under horrible circumstance and then must team up in the ultimate quest for survival? That is the circumstances that lead to another journey to find a 3rd group who has been rumored to be in the world too. This is the time they must throw all their differences aside and learn to trust and work with someone that is from somewhere foreign to them. This to me was the most fascinating thing about this story. Watching these teenagers whose lives were so secluded, yet terrifyingly cut throat, navigate through the unknown without guidance. The sheer bravery, perseverance, and persistence that our 4 main characters (Duece, Fade, Stalker, Teagan) display at each step in their journeys is mind-blowing. What would you do to survive and could you?
What I Liked: The layers of Enclave are built on sturdy characters and great descriptive prose. Whether a person is in the story for 5 seconds or 5 pages, they are there to make you grasp the world in which these characters exist. Nothing is wasted in this book and each moment counts.
Complaints: The ending was abrupt, which isn't my favorite way to end a book, but I understand why A.A. chose to do it that way.
Audio Specific Review: Narrated by Emily Bauer and she has fantastic pacing, pronunciation, and emotions. Her voice is excellent for most of the characters including Duece and Teagen, whom I thought were exceptionally delivered. The two voices that I had a hard time with were Fade and Stalker; whom sounded much younger than 16 or 17 year olds that they are. Once I got used to their voices, it did not distract from the story but in the beginning it was hard to imagine either of them as young men instead of boys.
Why I gave it a 4.5: It probably would have gotten a 5 if not for the abrupt ending. This book was a fantastic read (listen) from beginning to end. I cannot wait for the 2nd installment!
Who I would recommend this book too: Dystopian, Fantasy, and Darker/More Mature YA readers. I feel anyone who enjoys any of these 3 genres will like this book immensely.
So about 100 pages in, I almost put this book down. The story was kinda weird and gloomy, and I wasn't feeling it. But, I decided that I would soldier on, as the book wasn't very long. I'm really glad I did because right after that it got crazy interesting and I couldn't put it down and Hallelujah for nap time because I finished this book in one sitting. I very much want to know where this is going.
In the underground world of the College Enclave children are not named until they turn 15, then they are designated as a Breeder, Builder, or Hunter and given a name. On Deuce's birthday she joins the hunters, and is partnered with Fade. They find themselves fighting for so much more than just the enclave.
This is another post-apocalyptic dystopian. Deuce lives in a tightly controlled society, but one where there are still too many dangers. People and the "Freaks" (zombie like creatures they fight) are not all what they seem, which makes for interesting character developments and story lines. There's just the smallest bit of romance, but mostly this is a survival tale.
This is another post-apocalyptic dystopian. Deuce lives in a tightly controlled society, but one where there are still too many dangers. People and the "Freaks" (zombie like creatures they fight) are not all what they seem, which makes for interesting character developments and story lines. There's just the smallest bit of romance, but mostly this is a survival tale.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No