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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
Ho. Ly. Crap. This was just amazing. A dystopian, zombie-esque novel with a walled-in haven full of disillusioned people, unaware if the torture and experimentation being conducted right in their backyard..SIGN ME UP! I have always been a sucker for a good dystopian novel, and this one blew the genre right out of the water! There are elements of cannibalism, torture, rape, child abuse, miscarriage, murder...pretty much you name something bad and it happens in this book. But though the beginning is dark, the end is so hopeful! This book was extremely compelling, with fantastic main characters that made you feel what they were going through and empathize with their horrible pasts. The sex scenes were steamy, but also had a feeling of innocence and softness to them that made the interactions feel more pure than what they would be in reality.
I knew by the second chapter that this had to be a dual timeline story. The age gap between Wren and Dani didn't make sense, unless one of them was showing us a kind of before shot of this world. I thought that maybe Six, the boy she finds outside of the wall, was going to end up being Abel after several years of the torture/experimentation that they showed during the beginning of Dani's timeline. But by the third chapter I started to wonder if Wren and Dani weren't one and the same. Doctor F, who took an interest in Dani because she could read and write, could have easily had some sort of memory serum that he could use to erase her memories. It would explain why Wren didn't fit in with the other kids her age, why she knew how to survive outside the walls, and why she was having memory flashes and voices inside her head all the time...and I was so close!
I was glad and relieved to discover that Doctor F/Papa wasn't a complete monster and that he was actually trying to do some good in such a horrible place. I wish he had been able to find a cure before he had died, if not to save himself, then at least to help all of those kids that were being experimented on. It broke my heart when Dani discovered Abel had been killed. As heartbreaking as reading about her little brother being abused and starved was, seeing her find his medical chart and autopsy report was just horrifying.
I will say that when I reached the second part of the book, I took a few minutes break because I was so shocked that 8 years were passing after such a big event in the storyline. I thought, "what the actual hell is happening here?!" And of course I was slightly devastated thinking about how Wren and Six would have been apart for the last 8 years, and how she could have left him out there on his own without going after him...it just blew my mind and broke my heart for them. Because of course I didn't believe a word about him being dead. There was no body and all you had to go off of was a torn scrap of his shirt. Anything could have caused that, girl!
Absolutely fantastic! I look forward to reading more from this author!
Rating: 5⭐
I knew by the second chapter that this had to be a dual timeline story. The age gap between Wren and Dani didn't make sense, unless one of them was showing us a kind of before shot of this world. I thought that maybe Six, the boy she finds outside of the wall, was going to end up being Abel after several years of the torture/experimentation that they showed during the beginning of Dani's timeline. But by the third chapter I started to wonder if Wren and Dani weren't one and the same. Doctor F, who took an interest in Dani because she could read and write, could have easily had some sort of memory serum that he could use to erase her memories. It would explain why Wren didn't fit in with the other kids her age, why she knew how to survive outside the walls, and why she was having memory flashes and voices inside her head all the time...and I was so close!
I was glad and relieved to discover that Doctor F/Papa wasn't a complete monster and that he was actually trying to do some good in such a horrible place. I wish he had been able to find a cure before he had died, if not to save himself, then at least to help all of those kids that were being experimented on. It broke my heart when Dani discovered Abel had been killed. As heartbreaking as reading about her little brother being abused and starved was, seeing her find his medical chart and autopsy report was just horrifying.
I will say that when I reached the second part of the book, I took a few minutes break because I was so shocked that 8 years were passing after such a big event in the storyline. I thought, "what the actual hell is happening here?!" And of course I was slightly devastated thinking about how Wren and Six would have been apart for the last 8 years, and how she could have left him out there on his own without going after him...it just blew my mind and broke my heart for them. Because of course I didn't believe a word about him being dead. There was no body and all you had to go off of was a torn scrap of his shirt. Anything could have caused that, girl!
Absolutely fantastic! I look forward to reading more from this author!
Rating: 5⭐
Wow. This book. Why in the world did I leave it sitting in my Kindle for so long before finally reading it?!?!
It’s been a while since I’ve read a good dystopian/post-apocalyptic book and this stood out as one of the best—I couldn’t put it down.
A look at my ratings will tell you I don’t hand out a lot of five-star reviews. So, when I give this book five enthusiastic stars, I really mean it.
A dark and compelling story, good writing, and a scarred hero I couldn’t help but love. When I finished, I was so glad it was the first in a series, because I can’t wait to read the next one.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a good dystopian/post-apocalyptic book and this stood out as one of the best—I couldn’t put it down.
A look at my ratings will tell you I don’t hand out a lot of five-star reviews. So, when I give this book five enthusiastic stars, I really mean it.
A dark and compelling story, good writing, and a scarred hero I couldn’t help but love. When I finished, I was so glad it was the first in a series, because I can’t wait to read the next one.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed reading this. The back & forth timeline annoyed me in the beginning, and that there was a time jump like 60% into the book, but the book still kept me super invested in finding out what was going to happen. I think the younger years were more interesting than after the time jump, but I still enjoyed it. It didn’t really feel like the romance was the main point of the story, the darkness, sci-fi/dystopian-ness kinda overshadowed the actual romance or maybe I wasn’t feeling the angst I should have been or something. Definitely not for people who don’t do dark, there’s a lot of non consensual scenes happening, but personally I expect that with zombie-like dystopians. I do think there may have been a bit much, and that the ‘villains’ were very one dimensional. Will read book two.
I think I don’t like it when there is no reason for someone to fall for another? This girl is obsessed with six just from seeing him through a gap in the wall and he can’t even speak. That being said, I really enjoyed this book, I liked that there was a long gap between their times together, so she could grow up a bit. It’s post apocalyptic/zombie as well which is a nice point of difference.
dnf 63%
Sadly, I couldn't continue. The story is dragging to much for me.
Sadly, I couldn't continue. The story is dragging to much for me.
Unlike most, I much preferred the first half of the book. It was so emotional and it had so much potential.. I was on edge the whole time. But then the second part started and I felt like I was reading a completely different book.
I was extremely disappointed by the h & H reunion and stuff that followed. EXTREMELY!!!!!
All the emotion was somehow gone from the book and all that remained were just some highly unsatisfying "action scenes". But by that point I was so detached from the book I didn't really care much what happened to anyone. Oops
I was extremely disappointed by the h & H reunion and stuff that followed. EXTREMELY!!!!!
All the emotion was somehow gone from the book and all that remained were just some highly unsatisfying "action scenes". But by that point I was so detached from the book I didn't really care much what happened to anyone. Oops
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated