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dairypickle04's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
fairestskyebooks's review against another edition
4.0
A gritty and dark dystopian read where every question is answered with a back-handed slap to the face.
Though a bit slow at the start, Expendables picks up quick with mystery and heart pounding adventure. If you thought life in the world of The Hunger Games was rough you need to visit Ms. Ingleby’s London. A wall separating London and Wales, impassable and guarded. Gangs roam The Outside, while The Inside is a paradise.
Told between Aleesha and Trey’s point of view this was an amazing portrayal of what would happen if our country lost most of its landmass. Starvation, corruption, riots, violence, all threaded together with the hope of a better life.
I truly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the sequel.
Though a bit slow at the start, Expendables picks up quick with mystery and heart pounding adventure. If you thought life in the world of The Hunger Games was rough you need to visit Ms. Ingleby’s London. A wall separating London and Wales, impassable and guarded. Gangs roam The Outside, while The Inside is a paradise.
Told between Aleesha and Trey’s point of view this was an amazing portrayal of what would happen if our country lost most of its landmass. Starvation, corruption, riots, violence, all threaded together with the hope of a better life.
I truly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the sequel.
ladyberry's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoy books that don't take long to catch on to what's happening. This is a great example of a book that establishes each main character and drops them right into action within the first chapter. There was a lot of exposition in this book, as is to be expected for a complicated world and system.
I'm sure there will be more action in the next few books, but despite having them all in a bundle on my Kindle, I'm not itching to find out what happens next. I might revisit in the future but for now I'll just give it a 3 star rating. Enjoyable, but I'm not hooked enough to invest in the whole series.
I'm sure there will be more action in the next few books, but despite having them all in a bundle on my Kindle, I'm not itching to find out what happens next. I might revisit in the future but for now I'll just give it a 3 star rating. Enjoyable, but I'm not hooked enough to invest in the whole series.
ksmarsden's review against another edition
5.0
Aleesha and Trey have had very different upbringings, but they are the only people who can cross the wall. They find themselves caught between conflicting gangs.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
In a future where London is divided by a wall, Aleesha is an outsider. The main aim in life is survival, as food, water, and shelter are all in short supply. The Outside is ruled by the gangs, in a constantly-shifting fight for power. Everyone is out for themselves, and only the hard survive.
Aleesha is an illegal citizen (unchipped), and knows that the only person she can trust is herself.
She's one of the smartest people around, and has to rely on her wits to negotiate the gangs, and keep a steady supply of the drug that takes away her misery.
Darwin "Trey" is an Insider. He feels like the runt of his class, as he hasn't been given any genetic modifications, like the others his age. For no obvious reason, Trey finds himself on the run, being chased down the Metz. With a choice of death or enslavement on the farms, Trey escapes to the Outside. Once there, he learns the truth about how different London really is, and how blind he has been.
The story follows them as they come together and are forced to work for the mysterious chain.
They find the truth behind the Great flood and the creation of their dystopian society. They also find the truth of their own history, that has been hidden from them.
I liked this story. Aleesha is tough and resourceful, and a clear asset for the Chain and other dodgy organisations. She's determined not to be a pawn, and uses them for her own agenda. Despite her hard exterior, she is full of passion and emotion, that she won't let herself feel, because it's dangerous to show weakness.
Trey is a much weaker character. He has none of the genetic advancements of other Insiders (for a reason I won't say, because spoilers), so he is slow and weak compared to his peers. He doesn't belong with the Outsiders either, as he's had a soft upbringing, and he screams 'victim'. It's a miracle that he survives, and he has to rely on his allies. This soft boy wasn't an appealing character in the beginning, but he gets much stronger throughout.
The London that Ingleby has created is reminiscent of Hunger Games, with two very different existences pushed up against one another. I found her descriptions of Outside London very evocative, you understood the feeling of constant danger, the hunger and limitations at every turn.
I especially liked Trey's awakening, how it dawns on him how ignorant he was. That Insiders barely think about Outsiders, in their day-to-day life. And he has been brought up with the misconception that Outsiders are lazy, and in their predicament because they chose not to work.
It is a shock to the system when he realises that there aren't enough jobs to go around, and people aren't given the basic food, water and healthcare he takes for granted.
I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to the rest of the series.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
In a future where London is divided by a wall, Aleesha is an outsider. The main aim in life is survival, as food, water, and shelter are all in short supply. The Outside is ruled by the gangs, in a constantly-shifting fight for power. Everyone is out for themselves, and only the hard survive.
Aleesha is an illegal citizen (unchipped), and knows that the only person she can trust is herself.
She's one of the smartest people around, and has to rely on her wits to negotiate the gangs, and keep a steady supply of the drug that takes away her misery.
Darwin "Trey" is an Insider. He feels like the runt of his class, as he hasn't been given any genetic modifications, like the others his age. For no obvious reason, Trey finds himself on the run, being chased down the Metz. With a choice of death or enslavement on the farms, Trey escapes to the Outside. Once there, he learns the truth about how different London really is, and how blind he has been.
The story follows them as they come together and are forced to work for the mysterious chain.
They find the truth behind the Great flood and the creation of their dystopian society. They also find the truth of their own history, that has been hidden from them.
I liked this story. Aleesha is tough and resourceful, and a clear asset for the Chain and other dodgy organisations. She's determined not to be a pawn, and uses them for her own agenda. Despite her hard exterior, she is full of passion and emotion, that she won't let herself feel, because it's dangerous to show weakness.
Trey is a much weaker character. He has none of the genetic advancements of other Insiders (for a reason I won't say, because spoilers), so he is slow and weak compared to his peers. He doesn't belong with the Outsiders either, as he's had a soft upbringing, and he screams 'victim'. It's a miracle that he survives, and he has to rely on his allies. This soft boy wasn't an appealing character in the beginning, but he gets much stronger throughout.
The London that Ingleby has created is reminiscent of Hunger Games, with two very different existences pushed up against one another. I found her descriptions of Outside London very evocative, you understood the feeling of constant danger, the hunger and limitations at every turn.
I especially liked Trey's awakening, how it dawns on him how ignorant he was. That Insiders barely think about Outsiders, in their day-to-day life. And he has been brought up with the misconception that Outsiders are lazy, and in their predicament because they chose not to work.
It is a shock to the system when he realises that there aren't enough jobs to go around, and people aren't given the basic food, water and healthcare he takes for granted.
I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to the rest of the series.
clarissagosling's review against another edition
5.0
A scarily realistic view of what the world could become. And being set in London brought it all home.
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