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A review by katykelly
The Fearless by Emma Pass
4.0
Emma Pass's debut was great - from the strong cover, to a strong (in name and character) female protagonist, to a strong dystopian setting and story.
Her second book is another stand-alone story, not in a future dystopia but set, like 28 Days Later and The Walking Dead, today. I mention those TV shows because it has similarities - not zombies, but a worldwide catastrophe starts when a chemical formula designed to help soldiers suffering PTSD symptoms is instead used to create an all-encompassing army of Fearless - people who feel no fear, no remorse, no empathy. The same fallout ensues as if they were zombies.
Cass is 10 when the Fearless swarm. Her family are caught up and changed forever, her brother being born as they desperately make their way to a sanctuary. The story then picks up 7 years later, with Cass and her brother Jori living on a isolated island community, where one day a Fearless infiltrates and Jori is kidnapped.
I have nothing but praise to offer on the writing style. It's fast moving, engaging and will definitely spark the interest of teenage readers. There's a love triangle between Cass and two young men that moves at a good pace - Sol has been in love with Cass since they were children, Myo is the mysterious stranger who promises to help her find her stolen brother (though Sol for me isn't as strongly written as Myo).
I think fans of Emma won't be disappointed with her second. And those new to her will enjoy this, if the subject is something that they like: apocalyptic YA fiction.
For me, Jori is underused, it would have been nice to hear from him more, he's more a plot device to get Cass off the island than a fully-fledged character. And Sol acts in ways I didn't find believable, especially towards the end, he is meant to be intensely in love with Cass and also rather violent but this aspect doesn't play out much in scenes, in his interaction with other people, until one final act.
I did enjoy this, but must say I prefer ACID - I love the world it created, one I could picture quite vividly and found original. Cass isn't as strong a heroine as Jenna was, but is still one you're prepared to follow. Even to Meadowhall Shopping Centre, which, as a local, I loved seeing make an appearance (being a fellow Derbyshire library assistant, as is the author). A great setting for an apocalypse, just as George A. Romero discovered.
It's one to recommend to teenage readers who like dystopia/apocalypse stories.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy.
Her second book is another stand-alone story, not in a future dystopia but set, like 28 Days Later and The Walking Dead, today. I mention those TV shows because it has similarities - not zombies, but a worldwide catastrophe starts when a chemical formula designed to help soldiers suffering PTSD symptoms is instead used to create an all-encompassing army of Fearless - people who feel no fear, no remorse, no empathy. The same fallout ensues as if they were zombies.
Cass is 10 when the Fearless swarm. Her family are caught up and changed forever, her brother being born as they desperately make their way to a sanctuary. The story then picks up 7 years later, with Cass and her brother Jori living on a isolated island community, where one day a Fearless infiltrates and Jori is kidnapped.
I have nothing but praise to offer on the writing style. It's fast moving, engaging and will definitely spark the interest of teenage readers. There's a love triangle between Cass and two young men that moves at a good pace - Sol has been in love with Cass since they were children, Myo is the mysterious stranger who promises to help her find her stolen brother (though Sol for me isn't as strongly written as Myo).
I think fans of Emma won't be disappointed with her second. And those new to her will enjoy this, if the subject is something that they like: apocalyptic YA fiction.
For me, Jori is underused, it would have been nice to hear from him more, he's more a plot device to get Cass off the island than a fully-fledged character. And Sol acts in ways I didn't find believable, especially towards the end, he is meant to be intensely in love with Cass and also rather violent but this aspect doesn't play out much in scenes, in his interaction with other people, until one final act.
I did enjoy this, but must say I prefer ACID - I love the world it created, one I could picture quite vividly and found original. Cass isn't as strong a heroine as Jenna was, but is still one you're prepared to follow. Even to Meadowhall Shopping Centre, which, as a local, I loved seeing make an appearance (being a fellow Derbyshire library assistant, as is the author). A great setting for an apocalypse, just as George A. Romero discovered.
It's one to recommend to teenage readers who like dystopia/apocalypse stories.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy.