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The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials - engineered organic beings identical to humans - has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out. Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them - connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there. Dan Wells, acclaimed author of I Am Not a Serial Killer, takes readers on a pulsepounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question - one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival.
Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 14 hours and 6 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: HarperAudio
Audible.com Release Date: February 28, 2012
Whispersync for Voice: Ready
Language: English
ASIN: B007EJS52A
Best Sellers Rank: #14 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Social & Family Issues > Prejudice & Racism #64 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure > Mystery & Thriller #134 in Books > Teens > Mysteries & Thrillers > Mystery & Detective
I'm really not into dystopian/post-apocalyptic books (unless they feature zombies...go figure) but I decided to give this one a try when the pickings were slim on the most recent Vine newsletter. At roughly 472 pages, this is a hefty read and the subject matter is rather intense/dark at times so if you're looking for something light and upbeat, look elsewhere. This is an ambitious book and for the most part I really enjoyed it....but it did have its flaws.The Good:- Had it not been for the cover blurb and the cover illustration, I wouldn't have realized this was a YA-targeted book until a good portion of the way into the story. First off, the characters are expected to behave and act like adults in this brave, new world...so most of the teen angst nonsense so prevalent in many YA books is simply not here at all. Also the author presumes the intelligence of his readers...nothing gets "dumbed down" and the science and technology in the book are fairly detailed and sophisticated. The author also doesn't pull any punches when it comes to presenting the reality of a world in which the human race is rapidly heading towards extinction...there are some uncomfortable truths the characters (and readers) will face but I think this adds to the richness of the story.- Kira is a very smart and easy-to-like heroine. In fact, most of the key young adult characters are multifaceted, richly layered, and given a level of complexity not often found in books for teens. Not all the main characters are likeable....but they are presented in such a way that you can at least understand where they're coming from even if you don't like them very much.- When the suspense starts, it's action-packed, full of tension, and pretty awesome. It felt cinematic at times....which made it easier for me to picture the scenes in my mind's eye.- I love how the book starts out with a very tight focus and then expands to include all the details of Kira's world (and beyond) as her understanding of the world she knows and herself begin to change. The world building is detailed and nicely done...especially the attention to detail surrounding the aftermath of the virus and how everything fell apart.Needs Improvement:- Many of the adult characters came off as two-dimensional, especially the ones involved in the political spectrum. One of my pet peeves with regards to YA books is when the majority of adults get portrayed as losers. I don't think it does young adults any favors to reinforce the stereotype that grown-ups are complete idiots and unworthy of respect. I think a story can explore the idea of an empowered teen without having to turn the over-thirties into cartoon characters or buffoons.- At times I found it difficult to keep track of the numerous characters. I also felt the author/editor could have easily trimmed or even cut an entire chapter or scene and the story wouldn't have suffered as a result.- I liked where the story went in the last third of the book.....but I'm not sure I fully understand why it happened, nor did I find some of the revelations believable. It seemed to me the author could have used some additional foreshadowing to at least hint at some of the things we discover, especially in the final two chapters. As it stands, Kira's discoveries about herself and her family seemed totally out of the blue given what we already knew of her and of the Partials.One thing to keep in mind, while this book does feature a relationship between Kira and her boyfriend, Marcus...the whole romance thing takes a big backseat and this is most definitely not a book in which the romance is a main part of the story. The two characters feel like very old friends and clearly have a deep feelings for one another...but there's zero romantic tension. Possible this will be explored further in the next book, especially with regards to Samm...but for now, don't buy this book if you're looking for a strong romance angle.PS for those of you who are fans of the most recent Battlestar Galactica series, the underlying themes--especially with regards to the Partials vs. the humans (think Cylons vs. humans)--are quite similar.
Lately I seem to have run across an awful lot of YA novels with the same basic plot: Humanity is in danger of extinction because of something incredibly stupid done by the adults...and the only hope is for the teens to breed like rabbits at the same time as they figure out how to fix whatever was done.That's pretty much the story here. A group of 'people' (or not) genetically engineered for the sole purpose of fighting wars decide they've had enough, and they release a virus that kills most of the human race. Newborn babies live only days before they die of the virus, so there are no human children under the age of 14. The remaining humans have banded together (on Long Island?) for protection and commence to forcing the kids to make as many babies as they can, in the hopes that eventually some of them will survive.Nobody seems to consider doing some research on the immune human survivors to find the source of their immunity. Well, nobody until 16-year-old Kira thinks of it. ummmm OK.Kira is interested in saving humanity but she's also strongly driven by the desire not to be forced into repeated pregnancies resulting in dead babies. That works, but why the heck is everyone else so stupid? After thousands of babies have been born (and died), it seems fairly clear that the approach taken (by the stupid adults) is not going to work.Eh, OK, it's a YA book. I am 62 so I guess I am not in the target audience. But it just bothers me to see books aimed at teens that are so full of plot holes because this isn't the way to encourage teens to enjoy reading.(edited on Jan 5) Let me please add that I am not in any way criticizing Mr Wells' talent. In fact I have read and really enjoyed his John Cleaver series. This particular book just didn't click for me. Just my opinion, YMMV, all of the standard caveats apply when reading any review.
Partials (Partials Sequence) Partials
