Tag Archives: dystopia

Half Lives

By Sara Grant, published by Indigo (Orion).

Goodreads synopsis: Present day: Icie is a typical high school teenager – until disaster strikes and her parents send her to find shelter inside a mountain near Las Vegas.
The future: Beckett lives on The Mountain – a sacred place devoted to the Great I AM. He must soon become the leader of his people. But Beckett is forced to break one of the sacred laws, and when the Great I AM does not strike him down, Beckett finds himself starting to question his beliefs.
As Beckett investigates The Mountain’s history, Icie’s story is revealed – along with the terrifying truth of what lies at the heart of The Mountain.
Sara Grant’s HALF LIVES is a dystopian chronicle of the journeys of two unlikely heroes in their race against time to save future generations.

My review: Half Lives is, possibly, the most emotional and brilliant book I have read all year! I was really looking forward to reading it, seeing as I’d seriously enjoyed Sara’s Dark Parties. It started off really well- I was immediately absorbed into the life of Icie, and everyday teenager, and was curious to see how Icie’s world was going to change forever and why. Then, the narrative switched to that of Beckett, who worships ‘The Great I AM’ on the same mountain Icie is travelling to take refuge on. I was really confused at how that related to Icie’s tale, but after a few chapters in the different perspectives, both hundreds of years apart, I got the hang of it and it really was quite clever.

Icie’s story was a brilliant mix of dystopia and hope and survival. After this disease (Which I would’ve liked a bit more explanation of) was released and the general chaos in America began, this heart-stopping adventure ensued for Icie, and she picked up three very different people on the way. I liked the constant conflicts between the four unlikely survival group as they tried to start over a new life in a cave with limited food supplies. Just past the middle, things in Icie’s apocalyptic world began to fall apart and spiral out of control as the disease began to claim the mountain. I can’t really say anything more about it, because I’ll end up revealing the plot twists towards the end! What I will say, though, is that it gets heart-breaking and terrifying, with some real knuckle-biting moments, but then the ending for Icie’s tale is actually really sweet and brought a happy tear to my eye.

Icie was such a brilliant protagonist. She went through so much throughout the book and there was a lot of visible development in her character. Her relationship with Chaske was a little predictable- of course she’d win him!- and I really liked her friendships with Marissa and Tate, the other survivors. She adapted to her whole new, changed and broken world like any human would- which is what I loved about her. Her emotions and actions were really realistic and believable. I really felt like she was a real person, and that I was with her during her terrifying tale. I was so happy for her at her happy ending to a sad story!

Beckett’s world was so much different from Icie’s. He lives on the mountain Icie did hundreds of years before him, and is a heavy worshipper of ‘The Great I AM’ who generations before him- you’ve probably guessed who that really is. I actually found a lot of the worships and prayers quite funny, because Beckett and his ‘cheerleaders’ (You’ll get why they’re called that a while into the book) kept referencing to ‘The Great Facebook’ and things like that, from The Old World. The now sacred mountain made a really great setting for his story, and so was the surrounding town of Vega. Well, it’s based on Vegas, but I’m guessing it’s named Vega in the future because the S fell off the sign or something. Sara Grant has created such a horrifying, dystopic vision of the future, and it really was quite scary.

Beckett’s half of the book, told between Icie’s chapters, was differently written. Icie’s stuff was told in first person perspective, but Beckett’s was portrayed from the third person, and focused on the people around him too. That difference was a good thing, though, because I got to see was the other members of his religious tribe thought about him. I really liked the protagonist Beckett because he was so passionate and willing to do and sacrifice anything for his religion. Her was a very strong character. The plot for his story was so different to Icie’s plot, but it was still really brilliant and teaches lessons about love, hope, and betrayal. His ending, too, was really great. I loved the discovery he made and how that affected his whole personality and beliefs. His last chapter was the last one in the book, and it finished off the story ever so brilliantly.

Overall, Half Lives is possibly the best book I have read this year. Honestly. It was so riveting and I really couldn’t stop reading. The backdrop was scary and dystopic, with a unique and original twist. The characters of Icie and Beckett were totally unforgettable, and I’m still thinking about them now- a day after I put the book down. I can’t recommend this enough to YA’s, fans of dystopia, and fans of stories with unique formats. It’s just so great, go get a copy now!

My Goodreads rating: 5/5!

I received Half Lives from the publisher, in exchange for a review.

Pandemonium

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By Lauren Oliver, published by Hodder.

Pandemonium (Delirium, #2)

Goodreads synopsis: I’m pushing aside
the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana
and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

My review: **Contains spoilers for the ending of Delirium! I tried to review this without mentioning what happens, but there was really no way I could write this without mentioning it**

After the incredibly sad, and shocking ending of Delirium, I had absolutely no idea how Lauren Oliver would be able two make two more books out of the story. However, she’s built really well on the mentioned rebels, the runaways who live on the outside, uncured from the Deliria, and their world. It was imaginative, and a really believable dystopic landscape in which they were living.

I really loved reading about Lena, the protagonist, as she delved into this new world beyond-the-fence. The plot was quite strong with some clever twists that kept me reading. I got to see much more of what was happening in other parts of America; that people were actually campaigning to have the Deliria cure put into action on people under eighteen- the age in which you are wiped from extreme emotions like love. Also, I really loved the setting of New York, and how Lauren Oliver has used so many places in it, even the underground, to turn NYC into a kind of sinister place.

I really liked all of the new characters; the tightly knit group of outsiders which is run by Raven. They all had some really great relationships with each other and each one had brilliantly-developed backgrounds which were well explained. The only character I didn’t really like was the new love interest, Julian. He was portrayed as quite a nice guy behind all of the things his father had said, but I suppose I didn’t really like him because Lena seemed to move straight on from Alex, seemingly hardly grieving for him at all, and fell in love with Julian. That’s the only thing I didn’t really like about Lena. She didn’t seem sad about Alex’s supposed death for most of the book! However, I enjoyed reading the second part of Lena’s adventure. She went through a lot of grim things and, I think, gained much more confidence through it. She fought back when trapped by the Scavengers and became more kick-butt, which was really great. I really loved how she never gave up, and saved Julian multiple times although he was campaigning for the Deliria cure to be issued to youngers.

Overall, Pandemonium was a really great sequel to Delirium. It was packed with heart-stopping drama and lots of action. Lena’s character developed a lot in the book, gaining much more confidence and fought back rather violently for the first time to get her way. I didn’t really like her relationship with Julian, and when they were just about to have a happy ending, the biggest plot twist happened literally a paragraph from the ending! I won’t say what happened, but it made me gasp, and then squeal, and then do a little victory dance which earned me some really strange looks from my brother. It’s really brilliant, and was very unexpected. Can’t wait to see what develops from that in Requiem!

My Goodreads rating: 4/5!

I bought Pandemonium from a local bookstore.My review of the book before Pandemonium, can be found HERE.

ACID

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By Emma Pass, published by Random House.

Acid

Goodreads synopsis: 2113. In Jenna Strong’s world, ACID – the most brutal, controlling police force in history – rule supreme. No throwaway comment or muttered dissent goes unnoticed – or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a bloody crime she struggles to remember.
The only female inmate in a violent high-security prison, Jenna has learned to survive by any means necessary. And when a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID – and to uncover the truth about what really happened on that dark night two years ago…

My review: ACID was one of the most thrilling books I’ve read this year! It had a really strong beginning that hooked me right in, and I honestly couldn’t stop reading. The plot was epic and a real adrenaline rush- there was no point where the action and drama faded! I loved reading every second of it. The whole story was totally unpredictable and the events unexpected. I thought this book would just cover a run for survival for Jenna Strong, but actually, it included first love, fights for freedom, hidden truths… even a terrorist gang set on blowing ACID to smithereens. There were some really great plot twists too that left me shocked and on the edge of my seat- especially the one that took place just after the halfway point of the story- not saying what happened, because I’ll spoil it!

Jenna Strong has got to be one of the best protagonists I have ever read about. She was strong, and independent, whereas in many books I’ve read the main character has been leaning on one person, and she could fight her own battles. Quite literally, with super-fast karate chops and guns and everything. She was a totally kick-butt heroine, and I loved her narration too. Her situation was understandable and well-explained through her narrative. In all, I loved her character so much. The story also had themes of identity, and self-discovery in it. I really enjoyed seeing Jenna develop as she has to pretend to be different people while on the run and finding out some shocking truths about her past.

Overall, ACID was one of my favourite reads of the year. It was fast-paced, dramatic and full of adventure. I enjoyed it so much and really didn’t want to finish it, because I so wanted to carry on reading about Jenna! And, I really loved how the story stayed in one narrative but also contained news reports from ACID and letters-from-a-secret-someone-who-I-won’t-reveal! It gave a really great 360 degrees perspective on how Jenna Strong’s breakout from prison had affected different characters. Strongly recommended to dystopia fans; this book had such a frighteningly real vision of the future that both terrified and interested me. Go pick up a copy of ACID now, this is a must-read!

I received ACID from the publisher, in exchange for a review.

Monument 14

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By Emmy Laybourne, published by Hatchette Children’s Books.

Monument 14 (Monument 14 #1)

In the town of Monument, Colorado the day begins as normal- Dean gets on his school-bus and the journey to school begins… Then suddenly, disaster strikes in the form of a freak hailstorm which sends down hail the size of footballs.

Soon, Dean finds himself trapped inside of a superstore with 13 others, including his brother, as the world outside turns to ruin with more hailstorms, giant tsunamis and toxic air that could turn you into a crazy, mindless monster. Dean is with thirteen other children, mostly scared kindergartners. Can he help take care of them as the world around them crumbles?

From the cover, this looked pretty amazing. From the synopsis, this looked pretty amazing. From the first page, it wasn’t that amazing. I didn’t really like the writing at the beginning- it didn’t really pull me in at all- but I kept on reading because I was sure the pace would pick up some more. It did, thankfully. I liked the plot idea so much- fourteen kids trapped inside a store and they can only watch on an old TV the emergency broadcasts of the tsunami’s wrecking the coasts. It was absolutely terrifying, and scarily realistic because all of these problems were natural disasters. I would’ve liked the author to highlight reasons why the air had become toxic, because that wasn’t really explained at all and I think and evil lab’s spill or something would’ve livened the story up more. I really did like the plot overall, as all of it left the outside world to your imagination because it was all set in the Greenway superstore, but it did get a bit frustrating at parts where the boys seemed to be more interested in dating Sahalia than worrying about how they were going to live. Why would anyone do that?

Where the plot was slightly lacking in terms of action, the characters definitely made up for it. All fourteen major characters were three-dimensional and realistic, especially the kindergartners. It just broke my heart as so many little innocent children were thrown into a world full of chaos and a struggle for survival. I really felt a lot of empathy for them- the author has definitely written this so you feel totally heart-broken for them. My only problem with all of the characters was Dean, the protagonist. He kind o annoyed me, because he really just sat on the sidelines and cooked the dinners for the kids. I would have liked him to get in on the action a bit more; maybe turn crazy due outside air and riot or something to add a plot twist.

Overall, Monument 14 was an okay read. I think the plot could have been filled with much more action in the middle- there was definitely some shocking parts towards the ending, though, so I liked that. I also think the main character could have been slightly more exciting and revealing about his past. Apart from those issues, Monument 14 made for a pretty emotional and gritty read, for teenagers. If you like apocalypse books particularly you’ll probably enjoy this, and the sequel Sky on Fire out soon. I will probably read the sequel though, as the snippet of it at the ending of this book made it sound a lot more action packed than Monument 14!

Delirium

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By Lauren Oliver, published by Hodder.

Delirium

Seventeen year old Lena lives in a dark vision of the future where love has been diagnosed as a deadly disease. Once you turn eighteen in this love-less version of America, you must under go The Procedure, which removes the part of the brain the ‘loves’- so that you can live a life without affection. Lena has always played by the rules, and never put her foot out of line in her strict society, but then she meets Alex. Alex has many dark secrets, and is strikingly beautiful. What will Lena do- run away into the wilds with him, or stay and have her mind swiped of love, which will wipe Alex from her memory?

I loved Delirium so much! It had a very original idea and was written beautifully. I thought that the world that Lauren Oliver has created was absolutely brilliant: a kind-of Big Brother Society (which is becoming pretty common and popular in teen fiction), but was still so much different from anything I have ever read before. The governments actions on events in the book totally shocked me- it was ruthless! Also, there was a ‘Matching’ procedure- very much like in the book Matched– which shook up the ending, a little, and I liked its effect on the characters and the plot. The whole idea of removing the love from a human being was really shocking and made me want to read on to find out why the government decided on doing it. It also interested me, scientifically. I would’ve liked to see a bit more scientific details as to how exactly the procedure worked, as it was pretty vague.

I loved the character Lena, the protagonist, so much. She developed a lot throughout the course of the book- from becoming the rule-abiding, good girl to to the rule-breaking, rebellious one. The gradual changes in her emotions and feelings towards her society were shown really well through the author’s writing. I really liked her relationship with her best friend Hana: this story was not only about breaking out of a strict, love-less society, but it was also about testing friendships, too. The decision the Hana made at the end broke my heart. I also really liked Alex, the love interest, right from his introduction to the story- when Lena found him during a (rather hilarious) protest against the procedure. He was a love-able character throughout, probably mostly because of the things her did for Lena and his life-long rebelliousness towards the American government. I loved how he stuck with Lena through thick and thin… especially at the ending (Oh, gosh, the ending! It was on such a cliffhanger. Now I need to hurry up and read the sequel!!).

My only problem with the story, in total, was the romance. As much as I liked the character’s secret, forbidden and undying love for each-other, I think that there could’ve been some more great plot twists if one was to accidentally betray the other, or something along those lines.

Overall, Delirium was a really fun read. I loved everything about it- from the genius and unique idea, to the well structured plot and the unforgettable characters- who were really realistic. Definitely recommended for YA’s- and I can’t wait to start the sequel- Pandemonium!

Fragments

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By Dan Wells, published by Harper Collins.

Fragments (Partials, #2)

Kira found the cure for RM- the disease that kills human babies after three days of life. But without a Partial to extract the cure from, the doctors at the East Meadow hospital are unable to replicate the cure, so babies are still dying. On top of that, Kira has become friends with the Partial Samm who has only a year left before he ‘expires’ and dies. Kira’s stepmother Nandita left and never came back at the end of Partials, leaving behind a photo with a note on it: Find the Trust. Determined to find out who she really is, who ‘the Trust’ are, and to find out how to replicate the RM cure and stop the expiration dates on the Partials, Kira begins a terrifying journey through the toxic, abandoned wastelands of America to seek answers.

After seriously enjoying the first in this sequence, Partials, (Review HERE) I couldn’t wait for this sequel! Right from the beginning I was totally hooked in. There was a time gap between the ending of Partials and the start of Fragments, but that made it even more interesting and made me want to read on, because I wanted to discover what had happened.

The plot was really great and I enjoyed every single second of it. Although about three quarters of this book (which is a lot- this is over 550 pages!) was just Kira, Samm, Heron and Afa (a new character) travelling through the deserted wasteland that used to be the U.S.A., the author managed to avoid repetition and the reader reaching boredom by cleverly throwing in some unexpected action and natural disasters. He also broke up their journey by adding in chapters with Marcus (Kira’s boyfriend back in her hometown) as he went through his own times of danger with the invasions of Partials and a raging war re-starting. I really enjoyed the switching of scenes! In Fragments, the settings were even more vivid, and even more terrifying. I really loved them- the backdrop for the Partials sequence is the most brilliant vision of the future I have ever read!

I also found it ingenious that, at the end of Partials, there was about fifty pages of emails and letters to and from members of ParaGen: the people who created the Partials, the artificial humans. I read them yet didn’t quite know how they connected to the story, but it was really clever how they actually belonged to a character who made his appearance in this book. Reading back on those letters in the first book, it really made some connections clearer in Fragments.

I absolutely adored Kira’s dedication and determination to unite the Partials and the Humans and save both of the doomed races. She is a really unique protagonist, who was ready to forgive the Partials for their rebellion and try to save them- she was the first ever person on the new Earth to volunteer for that. Even when, towards the end, when she had the key to the cure for RM in her hands, she didn’t take it just because it was unfair to the Partial race because it would mean putting them all in a comatose state and experimenting on them. She had real guts and courage, not only for that, but also for crossing the whole American continent when it was full of constant acid rainstorms, and flooding, and so many more terrors. I also liked her shaky friendship between Heron and Kira, because although negative, it changed the course of the plot at points and made for some riveting plot twists at the end of the book. I came to really love the character of Samm- I hadn’t liked him much in Partials, but he really developed a personality in this one. He also did such an unpredictable thing at the ending which will probably cause many problems in the third book… he kissed Kira, knowing she had a human boyfriend back at East Meadow. That annoyed me only because Kira kissed him back- where’s her loyalty for Marcus gone, when he was doing so much to save her and not give her location away to the Partials who want to kill her?

Overall, I really loved this sequel. It was full of thrilling plot twists, and the many deaths brought tears to my eyes- Dan Wells has packed so much emotion into this powerful book. I thought it would be a dragged out story when I saw it had about 560 pages, but it was absolutely brilliant and I devoured it in about a day and a half. Recommended, but be sure to read Partials first!

The Death Cure

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By James Dashner, published by Chicken House.

The Death Cure (Maze Runner, #3)

The Trials for Thomas, and groups A and B. It should all be over now- no more lies, just a cure for the flare, and the chance for all of the gladers to get their memories back from before the trials. But Thomas can remember more than they think, and he knows they can’t be trusted. He teams up with Minho, Newt, Brenda and Jorge, and breaks out of the WICKED laboratories. They begin an epic, action-packed adventure in the flare-infected America, where they discover the extent of the disease and that some people are keen to get their hands on them because they’re Immunes. Can they work together along with Teresa and everybody else in the Right Arm, a rebellious group, to take down WICKED for good?

After seeing a lot of bad reviews on Goodreads I was sure I wasn’t going to like this finale to the trilogy, However, it was absolutely brilliant! It had a totally different plot and setting than the two Maze Runner books before it, and was equally imaginative… and terrifying too. The Flare-infected towns, the new city of Denver and the WICKED compound were all well described and believable locations. All of the events in The Death Cure were exhilarating and edge-of-your-seat stuff. I loved the whole new perspective on WICKED, as there were good points as well as bad points about them in this book. It really made me re-think my opinion on them, because really they were god- but just went about the whole saving-the-human-race-thing in the wrong way.

Thomas was just as bold and determined as he was in the previous books. I still loved reading about him. He had a heck of a lot to deal with in this book, and I was rooting for him the whole way through. Also, Newt became a lot bolder. After he discovered he was infected with the Flare, and wasn’t immune, a lot of the story became centered around the difficulties he was facing about leaving his friends. I really felt for him. As well as him taking a bigger role, I think Brenda became a very major character in this final installment. But, as much as I liked to see her betray WICKED to save Thomas and the gladers, I didn’t like her for becoming a major character. It seemed like as she became a bigger part of the story, Teresa (my favourite character after Thomas) was shrinking into the background. She didn’t get much of a part at all, except for at the end… which I won’t spoil but will say I was very sad at!

Overall, The Death Cure was a very action packed and well-structured end to an amazing and unforgettable series which I will probably re-read sometime. I loved the outcome, but was saddened very much by the deaths of two great characters. The ending left me wondering what would happen next, in the unwritten chapters of Thomas’s and the remaining survivors’s lives as they rebuild the broken world around them. I’ll definitely read more from James Dashner, and hope he writes some more about this awesome fictional world. Maybe he could write a book about Thomas’s son, or something, I don’t know… I just want more!

Partials

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By Dan Wells, published by Harper Collins.

Partials (Partials, #1)

Kira Walker lives in the world of the 2060’s: where there are only 36,000 people left on the planet. The artificial humans, the Partials, were meant to just win the Isolation war… but they got out of the US’s control and wiped out 99.96% of the planet’s population with the RM virus. Now, the remnants of the human race are all residing on one island, but the youngest citizen is fourteen. Babies only last three days before dying, as they are not born immune, but in a desperate plan to revive the human race women are forced to have one baby a year, in the hope that one might be born with instant immunity to the RM virus, Admist all of the attacks by the terrorists who go by the name of ‘The Voice’, Kira is a sixteen year old medic who is getting more heartbroken by the day watching babies die in the maternity ward. When her best friend falls pregnant, she knows she must save Madison’s baby, along with the rest- she can’t stand any more deaths. An epic adventure follows, for Kira and her friends… but can she really find a cure for the virus, when the enemy is holding the secret to it?

I noticed that the sequel to Partials would be out soon, and realized that I still haven’t gotten round to reading this, Partials, I picked it up straightaway. I wasn’t all too sure what I was in for, but I was drawn in right from the first page. The death of a non-immune baby on the first page really shocked me, and created instant questions in my head- Why did he die? What happened? I was totally engrossed throughout, too! The plot was cleverly written with some great and unpredictable twists- especially the Partials involvement in the RM virus. Also, I loved the medical detail and accuracy in this book- I’d normally get lightheaded at a slight mention of blood, but the author has made Kira’s medical-breakthrough scenes really, really interesting. In fact, the medical elements made this story scarily realistic!

Kira was a very bold and confident protagonist. I absolutely loved her personality and her determination right from the start, and understood all of the choices she made, especially the one about her relationship with Marcus at the end (Although I was almost crying at that point. Gosh, it was so heart-breaking!). She was well-developed, with realistic and believable emotions. I also loved the characters of her friends- Haru and the others who went all the way to Manhattan to get a Partial with her, as well as Madison, whose pregnancy was the thing that made Kira decide she would be the one to cure RM. Also, the character of Isolde was pregnant at the end, but she seemed to get forgotten about. I want to know if her baby was immunized or not, so I hope that’s shown in the sequel.

Partials was, in all, a brilliant read. I loved all of the characters, and even had a soft spot for the Partial they captured- Samm. The plot was scary and with some great dystopian elements… Dan Wells has created one of the most terrifying apocalyptic visions of the world I have ever seen, and I can’t wait to read more, in the sequel (Fragments), and the e-Book novella!

Maggot Moon

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By Sally Gardner, published by Hot Key Books.

Maggot Moon

“What if the football hadn’t gone over the wall? What if Hector hadn’t gone looking for it? What if he hadn’t kept the dark secret to himself? What if…?

Then I suppose I would be telling myself another story. You see, the ‘What if’s’ are as boundless as the stars…”

Standish Treadwell is a dyslexic boy living in the Motherland, in the 1950’s. He’s the outcast at school; by teachers and students, and then HEctor moves in next door, who believes in Standish’s imaginary world, and loves him for who he is. One day, the two are kicking a football around, and when it goes over the wall, neither of them realises how much that is about to change their lives. They discover an astronaut- one who is meant to be in a rocket, flying to the moon, but actually, he’s run away. A dark secret is being kept by the Motherland… Their moon mission is a hoax.

When Hector and his parents are kidnapped and taken away because they know too much, Standish is determined to get them back, and show the world that the Motherland are lying, and putting scientists like Hector’s dad into slavery to win the race to the moon. Can Standish do both, and what will it cost?

After seeing this shortlisted for this year’s Carnegie Medal, I wanted to read it again, and relive the brilliant, and special story. I think I enjoyed it much more the second time around! Sally Gardner has executed this story perfectly, and I could see through Standish’s eyes so well. She has created such a wonderful, witty, and brave protagonist who has a very unique voice that is really thought-provoking. His narration was excellent, and, above all- so believable. He was such a well developed character and I was rooting for him throughout the book; when he was getting beaten up, when he snuck himself into the Palace to get Hector back- I have never wanted a character to win so much before! His rich imagination gave him such a determination throughout the book, and when he finally made it to the ‘Land of the Croca-Colas’ at the end, it brought a tear of happiness to my eye, despite the ending being heart-wrenchingly sad.

The plot was very thought-provoking. The whole tie-in with the moon landing being a hoax really drew me in: I’m really interested in that subject, so I became totally engrossed in this book! It had a really dystopian essence to it too, and I loved that so much. As for the setting- it was great. The Motherland is a figment of the author’s imagination, but it was scarily realistic. It mainly felt like America, with the whole moon-landing idea, but a lot of the names sounded kind of Russian, and it had that eerie strictness of Germany under the Nazi rule. The setting was shown really well through the writing.

So overall, this book was totally amazing. The writing style was very fun to read, with slight mix-ups of words by Standish, but I think that made it all the more believable and three-dimensional. With an extremely clever plot, shocking and scary scenes, and so much more packed into it, I’m sure Maggot Moon will win the Carnegie Medal!

The Day of the Triffids

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By John Wyndham, published by Penguin.

The Day of the Triffids

Bill Masen wakes up in a hospital, and finds every inhabitant of the building blinded. Their eyesights were totally destroyed by a freak cosmic event, and Bill missed it because his eyes were plastered over with bandages. Upon emerging into the streets of London, Bill discovers that most people cannot see, and are fumbling aimlessly around the streets, and that he is one of the few lucky people not to have witnessed the blinding metoers. He teams up with the beautiful Josella, and so a journey begins- because evil plants called Triffids have gained the ability to move and kill humans with a poisonous sting. With most of the population blind and unable to see the Triffids sneaking up on them, the whole world has the chance of being wiped out. Can Josella and Bill build a safe sanctuary, and maybe put a stop to the Triffids?

The Day of the Triffids was quite enjoyable for a short book! I think it was really imaginative- you can’t get more imaginative than giant, blinding comets and walking plants in the same novel!- but it still seemed scarily realistic. Right from the start I was totally hooked on this- The Day of the Triffids was absolutely terrifying! The plot was well structured and I enjoyed every second of it- there were lots of twists, and despite the setting being so chaotic, it still made sense.

Bill Masen was a physically strong protagonist, and his adventure in this novel was really fun to read. However, at the end of the book, I still had alot of unanswered questions about him- like why he had been in the hospital where doctors were working on mending his eyesight. Also, I think he could’ve been more three dimensional, personality-wise: I think I definitely liked the character of Josella more than him, because she had such a vivid and well explained background. Also, the antagonists totally terrified me, despite their plant form!

Overall, The Day of the Triffids was an enjoyable read. I loved the plot, and the author has alot of imagination, but I think he could’ve gone into much more depth in the main protagonist’s personality and childhood, etc. I’d recommend it to Sci-Fi and Fantasy fans, though!