Book Review: Ruins by Dan Wells

Ruins by Dan Wells
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: March 2014
Pages: 464
Source: Library
For: Fun
Series: Partials Sequence, Book 3

Summary from goodreads: *Spoilers are inevitable for the first two books*

Kira, Samm, and Marcus fight to prevent a final war between Partials and humans in the gripping final installment in the Partials Sequence, a series that combines the thrilling action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Blade Runner and The Stand.

There is no avoiding it—the war to decide the fate of both humans and Partials is at hand. Both sides hold in their possession a weapon that could destroy the other, and Kira Walker has precious little time to prevent that from happening. She has one chance to save both species and the world with them, but it will only come at great personal cost.

Things I Liked:
I really enjoyed the end to this series.  I liked how things turned out.  It seemed like Wells had created an absolutely impossible situation and there was no way for it to end well.  But the ending doesn't feel wrong or impossible when it arrives.  The characters each face some very difficult situations and the decisions they make are flawed and you really have to wonder what you would do in the same place.  Would you do any different or make a better choice?  There was one really surprising thing that I did not expect to happen, so when it did I was really wondering what the characters would do next.  But, Wells manages to bring everything to a satisfying and realistic conclusion, I thought.  Great series.

Things I Didn't Like:
I was super confused because I didn't remember much of what happened in the other books (yeah, I never do reread series before the end book).  There were a LOT of characters and they kept popping up and I kept trying to remember who they were and what they had done before.  It made it hard to follow at times, but if those details are fresher in your mind, it will help. 

Read-alikes:
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
The Passage by Justin Cronin
Maybe a bit like Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
maybe a few

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->->
some rather gory details

Overall rating: **** 

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Short Stories I

I've been on kind of a short story kick for a while.  I avoided them for some time, but most of the time I like being able to devour these shorts in such a, well, short time.  Here are the ones I've read recently (and I'm being pretty loose in my use of the word recently, as some of these are from last year...).  Also, is anyone else so stingy that the thought of paying $3.00 or really anything for short stories is painful?  Let's just say, I prefer the free ones.  And those that aren't?  Thank you, library, for having them available.


Double Crossed by Ally Carter
Absolutely loved this.  I adore Ally Carter's series and seeing the two collide was so fun.  This was the perfect kind of story, too.  A short story should pretty much have an arc all its own and this one was wonderful.  It was perfect for devouring in one sitting and feeling satisfied.  Can't wait for more from this author!



Among the Nameless Stars by Diana Peterfreund
I enjoyed this short as well, though I think it left me a bit confused.  I liked seeing where Kai was when he left, but it didn't feel quite like a full story.  There was a lot of new stuff and not a lot of page time to explain it.  Still, I loved the book it went with enough to love this as well.



The New World by Patrick Ness
It has been ages since I finished the Chaos Walking trilogy, but this one has been sitting in my reader and I wanted to give it a try.  I felt like I was able to fall right back into Ness' world without any kind of refresher.  I loved seeing how Violet got there and what it must have been like.  Makes me want to do a reread.



The Spring Before I Met You AND The Summer Before I Met You by Sarah Rees Brennan
I'm lumping these two together, since they are from the same series.  I liked them a lot, mostly because of Brennan's fabulous writing, though I also thought the idea of seeing our two main characters from the POV of an outsider was interesting.  Fun stories, though not necessarily in the content (both were a bit heavy). 


Neverfall by Brodi Ashton
I thought this was rather an essential story to read for the whole trilogy to make sense.  I read it right before the last book and I think it made Cole a lot easier to understand.  His motivations and a bit of his history.  A nice addition to the series.


Life Before Legend by Marie Lu
I think I would have liked this more if I'd read it closer to when I read the second book.  Or maybe even the first.  I have to admit I had forgotten a lot of the story.  Even now, trying to remember the last book in the series, I'm drawing a blank.  I know I liked it, but I seem to have forgotten why...


Roar and Liv AND Brooke by Veronica Rossi
These two were both wonderful looks at some of my favorite side characters (well, Brooke wasn't a favorite, but her story was still interesting).  I loved seeing more of Roar and Liv and what it must have been like for Roar to lose her.  They were both rather painful reads and I think they make sense when both of them are read close together.  We see a lot about Brooke and possibly some motivation for her actions.  Loved them!


UnStrung by Neal Shusterman
This one was definitely important for me to read before I got to the third book.  I think it makes that one seem less like it's out of the blue.  I'm still not sure how I feel about short stories that are kind of required to enjoy the series.  Still, this one was a full story and it was beautiful and heart-breaking.  Definitely vital for more understanding of UnSouled. 



Isolation by Dan Wells
This was an interesting short story about Heron and I found it both intriguing and a little bit hard to follow.  It jumps back and forth in time and I didn't like that sometimes.  But I thought the story definitely made Heron make a LOT more sense in learning more about her history.  Good to read before Ruins.


Mitosis by Brandon Sanderson
First, I felt this was just the right length for a short story.  Most of these have been, though some felt a little too short :)  I loved seeing more of our "heroes" and just what it must have been like in the aftermath of the first book.  I don't know if it's essential for the next one, but I sure liked getting more story in the meantime.

Any favorite short stories you have found?  What's your favorite kind of short story?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Fragments by Dan Wells

Fragments by Dan Wells
Publisher: Balzer+Bray
Publication date: February 2013
Pages: 576
Source: Library
For: Fun
Series: Partials, Book 2

Summary from goodreads: *Spoilers are inevitable for the first book, Partials*

Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence—it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that involves Kira, a plan that could save both races. Her companions are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them?

Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what's left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira's journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of postapocalyptic America, and Kira and Marcus both will discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn't even know existed.

Things I Liked:
This dystopian sci-fi book is exciting and fairly unique and has plenty of unexpected twists and turns.  I felt like there was a lot going on and I should never get bored.  I loved watching, especially near the end, how much Kira had to reevaluate the things she thought were true.  It was interesting to look at the moral and ethical dilemmas that she and many others in this world have faced.  Choices play a huge role and I thought this was the most fascinating part, despite the acid rain and the talking dogs.  Just a really good story.

Things I Didn't Like:
I have to admit, I got a little tired of the sort-of sameness that went on for much of the book.  It seemed like it dragged on and on while they traveled and traveled and traveled some more.  Maybe my attention span has waned recently, because I just wanted it to be shorter.  Still, I found it fascinating and entertaining and exciting with a lot of things going on all at once.  I'm definitely invested enough to get that next book.

Read-alikes:
Start with Partials by Dan Wells
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
The Passage by Justin Cronin

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
not too many, no f-bombs

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->
plenty of fighting, action, and killing - there is a war

Overall rating: ****

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Partials by Dan Wells

Partials by Dan Wells
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication date: February 2012
Pages: 480
Source: Library
For: the Dystopian Challenge
Series: Partials, Book 1

In a world where nearly all humans have been wiped out by the RM virus, and replaced by an engineered race of not-quite-humans, Kira has spent the last few years trying to fight the virus that continues to decimate the last surviving humans. When she makes a desperate bid to try to find the cure, she is led on a dangerous mission that might offer her more than she bargained for.

Things I Liked:
Wow, what a good story!  I think the best part about this dystopian book is the complex story and the very well thought out and developed setting and world.  It seems like Wells thought it through very completely and it is so thorough that I truly felt immersed in the story.  I really appreciated the passages where Kira tried to figure out how the virus works and what might cure it (though I can see how that will deter some readers).  I honestly wasn't entirely sure where the story would go, because it wasn't what I thought it would be from the beginning.  Though, there was something I figured out very early on, I wasn't 100% sure how it would play out.  It's an interesting, fast-paced, and rather terrifying look at the future of our race.  And there was much laughing along the way too:

"I've never been this wet in my life," said Kira.  "Even immersed in a bathtub I swear I was dryer than I am now."
"Look on the bright side," said Marcus.
Kira waited.
"This is the point," she said, "at which you would traditionally suggest a bright side." 
"I've never been a real traditional guy," said Marcus.  "Besides, I'm not saying I know a bright side, I just think this would be a great time to look at one." p 45

"My contribution was to somehow refrain from peeing myself.  You can thank me later." p 344

Things I Didn't Like:
There were parts of the story that I can see people being bored - as I mentioned above the parts where she's figuring out the RM virus and how it works, etc.  The somewhat technical explanations can be confusing or frustrating or just plain boring.  It was quite a long book too, with a lot of stuff going on.  Still, I never got bored or distracted and I really loved how everything developed and played out.  Including that cliff-hangery ending.  Great new series!

Read-alikes:
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
The Passage by Justin Cronin

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
only a few here and there

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->
fighting and rioting and such does happen, but not really gory

Overall rating: *****

How do you like the science in your books?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage