Review: Partials by Dan Wells

Book: Partials by Dan Wells
Genre: YA Science Fiction Dystopian
Rating: ****
For: Review (Support Local Authors)
From: the library staff's shared ARC copy (Release date Feb. 28, 2012)

I was so excited to have a turn with this ARC that was being passed around the library staff! I love the serial killer (aka. John Wayne Cleaver) series and just knew I would love this one too, even though I knew it would be totally different.

And totally different it is. This one takes place in a very bleak dystopian world. There are only a few thousand humans left, all living on Long Island. What's worse is that there's a disease which kills babies as soon as they are born. The human race is quickly dying. It is Kira's mission to find the cure. She is convinced that the clue to a cure lies in the Partials, who are human-like NOT humans.... hmmm... you know... I'm still not exactly sure WHAT they are! But they just might have the answer to how to save these babies, and Kira is going to find it!

So off she goes to Manhattan, which by the way, looks like something from one of those awful post-apocalyptic movies. And it's only been eleven years. Whenever I read these types of books, I wonder how long would it really take for nature to take over an uninhabited city. It creeps me out that it wouldn't be very long at all. But the Partials live there now, or near there, and that's where she goes to test out her theory.

Then, an adventure ensues! And of course there are Partials involved, one in particular. There's violence and intense action. There's situations that are very dark and in fact, parts of it reminded me a little of A Handmaid's Tale actually. Is that weird? It's a little weird, but the girls are treated as baby making machines, which is a disturbing thing to say the least.

There's also lots and lots of science discussion. This is the part that lost me sometimes, all the description of viruses and stuff. Cool, but complicated. Also, I wanted more romance, you know... more please more! But for those of you  who like just a touch of romance, it will be perfect for you! But those are my only complaints.

Well, besides the cliff hanger. Yes, yet another one! Though I was worried it was going to be a whole lot worse, so I'm quite thankful that the immediate story at hand was wrapped up at least, but there's so much left to do and see and solve and learn.

Bottom line: I liked it a lot!

Other Reviews:

This Blonde Reads
Imaginary Reads
IB Book Blogging
One Book at a Time

And once again, the really cool book trailer, which doesn't really tell you much about the book, but you will learn better what a Partial actually is!