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2.83 AVERAGE
2.83 AVERAGE
This book was really good! It's very different from any other book that I have read.
The only downfall of the book was that I couldn't get past the fact that all of the kids in this book were/are below the age of 18. It was almost disturbing how grown up the kids act and are expected to act. Also by the age of 16 your counted for as an old maid. I laughed at that.
But the kids were having sex and babies and I found that, the most disturbing
The only downfall of the book was that I couldn't get past the fact that all of the kids in this book were/are below the age of 18. It was almost disturbing how grown up the kids act and are expected to act. Also by the age of 16 your counted for as an old maid. I laughed at that.
But the kids were having sex and babies and I found that, the most disturbing
At a Glance:
Wasteland was kind-of like a combination of Gone by Michael Grant and Blood Red Road by Moira Young, with all of the action, and none of the magic. This book was strange (and not in a good way), awkward and disjointed. I didn't connect with the writing or the characters, the world-building was practically non-existent, and though I tried really hard, I didn't end up finishing it. (80%)
Audiobook:
The only reason that I got as far as I did in this book was that I was listening to it on audio. Laura Knight Keating did a pretty good job of reading this story, though in the end, it just wasn't enough to keep me interested. If you think you'd like to give Wasteland a try, the audio would be a good pick!
Cover:
I like the cover well enough. It caught my eye and is what initially grabbed my attention.
Action:
There's a lot of action in this book. Sometimes it gets pretty gruesome, with kids killing and torturing other kids. I didn't really understand why the kids hated each other so much, or why they hated the HERMAPHRODITES (yeah, you read that right), but they did, and they showed it. Also, doesn't really fall under action, but there was one really sick birthing scene.....GROSS!
Romance:
This was one of the worst romances I've ever read. This was basically their progress:
Day 1: Meet and become instantly drawn to each other.
Day 2: Say a couple of words to each other.
Day 3: Make out
Day 4: Get partnered (married), have sex, say it's FOREVER!
....that's as far as I got.
Heroine:
Esther was whiny, selfish and lazy. While everyone else worked hard for their survival, she ran around with her friend. Until Caleb came to town, then suddenly she was the hero....only she wasn't very good at that either.
Hero:
Caleb was decent. He was mysterious and fought for what he believed in, and didn't conform. Plus he'd do anything to get his baby back. (Yeah...he has a baby from his previous marriage....) I liked him, though I couldn't understand why he would be interested in Esther.
Favorite Supporting Character:
I think I'd have to go with Levi. He was the only one in the entire book that had a brain, even though it was a sick, evil, twisted brain.
Something I loved:
Uh.....
Something(s) I hated:
No backstory
Where did the plague come from?
What happened to the planet?
Why did everyone hate each other?
Why 19? What made them die at that age?
Why were there hermaphrodites?
Why did everyone hate them?
Why were the hermaphrodites practically exactly the same (behavior-wise) as the humans? They even got "partnered" like the humans. There was no distinction besides looks (and body parts).
....and so much more!
Cliffhanger?
I didn't make it to the end. I hear it's a series but that this book wraps up.
Would I recommend it?
Take a guess.
Will I buy/keep it?
No, I have it on eAudio, and it will not be taking up space on my iPhone.
Book Doppelgangers:
I feel like I'm doing a disservice to these books but.....
Gone by Michael Grant, Blood Red Road by Moira Young
-Andye
ReadingTeen.net
Wasteland was kind-of like a combination of Gone by Michael Grant and Blood Red Road by Moira Young, with all of the action, and none of the magic. This book was strange (and not in a good way), awkward and disjointed. I didn't connect with the writing or the characters, the world-building was practically non-existent, and though I tried really hard, I didn't end up finishing it. (80%)
Audiobook:
The only reason that I got as far as I did in this book was that I was listening to it on audio. Laura Knight Keating did a pretty good job of reading this story, though in the end, it just wasn't enough to keep me interested. If you think you'd like to give Wasteland a try, the audio would be a good pick!
Cover:
I like the cover well enough. It caught my eye and is what initially grabbed my attention.
Action:
There's a lot of action in this book. Sometimes it gets pretty gruesome, with kids killing and torturing other kids. I didn't really understand why the kids hated each other so much, or why they hated the HERMAPHRODITES (yeah, you read that right), but they did, and they showed it. Also, doesn't really fall under action, but there was one really sick birthing scene.....GROSS!
Romance:
This was one of the worst romances I've ever read. This was basically their progress:
Day 1: Meet and become instantly drawn to each other.
Day 2: Say a couple of words to each other.
Day 3: Make out
Day 4: Get partnered (married), have sex, say it's FOREVER!
....that's as far as I got.
Heroine:
Esther was whiny, selfish and lazy. While everyone else worked hard for their survival, she ran around with her friend. Until Caleb came to town, then suddenly she was the hero....only she wasn't very good at that either.
Hero:
Caleb was decent. He was mysterious and fought for what he believed in, and didn't conform. Plus he'd do anything to get his baby back. (Yeah...he has a baby from his previous marriage....) I liked him, though I couldn't understand why he would be interested in Esther.
Favorite Supporting Character:
I think I'd have to go with Levi. He was the only one in the entire book that had a brain, even though it was a sick, evil, twisted brain.
Something I loved:
Uh.....
Something(s) I hated:
No backstory
Where did the plague come from?
What happened to the planet?
Why did everyone hate each other?
Why 19? What made them die at that age?
Why were there hermaphrodites?
Why did everyone hate them?
Why were the hermaphrodites practically exactly the same (behavior-wise) as the humans? They even got "partnered" like the humans. There was no distinction besides looks (and body parts).
....and so much more!
Cliffhanger?
I didn't make it to the end. I hear it's a series but that this book wraps up.
Would I recommend it?
Take a guess.
Will I buy/keep it?
No, I have it on eAudio, and it will not be taking up space on my iPhone.
Book Doppelgangers:
I feel like I'm doing a disservice to these books but.....
Gone by Michael Grant, Blood Red Road by Moira Young
-Andye
ReadingTeen.net
I literally put this book down after reading it and said hmmm. I just wasn't quite sure what I thought of the whole thing. There were times in this dystopian novel where I was really into and I wanted to know what was going on and there were other times where I found myself thinking that I didn't really care about certain things. I hate that! I was pretty excited for this novel as I love reading about dystopian societies. The book was marketed as a book where everyone dies at the age of 19 and they have children at 17. While this is mentioned throughout the novel I found that the novel really focuses on the division between the citizens of Prin and the genetically altered people who are referred to as variants and mutants. The division between the two groups is based in fear but the main character, Esther doesn't understand why her people are afraid of the variants. Her best friend is a variant and she honestly sees no reason to treat these people differently.
Everyone is really trying to live off of what little they have and in the end sometimes they do some less than savory things to get ahead. Without giving too much away, the political system in Prin has become corrupted by the leader Levi. Levi is a master manipulator with all the inhabitants of Prin and even by the end of the novel I wasn't exactly sure what his end goal was.
One thing that really bugged me about this novel is that some of the elements of the book that are highlighted in the summary seemed to just be blips in the story. One example of this is the fact that the variants are hermaphroditic. This was mentioned once in the book and then not really mentioned much after this. I was confused as to why this was a necessary plot point. The book could have been done without this and I think that this was put in the summary because it's a bit sensationalized and they think it will draw in readers.
Anyhow, overall the story line was just okay for me but I did really like Esther as a character. She was stubborn and didn't like to take any advice from anyone. She stood by what she believed in even if it wasn't the popular opinion. I think I admire that because I oftentimes worry too much about what others think of me so I find it noble to do what you want without worrying about others. Anyhow, this review is a little all over the place but overall it was just okay for me. I think the summary sells the book as something a little different than what you actually get. That's not to say that the novel is bad because it's not. It is an entertaining story but it just raises a few questions for me.
Everyone is really trying to live off of what little they have and in the end sometimes they do some less than savory things to get ahead. Without giving too much away, the political system in Prin has become corrupted by the leader Levi. Levi is a master manipulator with all the inhabitants of Prin and even by the end of the novel I wasn't exactly sure what his end goal was.
One thing that really bugged me about this novel is that some of the elements of the book that are highlighted in the summary seemed to just be blips in the story. One example of this is the fact that the variants are hermaphroditic. This was mentioned once in the book and then not really mentioned much after this. I was confused as to why this was a necessary plot point. The book could have been done without this and I think that this was put in the summary because it's a bit sensationalized and they think it will draw in readers.
Anyhow, overall the story line was just okay for me but I did really like Esther as a character. She was stubborn and didn't like to take any advice from anyone. She stood by what she believed in even if it wasn't the popular opinion. I think I admire that because I oftentimes worry too much about what others think of me so I find it noble to do what you want without worrying about others. Anyhow, this review is a little all over the place but overall it was just okay for me. I think the summary sells the book as something a little different than what you actually get. That's not to say that the novel is bad because it's not. It is an entertaining story but it just raises a few questions for me.
I can't believe it took two people to write this book. The characters are one dimensional, the story is hazy at best and hints instead of answers. I highly recommend that burn every copy so future generations never see it.
This book reminded me of Rebel Nation and Dan Wells' most recent book. It was difficult for me to connect with Esther.
It took me about a week to read too, not normal for me for young adult. I was interested enough to stick with it.
It took me about a week to read too, not normal for me for young adult. I was interested enough to stick with it.
I like to begin my reviews with the good stuff about a book in most cases, before transitioning into my criticisms. Well, here's what I can offer about Wasteland: it's an easy read. The fairly simple sentences are quick to plow through. Also, it's mostly boring, which actually ended up being a sort of good thing, since, when it isn't boring, unfortunate things are generally happening. Be warned that there will be spoilers toward the end of this review.
The World Building
The foundation of this post-apocalyptic world is shaky at best. Having finished, I have little to no idea what happened to the world or how long ago. There are a couple of vague references to some sort of climactic changes, violent earthquakes and so forth, but that's not really enough. I want to know why the rain makes people sick and how the Variants came to be. The sun shines hotter and more damaging, presumably a result of a further decreased ozone layer. While I understand that the characters might not know much, authors generally can find a way to give the readers a bit more than that.
What made me so determined to really know what had happened was a desire to figure out how things had gotten this way, because everything seemed inconsistent. The events can't have been THAT long ago or I doubt the kids would still be surviving off of supplies from the industrial age. There's even one building still using gas for power. If it hasn't been that long, then why is every single adult dead? It sounds like people die young because of how hard life is or because of how easy it is to stumble into infected water and become diseased, but a few adults should still be around, right? Yet, it seems that no one can live past the age of nineteen. WHY? You can't just set a specific age like that and not explain it!
About the supplies, Wasteland differs from every other post-apocalyptic novel I've read in that regard. See, usually, humans, at least in the years following the disaster, survive largely off of canned goods while figuring out how to subsistence farm. Here, though, the kids don't try to learn farming or hunting of animals (survivalists, they are not) and live ONLY off of supplies left from before the whatever-the-fuck smashed society. Plus, apparently all of the canned goods have spoiled and only the dry goods are edible. I was puzzled by this reversal of what I'd read before, so I went to look in my pantry. The canned goods definitely have letter expiration dates and are less vulnerable to bugs and other animals. Everything about this was just weird to me.
So these kids, right? They live in this town of rotted buildings they call Prin. The oldest ones are around 18. At the age of five, they start work. They have three jobs: Gleaning (???), Harvesting (searching far and wide for more stuff in houses and cars), and Excavation (digging). This does not make for survival, people. Even once you learn the bad guy's plans, it's only a short term solution. This whole "society" is TSTL. Any time after twelve, they start partnering off, which is basically getting married. Am I the only one who thinks it's weird that they're all settling down into monogamous relationships. It's weird if you don't, and I don't feel like that's not the most natural pattern for a bunch of teenagers to fall into, even if they would supposedly be more mature do to the brief lifespan and early age at which they begin "work."
Moving on, we're to the point where I have to talk about the last big element of the world building: the Variants. So, for no reason that is apparent, there are these Variants, insultingly known as "mutants" who are hermaphroditic, and get to choose their own gender when they come of age. They're wild and sort of live off the land, at least more than the "norms" do. I was concerned about this as soon as I read the blurb, but I really try to give authors the benefit of the doubt. I mean, WHY would you put that in for no reason? Well, I don't know, but that sure seems to be the case.
So, the Variants, for one thing, are almost NEVER actually referred to by that term, instead called "mutants" pretty much always. They're portrayed as feral and wild and lesser, but, hey, that's from the perspective of the people of Prin and they might learn something, right? Plus, Esther is friends with a variant named Skar, so surely their friendship will be the bond that helps them come to terms! Not so much. Instead, the Variants cease being peaceful and begin attacking Prin all at the behest of the bad guy (which is sort of a spoiler, but it's so damn obvious that I really don't care). When this is finally figured out by a townsperson, this happens:
For one bright, shining second there, it seems as though the light is dawning and someone has learned how horrific they've been this whole time. Then it all comes crashing down. Great, the hermaphrodites aren't evil monsters after all; they're just "poor and pathetic." That's so much better. Actually, no. Needless though this should be to say, I'll say it clearly: I find this egregiously offensive.
On the other hand, I will say that the Variants do seem much more suited to life in this world and that they have a much more intelligent speech pattern than the norms, who mostly speak in dialect. How the Variants ended up better-educated is another mystery, but we'll let that go. These things make me think that, in the end, this is intended to be a positive depiction, but it doesn't go anywhere near counteracting everything else.
Worse, the Variants hardly appear in the story, and, when they do, they take on the role of villain or pawn. Even once a shaky alliance is formed, they're compared to the Native Americans with the norms taking on the role of the more "civilized" settlers. This comparison is perhaps meant to be touching, but I find it seriously upsetting, considering how that turned out in history and the fact that the Variants aren't even invited to the meal they provided. Nor was there ever ANY reason for the Variants to be hermaphroditic, which makes everything even worse.
The Writing
I don't usually mention this, but Wasteland has a heck of a lot of telling. The only emotions I felt as I flipped through were irritation, anger and disgust, caused by the offensive nature of the world and the hackneyed romance. I should have felt fear for the characters and hope for the romance, but there's no effort made to show us how these kids really are. Everything is delineated. Esther does not fit in. Caleb is strong but tortured. They're in love now. Umm, okay. The telling is to the extent that scenes that might have been interesting are completely skipped, and the reader starts a new chapter with no idea how the characters got to where they are and has to read a short infodump to explain what was missed. None of those sections included twists or had any plot reason to be skipped. So far as I could tell, they happened solely to avoid showing things.
Kim and Klavan also made the questionable decision to use third person limited with rotating POVs. Of course, this storytelling method can be used quite effectively, but Wasteland is a good example of what not to do. The point of using a limited third person perspective is to allow for a closeness to the characters, while still being restricted to their knowledge. The characters all remain quite distant, perhaps because of how often the POV shifts. The POV moves almost at random, going into most of the named characters' heads at one time or another, and even some who don't even merit names. Several POVs show up only once, which is almost always a terrible authorial move, and certainly is here.
The Characters
As you probably expect by this juncture in the review, I was not impressed with Kim and Klavan's characterization either. The only character who is even remotely dynamic is Esther, who still remains flat and unreal. All of the others have but one motivation driving their existence and lack the complexities that make a character written on a page come to life. It's a sad day when I feel like the most realistic character is the baby, because at least they don't really have personalities yet anyway. Oh, and they all have Biblical names, even though there's nothing else said about the Bible or any reason why a bunch of teens on their own would just happen to choose Biblical names for their offspring.
The Plot
Every single bit of Wasteland felt like I had read it before, and where the book was headed always felt glaringly obvious. Now, to be fair, I've read about 150 dystopian and post-apocalyptic stories at this point, so I've got a bit more experience under my belt than the average reader. Still, I expect more from my books, and am not impressed when I read a post-apocalyptic novel that feels like it's cobbled together from pieces of what came before, a blundering Frankenstein monster of a book.
On the plus side, the plot does not focus on the romance, though it might as well have, since Kim and Klavan do not take the time to set the romance they felt compelled to include effectively and there wasn't a whole hell of a lot going on anyway. The plot consists almost entirely of the town needing to figure out that Levi, the obvious bad guy, is evil, and then figure out a way to throw off his rule. In the meantime, he hires the Variants to attack and they worry about that. Mostly, Esther runs around and thinks about how she doesn't fit in.
Then Caleb comes to town, defeats some Variants, proving what a sexy badass he is. He and Esther do not like each other on their first two encounters. On the third, they are suddenly inexplicably drawn to one another. Within the course of a handful of meetings, in which they don't do much talking or bonding, they fall in love and partner. As I mentioned before, we're told how in love they are, not made to feel it:
What makes this even more upsetting for me is that Caleb was actually partnered before, his wife murdered and child kidnapped. His sole motivation is finding his son and revenging himself on whoever did that to his family. Yet we never learn anything about his bond with his partner or even what her name was. We're told he loved Nameless but that he feels even more strongly about Esther in a matter of days. Everything about their relationship is rushed and unbelievable. Telling the reader something is true doesn't make it believable. This is lazy writing, and I'm getting really tired of seeing it in young adult fiction.
I am also getting sick of these idealized sex scenes. Caleb and Esther have kissed once, when they find each other after a worrisome separation and partner. Once they're partnered, conditions are right for making love obviously. Here's how that goes, according to Kim and Klavan: "Soon, they were moving together, awkwardly, then expertly, bright with sweat" (239-240 of the ARC). Now, I do appreciate the nod to awkwardness, but I'm seriously supposed to believe Esther and Caleb are having expert-level sex not just on their first time, but Esther's first time ever. This is not a realistic expectation to be giving to teen readers, and it's not like adding expertly to the description makes the scene any sexier, since that was the whole of it.
Then, there's the bad guy, Levi. He lives in fear of the sun and the water, never leaving the Source, his fortress. He's skinny, pale, dark-haired, and weak, but possessed of a might intellect and can make people work for him. He turns out to be driven solely by the desire to destroy the life of his brotherCaleb (SHOCK!) , because their parents didn't want the sickly kid and got rid of Levi. What is with this trend of the evil characters in dystopian/post-apocalyptic lit being related to one of the MCs? It's not surprising anymore, so can we stop? What really takes the cake is that, at the end, Levi is easily defeated by Caleb, while Esther runs off with Caleb's baby because gender roles, and commits suicide, so that Caleb doesn't have to get his hands dirty by killing anyone, except maybe some Variants at the beginning, but they hardly count. Fuck this shit. I'm done.
In Conclusion
It's not often that I say this, but I recommend Wasteland to absolutely no one. It's sole redeeming quality is that it's an easy, fast read, by nature of the simple sentences, which is no reason to read something. Every element in here has been done better elsewhere. Do yourself a favor: go read [b:Blood Red Road|9917938|Blood Red Road (Dust Lands, #1)|Moira Young|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1293651959s/9917938.jpg|14692536] or [b:Ashfall|9644151|Ashfall (Ashfall, #1)|Mike Mullin|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1301592315s/9644151.jpg|14531613] instead.
The World Building
The foundation of this post-apocalyptic world is shaky at best. Having finished, I have little to no idea what happened to the world or how long ago. There are a couple of vague references to some sort of climactic changes, violent earthquakes and so forth, but that's not really enough. I want to know why the rain makes people sick and how the Variants came to be. The sun shines hotter and more damaging, presumably a result of a further decreased ozone layer. While I understand that the characters might not know much, authors generally can find a way to give the readers a bit more than that.
What made me so determined to really know what had happened was a desire to figure out how things had gotten this way, because everything seemed inconsistent. The events can't have been THAT long ago or I doubt the kids would still be surviving off of supplies from the industrial age. There's even one building still using gas for power. If it hasn't been that long, then why is every single adult dead? It sounds like people die young because of how hard life is or because of how easy it is to stumble into infected water and become diseased, but a few adults should still be around, right? Yet, it seems that no one can live past the age of nineteen. WHY? You can't just set a specific age like that and not explain it!
About the supplies, Wasteland differs from every other post-apocalyptic novel I've read in that regard. See, usually, humans, at least in the years following the disaster, survive largely off of canned goods while figuring out how to subsistence farm. Here, though, the kids don't try to learn farming or hunting of animals (survivalists, they are not) and live ONLY off of supplies left from before the whatever-the-fuck smashed society. Plus, apparently all of the canned goods have spoiled and only the dry goods are edible. I was puzzled by this reversal of what I'd read before, so I went to look in my pantry. The canned goods definitely have letter expiration dates and are less vulnerable to bugs and other animals. Everything about this was just weird to me.
So these kids, right? They live in this town of rotted buildings they call Prin. The oldest ones are around 18. At the age of five, they start work. They have three jobs: Gleaning (???), Harvesting (searching far and wide for more stuff in houses and cars), and Excavation (digging). This does not make for survival, people. Even once you learn the bad guy's plans, it's only a short term solution. This whole "society" is TSTL. Any time after twelve, they start partnering off, which is basically getting married. Am I the only one who thinks it's weird that they're all settling down into monogamous relationships. It's weird if you don't, and I don't feel like that's not the most natural pattern for a bunch of teenagers to fall into, even if they would supposedly be more mature do to the brief lifespan and early age at which they begin "work."
Moving on, we're to the point where I have to talk about the last big element of the world building: the Variants. So, for no reason that is apparent, there are these Variants, insultingly known as "mutants" who are hermaphroditic, and get to choose their own gender when they come of age. They're wild and sort of live off the land, at least more than the "norms" do. I was concerned about this as soon as I read the blurb, but I really try to give authors the benefit of the doubt. I mean, WHY would you put that in for no reason? Well, I don't know, but that sure seems to be the case.
So, the Variants, for one thing, are almost NEVER actually referred to by that term, instead called "mutants" pretty much always. They're portrayed as feral and wild and lesser, but, hey, that's from the perspective of the people of Prin and they might learn something, right? Plus, Esther is friends with a variant named Skar, so surely their friendship will be the bond that helps them come to terms! Not so much. Instead, the Variants cease being peaceful and begin attacking Prin all at the behest of the bad guy (which is sort of a spoiler, but it's so damn obvious that I really don't care). When this is finally figured out by a townsperson, this happens:
"Mutants.
For the first time, Caleb thought of the ugly word, one he had used a thousand times without thinking, and he winced, for they, the variants, were nothing but pawns, poor and pathetic."
- Page 193 of the ARC; note that quotes could change in the finished copy
For one bright, shining second there, it seems as though the light is dawning and someone has learned how horrific they've been this whole time. Then it all comes crashing down. Great, the hermaphrodites aren't evil monsters after all; they're just "poor and pathetic." That's so much better. Actually, no. Needless though this should be to say, I'll say it clearly: I find this egregiously offensive.
On the other hand, I will say that the Variants do seem much more suited to life in this world and that they have a much more intelligent speech pattern than the norms, who mostly speak in dialect. How the Variants ended up better-educated is another mystery, but we'll let that go. These things make me think that, in the end, this is intended to be a positive depiction, but it doesn't go anywhere near counteracting everything else.
Worse, the Variants hardly appear in the story, and, when they do, they take on the role of villain or pawn. Even once a shaky alliance is formed, they're compared to the Native Americans with the norms taking on the role of the more "civilized" settlers. This comparison is perhaps meant to be touching, but I find it seriously upsetting, considering how that turned out in history and the fact that the Variants aren't even invited to the meal they provided. Nor was there ever ANY reason for the Variants to be hermaphroditic, which makes everything even worse.
The Writing
I don't usually mention this, but Wasteland has a heck of a lot of telling. The only emotions I felt as I flipped through were irritation, anger and disgust, caused by the offensive nature of the world and the hackneyed romance. I should have felt fear for the characters and hope for the romance, but there's no effort made to show us how these kids really are. Everything is delineated. Esther does not fit in. Caleb is strong but tortured. They're in love now. Umm, okay. The telling is to the extent that scenes that might have been interesting are completely skipped, and the reader starts a new chapter with no idea how the characters got to where they are and has to read a short infodump to explain what was missed. None of those sections included twists or had any plot reason to be skipped. So far as I could tell, they happened solely to avoid showing things.
Kim and Klavan also made the questionable decision to use third person limited with rotating POVs. Of course, this storytelling method can be used quite effectively, but Wasteland is a good example of what not to do. The point of using a limited third person perspective is to allow for a closeness to the characters, while still being restricted to their knowledge. The characters all remain quite distant, perhaps because of how often the POV shifts. The POV moves almost at random, going into most of the named characters' heads at one time or another, and even some who don't even merit names. Several POVs show up only once, which is almost always a terrible authorial move, and certainly is here.
The Characters
As you probably expect by this juncture in the review, I was not impressed with Kim and Klavan's characterization either. The only character who is even remotely dynamic is Esther, who still remains flat and unreal. All of the others have but one motivation driving their existence and lack the complexities that make a character written on a page come to life. It's a sad day when I feel like the most realistic character is the baby, because at least they don't really have personalities yet anyway. Oh, and they all have Biblical names, even though there's nothing else said about the Bible or any reason why a bunch of teens on their own would just happen to choose Biblical names for their offspring.
The Plot
Every single bit of Wasteland felt like I had read it before, and where the book was headed always felt glaringly obvious. Now, to be fair, I've read about 150 dystopian and post-apocalyptic stories at this point, so I've got a bit more experience under my belt than the average reader. Still, I expect more from my books, and am not impressed when I read a post-apocalyptic novel that feels like it's cobbled together from pieces of what came before, a blundering Frankenstein monster of a book.
On the plus side, the plot does not focus on the romance, though it might as well have, since Kim and Klavan do not take the time to set the romance they felt compelled to include effectively and there wasn't a whole hell of a lot going on anyway. The plot consists almost entirely of the town needing to figure out that Levi, the obvious bad guy, is evil, and then figure out a way to throw off his rule. In the meantime, he hires the Variants to attack and they worry about that. Mostly, Esther runs around and thinks about how she doesn't fit in.
Then Caleb comes to town, defeats some Variants, proving what a sexy badass he is. He and Esther do not like each other on their first two encounters. On the third, they are suddenly inexplicably drawn to one another. Within the course of a handful of meetings, in which they don't do much talking or bonding, they fall in love and partner. As I mentioned before, we're told how in love they are, not made to feel it:
"But something had shifted inside her, a strange new emotion moving into the other. Her desire to ease Caleb's suffering had been joined with another desire, one even more powerful, like two streams meeting and converging in a riverbed, mingling in a current against which she had no strength.
She had never known this feeling before."
- Page 199 of the ARC; note that quotes could change in the finished copy
What makes this even more upsetting for me is that Caleb was actually partnered before, his wife murdered and child kidnapped. His sole motivation is finding his son and revenging himself on whoever did that to his family. Yet we never learn anything about his bond with his partner or even what her name was. We're told he loved Nameless but that he feels even more strongly about Esther in a matter of days. Everything about their relationship is rushed and unbelievable. Telling the reader something is true doesn't make it believable. This is lazy writing, and I'm getting really tired of seeing it in young adult fiction.
I am also getting sick of these idealized sex scenes. Caleb and Esther have kissed once, when they find each other after a worrisome separation and partner. Once they're partnered, conditions are right for making love obviously. Here's how that goes, according to Kim and Klavan: "Soon, they were moving together, awkwardly, then expertly, bright with sweat" (239-240 of the ARC). Now, I do appreciate the nod to awkwardness, but I'm seriously supposed to believe Esther and Caleb are having expert-level sex not just on their first time, but Esther's first time ever. This is not a realistic expectation to be giving to teen readers, and it's not like adding expertly to the description makes the scene any sexier, since that was the whole of it.
Then, there's the bad guy, Levi. He lives in fear of the sun and the water, never leaving the Source, his fortress. He's skinny, pale, dark-haired, and weak, but possessed of a might intellect and can make people work for him. He turns out to be driven solely by the desire to destroy the life of his brother
In Conclusion
It's not often that I say this, but I recommend Wasteland to absolutely no one. It's sole redeeming quality is that it's an easy, fast read, by nature of the simple sentences, which is no reason to read something. Every element in here has been done better elsewhere. Do yourself a favor: go read [b:Blood Red Road|9917938|Blood Red Road (Dust Lands, #1)|Moira Young|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1293651959s/9917938.jpg|14692536] or [b:Ashfall|9644151|Ashfall (Ashfall, #1)|Mike Mullin|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1301592315s/9644151.jpg|14531613] instead.
Review first appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7
I received a copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
Wasteland by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan is a post-apocalyptic young adult novel that features children living adult roles in a makeshift community in the middle of the desert. Though a slow starter, Wasteland does become captivating once the various pivotal characters are introduced.
Esther, the protagonist, lives in a slightly disturbing world where children "partner" up and attempt to have children, while trying to survive the dangerous world. Though the portrayal of children acting as adults is interesting, the biggest success of this concept comes from Kim and Klavans' ability to still portray the innocence and naiveté of the children, despite their deadly surroundings.
The premise of Wasteland is actually pretty cool. The idea of a society run by children and the exploitation of power in a world that appears to lack any power whatsoever is intriguing. It was exciting finding out secrets and what some of the characters' lives were like before the events in Wasteland take place.
Wasteland is written in third person and the narrator is omniscient. At first I wasn't sure how I would like reading the novel from such a wide perspective. For example, if something neat was happening, I usually had to wait while the narration flipped back to another character before I could find out what happened next with the previous character. Sure, this writing style creates anticipation, but it just mainly annoys me. I will admit, however, that I did get accustomed to the narrative and even grew to like it by the conclusion of Wasteland.
Esther grows as a character rather quickly. While what she experiences warrants an extensive amount of character growth, the change is abrupt. I prefer when a character slowly comes to terms with what s/he needs to learn in order to better him/herself, since it allows me to connect with the character and his/her internal struggle.
My greatest issue with Wasteland is the pacing: it was much too quickly delivered. This plays with more than just Esther's character growth, but the plot in itself. The story feels rushed, as if the authors want to reach the conclusion, or the better parts of the novel quickly. There is one particular instance where Esther and her love interest profess their love for each other--yet they barely know one another, and one is supposedly still grieving the loss of a loved one. The rushed pace made me question the authenticity of what should be beautiful moments between two characters.
I will, however, praise Wasteland for its surprises. Several revelations occur during the story and most came as surprises. Whereas similar novels tend to make what's coming next obvious, Wasteland keeps its reader in the dark.
I recommend Wasteland to readers of post-apocalyptic novels and semi-dystopic worlds governed by children.
I received a copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
Wasteland by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan is a post-apocalyptic young adult novel that features children living adult roles in a makeshift community in the middle of the desert. Though a slow starter, Wasteland does become captivating once the various pivotal characters are introduced.
Esther, the protagonist, lives in a slightly disturbing world where children "partner" up and attempt to have children, while trying to survive the dangerous world. Though the portrayal of children acting as adults is interesting, the biggest success of this concept comes from Kim and Klavans' ability to still portray the innocence and naiveté of the children, despite their deadly surroundings.
The premise of Wasteland is actually pretty cool. The idea of a society run by children and the exploitation of power in a world that appears to lack any power whatsoever is intriguing. It was exciting finding out secrets and what some of the characters' lives were like before the events in Wasteland take place.
Wasteland is written in third person and the narrator is omniscient. At first I wasn't sure how I would like reading the novel from such a wide perspective. For example, if something neat was happening, I usually had to wait while the narration flipped back to another character before I could find out what happened next with the previous character. Sure, this writing style creates anticipation, but it just mainly annoys me. I will admit, however, that I did get accustomed to the narrative and even grew to like it by the conclusion of Wasteland.
Esther grows as a character rather quickly. While what she experiences warrants an extensive amount of character growth, the change is abrupt. I prefer when a character slowly comes to terms with what s/he needs to learn in order to better him/herself, since it allows me to connect with the character and his/her internal struggle.
My greatest issue with Wasteland is the pacing: it was much too quickly delivered. This plays with more than just Esther's character growth, but the plot in itself. The story feels rushed, as if the authors want to reach the conclusion, or the better parts of the novel quickly. There is one particular instance where Esther and her love interest profess their love for each other--yet they barely know one another, and one is supposedly still grieving the loss of a loved one. The rushed pace made me question the authenticity of what should be beautiful moments between two characters.
I will, however, praise Wasteland for its surprises. Several revelations occur during the story and most came as surprises. Whereas similar novels tend to make what's coming next obvious, Wasteland keeps its reader in the dark.
I recommend Wasteland to readers of post-apocalyptic novels and semi-dystopic worlds governed by children.
This took me a bit to get into, but once I did, WOW. This is a book that made me happy that I'm a very patient reader, because otherwise, I think I may have given up. (I say that to tell you this: stay with this book. You'll be happy you did!)
I loved Esther, but the book has multiple narrators (primarily Esther and Caleb, but not exclusively) and I didn't click with any of the others at first.
This is an interesting world and you should know that there are very creepy parts. (It's a plus for me, but it may not be for you.)
This is apparently the first book in a trilogy. I'm not sure where the other books will go; I thought this worked very well as a standalone. But I am also not unhappy with this news because by the end, I was fully invested in the world and the characters.
I loved Esther, but the book has multiple narrators (primarily Esther and Caleb, but not exclusively) and I didn't click with any of the others at first.
This is an interesting world and you should know that there are very creepy parts. (It's a plus for me, but it may not be for you.)
This is apparently the first book in a trilogy. I'm not sure where the other books will go; I thought this worked very well as a standalone. But I am also not unhappy with this news because by the end, I was fully invested in the world and the characters.
