Ads 468x60px

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

NICOLE'S REVIEW: The Lives We Lost by Megan Crewe

Title: The Lives We Lost
Author: Megan Crewe
Format Acquired: Hardcover
Publication Date: February 12 2013
Publishing House: Disney Hyperion
ISBN: 9781423146179
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:

A deadly virus has destroyed Kaelyn's small island community and spread beyond the quarantine. No one is safe. But when Kaelyn finds samples of a vaccine in her father's abandoned lab, she knows there must be someone, somewhere, who can replicate it.

As Kaelyn and her friends head for the mainland, they encounter a world changed beyond recognition. It's not only the "friendly flu" that's a killer - there are people who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the vaccine.

How much will Kaelyn risk for an unproven cure, when the search could either destroy those she loves or save the human race.

Megan Crewe's second volume in the Fallen World trilogy is an action-packed journey that explores the resilience of friendship, the ache of lost love, and Kaelyn's enduring hope in the face of sacrifices she must make to stay alive.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review: 

So you know how second books that are part of a trilogy - in my opinion, judging by the number of middle novels I've read - are not usually up to par with their predecessor? The Lives We Lost felt a little like that.

Kaelyn and the gang go for a road trip, one that involves protecting the vaccine her father created and getting into the hands of someone who can replicate it, at the same time dodging the people who are out to grab the vaccine for their own selfish reasons and the most important of all - survival. 

There are a few things actually that are keeping me from giving this book a lower rating. The love triangle, for example. Now I'm not sure if you know this but I do NOT like love triangles. Surprisingly, this one was acceptable because mainly it wasn't at all forced and Kaelyn does have a strong connection to both boys. But unlike books wherein a love triangle is introduced, it does not consume the protagonist's mind which means plus points for this book. Because seriously, she's on a mission to save the world with a working - as far as she knows - vaccine and I don't really want to read about how she's being all consumed by this love triangle and her confusing feelings. 

The Lives We Lost is undeniably realistic, just like it's predecessor. During the course of their journey nothing extreme really happened, nothing that managed to elicit a strong reaction from me. But what I can say about this book is how real it all felt. Crewe managed to showcase the deeds that man might be capable of doing for the sake of survival and it's none too pretty. Kaelyn is a strong character, she's determined, she's smart and she's capable. These are characteristics that are used to describe a majority of female protagonists today, but one thing I noticed about Kaelyn is how human she is. I have to love Crewe for that.

Although the pacing is slow in this book and not necessarily action oriented, it was fine by me since this was a long trek through Canada and survival was of the utmost importance. If you're up for a very realistic book of the apocalyptic genre, one with all too human characters on a quest to save the world then maybe it's time you gave this series a shot.


Rating:

      

                      

No comments:

Post a Comment