Posts Tagged 'virus'

The Stranded by Sarah Daniels

Published November 1, 2023 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Survival/Realistic Fiction

The Arcadia was once a beautiful cruise ship, but then a terrible war broke out on land and those aboard the ship were forced to stay, survive, and raise their families. It has now been 40 years and the Arcadia is starting to break down. Esther and her family have always lived on the Arcadia because her grandparents were honeymooning when they got stuck there for life. Esther is training to be a medic so that she can hopefully be granted passage to land. There’s another medic who is also vying for one of the top two spots and he has made it very clear he thinks they would be even more likely to get off the ship if they were married, but Esther isn’t sure that’s the path for her at the moment. Meanwhile, Nik, works with a rebel group who desperately wants to take over the ship so that they can get out from under the terrible Coalies, or military presence, on the boat who uses brute force to keep the passengers in line. When Nik gets hurt, Esther is abducted by the rebels in order to treat him, but this throws her unexpectedly into the rebel cause whether she wants to be in it or not. The intel the rebels are getting suggests that big changes could be coming for the Arcadia, and not in a good way. Can Esther and Nik put aside their differences in order to help save the people on board? How much are they willing to risk in order to protect those they love?

Fans of books such as Avalon and Divergent will enjoy this title because even though it has a realistic feel to it there’s definitely futuristic undertones. The premise of the refugee cruise ship seems so crazy, but absolutely believable at the same time. The characters are all well described so that it’s easy to see what motivates each of them and why they have so many unanswered questions. There are some brutal truths in this and not everyone is guaranteed a happy ending, but throughout the danger there is always hope that eventually things will turn out better than the way they started. Recommended for those looking for a fun adventure story with a unique setting.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Published January 18, 2013 RAC , Romance Leave a Comment
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delirium

Genre:  Romance

# of Pages:  441

RAC:  Yes

Lena lives in a place where they believe love to be a virus that encourages people to do terrible things they would not normally do.  They have created a cure that everyone receives at the age of 18.  Lena’s mother ended up dying due to the virus and her sister was affected by it as well, so Lena cannot wait to get the cure.  That is until she meets someone and falls in love.  Even though she knows she is coming down with the virus she does not care and wishes to do whatever it takes to stop herself from getting that cure.

The idea of this story is very interesting, but the actual romance seems a little slow and boring at times.  It makes it hard to want to keep reading about these two when they are just uninteresting.  The ending is fairly fast paced and exciting, but abruptly ends.  Girls who like romances and dystopian societies will make the best audience for this series.

The Kill Order by James Dashner

Published November 2, 2012 Adventure , RAC , Realistic Fiction 1 Comment
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Genre:  Futuristic realistic fiction

# of Pages:  327

RAC Book:  Yes

In this prequel to The Maze Runner series, readers learn what happened on earth that led to the events in the trilogy.  Mark and Trina were normal teens going home from school when the sun flares struck and they had to run for their lives from devastating heat, floods, and other disasters.  They ended up living with a few other survivors in a big office building until they deemed it safe to leave.  Eventually they found themselves living in a little village full of survivors from the natural disasters, but are horrified when they witness a plane land near their village and start shooting everyone in the town with a terrible virus.  Once again they are on the run to survive and they can’t help but wonder what will come at them next.  In order to save themselves they must go toward the people who spread this terrible disease.  What if they were already exposed?  Why would humans spread this virus?  Is there ever going to be a time when they feel safe and do not constantly worry about what tragedy could befall them next?

Fans of the trilogy will enjoy the prequel.  It’s a little slow to introduce the characters of the book so that the reader cares about what happens to them, but the book answers any questions leftover where the trilogy ended.  Also, there is a lot of action and plot twists that will keep readers interested.  This series feels very planned out and well-developed.

The Death Cure by James Dashner

Published December 14, 2011 Adventure , Fantasy , RAC , Science Fiction 2 Comments
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Genre:  Science Fiction

323 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Thomas is back in the third and final installment of The Maze Runner series.  Thomas begins in solitary confinement where he is tortured for several weeks before he is told what the final plan for WICKED will be.  He is reunited with the friends that are still alive, but the organization wants to give them their memories back and he believes this is somehow a trap.  He refuses and must escape with Minho and Newt.  Once they escape to the real world they find that the Flare is much more advanced than they realized and worry that it will be impossible to find a cure in time to save mankind.  When WICKED informs Thomas he must turn himself in for one final test in order to save the human race he reluctantly agrees, but what is he agreeing to?

Much like the rest of this series, there are many twists and turns and no easy answers.  The characters act with bravery and fear to help them navigate these difficult situations.  Readers will learn more about the truth behind WICKED’s evil plans, but not everything is revealed and that is okay because readers know enough to piece together what happened before the series began.  The ending is believable, acceptable, and satisfying without going over the top.  The finale of this trilogy is so strong is makes the first two novels even stronger, which is a feat in itself.

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Published July 18, 2011 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 5 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  323

RAC Book:  Yes

Melody has been groomed her entire life by her overzealous adoptive parents to be a desirable candidate for college, jobs, and everything in life.  They even predicted the potential of selling her fertility as soon as a deadly virus made it impossible for anyone over the age of 20 to procreate.  Melody received a very lucrative offer that included a signing bonus and college tuition, but her clients have taken almost two years to find her a mate to “bump” with.  Meanwhile, her twin sister, Harmony, has learned that her and Melody were separated at birth and wants to find her sister.  Harmony was taken in by those who follow the religious life and do not believe in “selling” babies.  She hopes to save Melody from her choices before it is too late.

This book is unique and memorable, which can be difficult in this genre.  The characters are interesting, but it’s the story that will grab readers’ attention.  This society is so well crafted and the conclusion that there are professional babymakers may sound crazy, but the media and propaganda in the book are so similar to ours that it makes it seem possible.  The ideas of religion and how it plays into such a society are handled nicely with no quick fixes or preaching, but merely questions for the reader and characters to think about.  The sanctity of life is also another overarching theme that many young readers do not take time to think about, but should.  The relationship between the twin sisters has some unbelievable moments, such as when Melody forgives Harmony for something a bit too easily.  However, the book sets up nicely for a sequel and readers will be dying to learn what happens to these characters.

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