Review: Excellent post-apocalyptic thriller.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 11, 2012
Book Review: Wanted by Jason HalsteadReviewed by J Bryden LloydWriting Style - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)This is a good, solid style which flows nicely and pulls the reader along very well. The style of the dialogue is equally good and Mr Halstead clearly builds his environments carefully to fit the characters he creates. I found a handful of places where the interactions (especially between the siblings) felt a little forced, and for me this took a little away from the atmosphere the author had worked hard to build. This was very minor, however.Character Development - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)It has to be said, there is a whole heap of character development to be found in here, as first the rescue of the damsel-in-distress, and then the return of said damsel with crash survivors in tow, bring a whole catalogue of unwanted complications to the simple life built by the main male character.Beyond this, the lead girl and the surviving siblings also find themselves undergoing huge character rebuilds, as the author drags them out of relative security and throws all four characters into a very dangerous and unpredictable world. This is all done via a huge amount of clever twists and turns which make these characters very easy to like.The supporting cast are equally well drawn and make the plot work well.Descriptive - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)In a world where law exists only within controlled environments, the descriptive from the opening sentence is both powerful and precise. I enjoyed the visual created in almost every part of the book, except in the hut where they sleep in the compound, which seemed to be an area lacking in visual references for the most part. Admittedly, I felt that the author was making specific efforts to keep attention focussed on the characters and the impending twists of the plot, but it was a noticeable loss against the rest of the text.Language & Grammar - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)This is a good reading level for most levels, including young adult readers. The word selections and language are very good and the standard of editing throughout is very high. This is very impressive and an excellent example.Plot - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent) *MINOR SPOILERS*I have to be honest. At the beginning I really wasn't certain what I was reading, and things started moving very quickly - possibly a little too quickly - and I felt like I was being pushed along. Then the pace shifted and the underlying plot was started properly. As quickly as that, I was into a more comfortable setting and the manic start made sense.The story moved along and then suddenly kicked off again with the plane crash and the rescue of the siblings. Very quickly you are thrown into a whole new realm of twists and turns, then just as quickly you settle into a semi-normality once again.I found the storyline compelling and the situations in the plots excellent.General - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)The sequel is already on my TBR list, but I have to recommend this to anyone who enjoys post-apocalypse action thrillers. This comes very highly recommended from me. 5 stars.