Review: Survival in a Post-Apocalyptic World - YA
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 13, 2014
In a world where post-apocalyptic fiction is flourishing, The Artful by Wilbert Stanton may just shine a little brighter than the rest. Set in the year 2025 in New York City and told through the eyes and mind of a teenage boy struggling for survival in what’s left of a once bustling city, both the near-future timeline and the young, raw and realistic POV add a fresh take to the genre. Dark and foreboding, survival in a dog eat dog world follows Twist and Dodger, as they steal from the rich to give to the poor, all while searching for the cure to the deadly virus unleashed on an unsuspecting city. When they are caught in the crossfire of a turf war, it’s because they have accidentally stolen the cure to this virus, and the tension is ramped up a few notches as an already unsafe world becomes even more threatening.Wilbert Stanton has filled his tale with dark grit, an overwhelming sense of edgy chaos and danger as he leads his two young heroes through the twisted world that he has created. The “meet & greet” between his world, his characters and the reader starts out at an even pace, and ramps up throughout as he fleshes both teens out as they face the impossible roadblocks on their journey. Mr. Stanton has cleverly place the timeline in the very near future, making the scare factor multiply, as greed, lack of conscience and the need for power rear their ugly heads in a time when people should be pulling together. His world building is astounding, and his characters go from not-so likeable, rough edged teens to teens who show a remarkable ability to deal in a world no one should ever have to face.Enticing reading, and a firm foundation to this new YA series.