Review: A solid story for the dystopian YA reader
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 10 20, 2012
I wasn't entirely certain what to expect with this book.  It sounded as if it was full of twists and turns and secrets and, as it turns out, it was!Wisteria is an impetuous teenager, full of all the angst most have, especially as she's not part of the "in" crowd, but has a crush on one of them (which is well known and mocked).  Her family is splintered, father presumed dead, and they survive in a safe haven called Symthe.  Outside of Smythe are the infected.  Zombies.Wisteria is a tracker, like her mother, and they go outside to track the movements of the infected, count their numbers and, when necessary, "cure" them (slang for killing them).  Even here, where it is most dangerous, Wisteria is impetuous and her youth and inexeperience shows.  And once, it gets her into serious trouble, surrounded by infected and a certain death.Until Bach sees her. Bach:  arrogant, entitled, and not the nicest of boys.  Part of The Family, they see Terrans as slaves to be "refreshed" (or brainwashed) and used how they see fit.  He doesn't want any Terrans around him, though. They killed his mother and he despised them all, which is why his feelings (and, oddly, memories) of Wisteria make no sense.And so begins their adventure.This story was a good one, with plenty of plot points to keep me intrigued.  The author's skill is certainly with description and she's able to clearly paint pictures of all the people and places Wisteria and Bach encounter.  However, this is also the one drawback of the story.  There are places it drags and I'd end up skimming pages waiting for the action to start again.  It always did, and it was frequently heart-stopping.  Wisteria and Bach are in nearly impossible-to-survive situations more than once and I had to find out how they'd make it through.So, regardless of the slow spots, there were so many questions posed that I needed to know that I couldn't stop reading.  How did Bach remember Wisteria when they'd never met?  Who was the person who betrayed them to the Red Phoenix?  What was really going on at the Isle of Smythe?The ending leads me to believe there may be more books forthcoming, and I look forward to seeing what this talented author will come up with next.