(audio)Book Review: PARTIALS, by Dan Wells

Hello dear readers! I know, it’s been a while.

So Happy New Year and all that jazz.

I’ve been very busy. Writing and reading and listening to some stellar audiobooks when I can’t do either of those. And my latest audio obsession is this book, PARTIALS, by the prolific Dan Wells.

If you like YA or action-packed, futurstic dystopian Science Fiction, than I’m sure you’ll love The Partial Sequence. It consists of four books. Three of the main story, and then short read that is the backstory. I have finished the first book (or MP3), Partials, and am now thoroughly engrossed in FRAGMENTS. But that will be another post!

For now, on with my review of PARTIALS by Dan Wells!

For fans of The Hunger Games, Battlestar Galactica, and Blade Runner comes the first book in the Partials Sequence, a fast-paced, action-packed, and riveting sci-fi teen series, by acclaimed author Dan Wells.

Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. But sixteen-year-old Kira is determined to find a solution. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that that the survival of both humans and Partials rests in her attempts to answer questions about the war’s origin that she never knew to ask.

Playing on our curiosity of and fascination with the complete collapse of civilization, Partials is, at its heart, a story of survival, one that explores the individual narratives and complex relationships of those left behind, both humans and Partials alike—and of the way in which the concept of what is right and wrong in this world is greatly dependent on one’s own point of view.

As I have mentioned before, I’ve been trying to read more Science Fiction lately. They say read what you write, and I write Sci-Fi now, so what they heck, right?

Except I have discovered that I am sort of picky with my S/F.

I prefer the earth-based, fringe-y type of science fiction that is easily digestable.

When the worlds get too advanced or fantastical for me, I get confused and stop reading.

But PARTIALS was nothing like that. The plot was complicated–which I LOVE!–and also held my hand, walked me through the more difficult parts and kept me wanting more.

Kira is a 16-yr old prodigy. A science genius with a knack for … well just about everything, except for expressing her feelings. This causes complications for her and her boyfriend Marcus. Their relationship is real and complicated and a little heart-wrenching at times, but that is just the world that Kira lives in.

A world that exists on Long Island in the year 2067, where the human population is nearing extinction. The deadly virus, RM (a device created and released by the Partials), has killed 99.96% of the earths population, and rendered the survivors useless for repopulation. The survivors can still conceive–in fact, procreation is mandatory–but ALL the babies that are born, end up dying of the incurable RM within the fist week of life.

So, yeah, that’s some heavy stuff for anyone to deal with, but the main characters are all teenagers. The world that’s left after RM requires they they all grow up way too fast.

ENTER Samm.

Samm is a PARTIAL–a genetically modified humanoid soldier, whose DNA (well all Partial DNA) may hold the secret to curing the deadly disease, RM. Samm is captured by a team of humans–led by Kira herself–for the purpose of experimentation. And when word gets out that there’s a deadly Partial being held captive on Long Island, all hell breaks loose.

Literally.

There is SO MUCH MORE to this plot. Majorly awesome sub-plots, character driven drama’s and even some humor, but I can’t into it without giving anything away. Which I won’t do because I hate spoiler-ish reviews.

So, for all the parts that I loved, and the nil that I did not Love, I am giving PARTIALS by Dan Wells Five Stars!