Book Review & Giveaway: Partials

Title: Partials by Dan Wells

Release Date: Feb. 28, 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 472 pages
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia
Source: Publisher

Goodreads Summary: Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the world’s 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. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanity’s time is running out.

When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friend’s pregnancy, she’s determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the war’s origin that she never knew to ask.

Combining the fast-paced action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Battlestar Galactica, Partials is a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question—one where our sense of humanity is both our greatest liability, and our only hope for survival.

I love dystopian and post apocalyptic stories, especially the ones with solid science fiction elements included. Partials is heavier on the science than most YA sci-fi books I’ve read recently but don’t let that daunt you. Dan Wells expertly weaves the science elements with action and romance that creates a fascinating book that had me glued to the pages.

Partials is set in 2076 in the aftermath of a war, a rebellion and a virus that wiped out most of the population. The humans who survived have made a stand on Long Island, barricading themselves against the partials, genetically engineered humanoid soldiers, and against human rebels who oppose the government. Instead of a big, faceless, evil government in most dystopias, this survivor community is run by a small but devious and power hungry group of senators.

Before I start talking about the individual characters, I have to give Dan Wells massive kudos for including a racially diverse group of people in his novel. As a reader who loves to see multi-culturalism in fiction, I am thrilled to tell you that the population of survivors looks a lot like the world’s current population and the story is richer because of it.

Kira is a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training who is super smart and determined. Weary of seeing newborn babies die from the virus and knowing that the government is not close to finding a cure, Kira comes up with a crazy, desperate plan to find a solution before her best friend’s baby is born. Kira is not the kick-butt character you typically see in dystopia but she is brilliant, brave, a quick thinker and has devoted herself completely to finding a cure. It’s her all-in attitude that makes her so awesome.

Kira’s boyfriend, Marcus, is sweet and loves her but they have different priorities. Marcus wants to live a happy, safe life with Kira and let others worry about humanity’s future. Samm is the partial that Kira helps to kidnap and study and while there is no love triangle in this first book, I can see the possibility of some romantic tension in the sequel. Normally I don’t like love triangles but I may be in favor of one in this case.

In the sea of dystopian/post apocalyptic YA novels, Partials stands out from the rest. Awesome world building, exciting action scenes along with betrayals and fantastic plot twists make Partials a great read. I cannot wait for Fragments, the next book in the series, to be released.

I was fortunate enough to meet Dan Wells when he visited South Florida as a part of the Pitch Dark Days of Winter tour. He was kind enough to sign my ARC of Partials which I am very excited to give away. Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below and good luck!

Content: Kissing and violence.

My Rating: Really Good!

a Rafflecopter giveaway