Pretty Much Like Every Post-Apocalyptic Novel Out There for Teens

Source: Author Website

Autumn in the City of Angels (Autumn #1) by Kirby Howell (Streetlights Publishing, 2013, 362pp.) 

After 90% of the world’s population is killed off by the Crimson fever, Los Angeles lays at the mercy of rivaling factions of survivors. As 17-year-old Autumn Winters tries to navigate these different groups, she meets a mysterious young man named Gray, and feels an instant and unquestionable connection to him. After they’re separated, she goes looking for him, and finds that he's part of a group living in the abandoned L.A. subway. Unfortunately for Autumn, this group is the rival of the Restoration Front, the most aggressive, nasty bunch of survivors in the area that will stop at nothing to wipe other groups out. As the two bands vie for survival, Autumn learns that her love interest, Gray, is actually hiding a secret that could prevent the two of them from ever getting together. 

The only way to review this kind of book is to review it first as a teen romance, and then as a post-apocalyptic novel. While I was reading this, it made me realize that I have forgotten how much I can’t stand mushy teen romance. Autumn’s frequent mention of her love interest’s mind-blowing physique/piercing blue eyes really got on my nerves—but then again, I’m pretty sure the author’s target audience for this book wasn’t cynical library assistants in their late twenties. Instead, I probably should ask: Will this novel appeal to teenage girls? If the girls in question are former Twihards suffering from Improbable Romance Withdrawal Syndrome, then yes. They will probably find Gray and Autumn’s attraction to one another quite appealing. Is Autumn herself an attractive heroine/role model for young girls? To tell the truth, she’s kind of flat—but then again, so is Bella from Twilight, and most every other heroine in this kind of genre.

As for the science fiction elements of this novel: they could use some work. The most glaring detail is, as one Amazon reviewer pointed out, the curious lack of bloated corpses left behind after the initial wave of fever-deaths. Yes, the heroine does come across a body inside a parked car on the Los Angeles freeway, and another survivor reports clearing an entire apartment building of bodies weeks after the fact…but there never seems to be any problem with unpleasant odors that are usually found lingering in the wake of such a disaster. (Perhaps one of the symptoms of Crimson fever is rapid decomposition upon death?)

In any case, it’s a perfectly nice, clean book for tween girls looking for something to swoon over. Compared to every other book in the dystopian/post-apocalyptic genre, its flat characters and their attempts to deal with their situation don’t really stand out at all. Recommended for girls Ages 13-15.

Estes' Latest Proves That JK Rowling Does Not Own the Teen Witch/Wizard Genre

Source: Author Website

Brew (Salem’s Revenge #1) by David Estes (Self-Published, 2014, 399pp.)

To anyone who thinks that J.K. Rowling now owns the teenage witch/wizard genre in the wake of Harry Potter, I would like to introduce them to David Estes’ latest novel, Brew. Forget the valiant struggle against evil by Hogwarts’ Gryffindor graduates. Estes’ magic-folk return to their monstrous, old-world origins—and then some.

As the novel opens, we meet Rhett Carter, a mild-mannered teen whose favorite activities include book blogging and hanging out with friends. Then, out of the blue comes “Salem’s Revenge,” a day of gruesome horror and violence against humans by the demonic witch species—punishment, they claim, for centuries of abuse at the hands of mankind. Suddenly, Rhett has no home, no family. On top of that, his two best friends, girlfriend Beth and best bud Xavier, are missing. In the aftermath of the attacks, Rhett stumbles across quiet Mr. Jackson, a neighbor and former CIA operative. He knows all about the witches, and he can show Rhett how to fight them. With Mr. Jackson’s training, Rhett now has a new goal in mind: not to just survive, but to survive long enough to find his friends, and extract sweet, sweet vengeance against those who murdered his family.

I pretty much have only good things to say about Brew. Like the teen protagonists in Estes’ Dwellers/Country Saga, his heroes and heroines are brave, stoic, and very human. The almost constant death-scenes are surprising at first, then seem only inevitable as Estes proves that he pulls no punches when it comes to character death. Another thing I liked was the lack of romance that seems so prevalent in YA fiction these days no matter what the genre. Although Rhett frequently reminisces about his girlfriend, these scenes serve to emphasize his emotional attachment to her, and end up making his desperate search all the more heart-rending. For those who found themselves fascinated by the incendiary terror found in Rick Yancey’s apocalyptic 5th Wave, I recommend Brew for Ages 16-Up.

The Apolline Sibyl

Source: Author Website

The Apolline Sibyl (Apocalypse Signs #2) by Dave Becker (Self-Published, 2014, 310pp.)

When we last left Kalos Academy, Tony and his friends had just managed to stall the demonic Sinthos in his efforts to bring about the apocalypse. Now at the beginning of the gang's sophomore year (narrated by Tony's friend Jenna instead of Tony himself), things get even crazier. First, a wounded giantess staggers onto the marching band's practice field and collapses. While the school assures its students that the woman has been sent to the hospital for treatment, Jenna and friends discover that the mysterious female is actually still on campus, lying in a comatose state. Then, Sinthos again makes an appearance, this time demanding that the gang steals an ancient artifact from the school and hand it over to him. When they refuse, Sinthos makes his wrath known: red clouds of death hover over campus, lava bubbles up in the school swimming pool, and earthquakes rock the town's residential area. As the world falls to pieces around them, Tony, Jenna, and their friends resolve to fight Sinthos to the bitter end.

What I really like about this series is Kalos Academy itself. The author does a great job of describing what classes are offered, and what an average school day is like. I was also very impressed with how the author handles the mystery of the giantess. On the downside, however, the overall tone of the story seems a bit rushed, and while the pacing is consistent enough to keep short attention spans engaged, it also hinders possible character development. Overall, an interesting, action-packed plot, with under-developed characters. Recommended for Ages 14-16.

A Suspenseful But Clichéd Page-Turner

Source: Author Website

The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1) by Rick Yancey (Putnam Juvenile, 2013, 480pp.)

Drop a 16-year-old girl on the set of The Walking Dead, minus the zombies. Now, give her a teddy bear, an M-16, and a mission to rescue her lost baby brother, and what do you have? You, my friend, have the beginning set-up of The 5th Wave. The heroine, Cassie Sullivan, was a normal teenage girl until the Others destroyed her world. She's lost both parents, and has been separated from her sweet little brother, Sammy. Like any good big sister, she’s determined to get him back at any cost, despite the impossible obstacles standing in her way.

This book had the potential to be amazing. The first third of the story is nightmarish, brutal, and gritty as Cassie looks back on the life she used to have, and how it (along with everything she cares for) was annihilated. 

And then, the trouble starts. How? Unfortunately for you, reader, this is going to be one of my less objective reviews. The trouble starts when the author tosses in the inevitable love interest. Cassie has just witnessed the brutal death of both parents and countless others, and up walks this cute survivor kid that makes Cassie immediately turn bashful-schoolgirl on us. Oh no, we did not just make a pit stop at the gushy teen fountain of love on the road to the wholesale annihilation of the human race. NOT HAPPENING!

Unfortunately, though, yes, it does happen. Now, there’s nothing wrong with the “OMG is he going to kiss me?” genre, but it seriously just pales in comparison to the scary, gritty, realism of potential end-of-world scenarios. You know, the kind that makes you realize, “OH MY GOD THIS COULD HAPPEN!” The kind that automatically makes you put down your book so you can glance around, furtively but gratefully, at the familiar things and people that you take for granted: your family, your cat, your Wi-Fi, your smartphone! The moment the love interest enters the novel, we lose this. The story shrinks down to size and reveals itself for what it really is: kids pretending to be grown-ups during the apocalypse. 

Now, wait, you may say. That’s what you’re objecting to? Her meeting a guy? Oh, no. Not at all. It gets worse. At a certain point, the author takes this truly innovative work and employs a few of the more well-worn plot contrivances you see in Hollywood movies: there’s the master alien control room with the Big Board. There’s characters dressing in doctor scrubs to disguise themselves as they infiltrate a hospital run by Alien Central. And, of course, what plot-driven novel wouldn’t be complete without someone crawling through an air vent?

Now, some readers will probably love this book all the way through. I have to admit that while I had some major problems with this book, I literally could not put it down for two whole days. It’s that suspenseful. So, yes, while The 5th Wave works, both as a work of science fiction and as a YA novel, it does itself a great disservice by falling back on too many well-worn plot contrivances. Recommended for Ages 16-Up (including adults) for language, scary end-of-days violence, and some iffy romance scenes.

The Changeling Prince

Source: Goodreads

The Changeling Prince (Spellbound #1) by Vivian Vande Velde (HarperCollins, 1998, 290pp.)

Weiland, a lonely, subdued teenager, has been serving the sorceress Daria in her isolated mountain household for as long as he can remember. There are very few solid facts he knows about his life: one, is that he's probably around 16 years old. Another, is that he may have been born a wolf. But the thing he definitely knows for certain is that each and every day, his life, and those of his fellow servants, is constantly in mortal danger.

His mistress, the sorceress Daria, is a terrible human being. Her hobby is to change animals into humans to act as her servants, and then torture them for her amusement. Now, no longer content with her woodland home, she relocates her household to the nearby town of St. Celia, where she plots to seduce an influential baron and discreetly kill off his wife and children, one by one. When Weiland figures out what she plans to do, he's horrified, but fears her wrath if he confronts her.

Then, unexpectedly, Weiland is offered the opportunity to challenge his mistress, at the possible expense of his own life. Will he be brave enough to take up the challenge?

A blend between morality tale and fairy tale, The Changeling Prince is by no means the most stunning work of fantasy you will ever read, but it's certainly worth checking out if you ever come across it. It's a relatively quick read, and the characters are all compelling and believable, even if their actions aren't always agreeable to the reader. A downside to the novel is that the ending is a bit sudden, and we're left with some important questions that go unanswered. This may be because The Changeling Prince is a companion volume to Vande Velde's 1997 novel, The Conjurer Princess, which I have not read.

Although I recommend it for Ages 15-up, it's a dark tale with its fair share of gore, so tenderhearted readers looking for romance or comedy should avoid at all costs. Also recommended for older readers, particularly fans of dark fantasy and the not-so-faint of heart.

Legacy

Source: Publisher Website

Legacy (Legacy #1) by Ellery A. Kane (BalboaPress, 2014, 254pp.)

In 2041, our world has been laid bare by desolation and war. Cities lay in ruins. The United States is a military state, with armed government thugs (called Guardians) patrolling every sidewalk, and government-sponsored companies like Zenigenic churning out mood-altering pills. In the middle of this there is Lex Knightley, a young woman whose mother invented the anti-fear drug, Emovere. Although her mother was once a high-ranking forensic psychiatrist at Zenigenic, Dr. Knightley has since resigned from the company  after she discovered Emovere has devastating side-effects. Now a sympathizer for an anti-government group, Dr. Knightley sends daughter Lex to make contact with the so-called Resistance. Lex ends up spending a month at their headquarters, making friends and learning more about the past connection that she shares with a mysterious, troubled youth named Quin. While at first Lex thinks she's among friends, she soon begins to realize that neither the Resistance, nor the government they fight against, is entirely trustworthy. With the help of Quin and a group of ex-Resistance fighters, Lex sets out to find the truth about what's really going on in the world.

Overall, Legacy's plot is engaging, and has a sound (if not entirely original) premise. In regards to the characters, they could all definitely have been fleshed out a bit more, but this does not retract from the story's quality too much. Recommended for Ages 15-Up.

A Promising Start to a New Dystopian Trilogy

Fire Country (Dwellers/Country Saga #4) by David Estes (Self-Published, 2013, 402pp.)

Scrawny, clumsy, head-in-the-clouds Siena lives in fire country, a land where a long-ago catastrophe caused the sky to turn from pale blue to blood red. The average lifespan is thirty years, and mankind has resorted to polygamy to survive. Young people are required by law to start breeding in their mid to late teens, and every three years, teens are paired with new mates during an event known as the Call. This Law is not to be questioned. Or so Siena thinks. An unlikely heroine, she doesn't even begin to question her prescribed role in life until a few months before her Call ceremony. As she prepares to consider her preordained fate as a soon-to-be Bearer, a classmate, Lara, suggests the unthinkable: what would happen if young women rebel against the status quo?

Estes has created a memorable heroine in Siena in this first volume in the Country Saga (sister series to the Dwellers Saga). Although some of the concepts he explores here are a bit cliche (the fire country tribes are too much like Native Americans in some aspects, while their enemies, a notoriously feral all-female tribe, are too much like Amazons), Fire Country still proves to be a promising start to a new dystopian trilogy.