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Glimpsing Stars #1
World of Shell and Bone
In a world ravaged by a nuclear holocaust, Vika Cannon knows there are no guarantees: no guarantees of safety, no guarantees that your neighbor is not actually a spy for the government, and no guarantees you'll be allowed to emigrate to a new life in China.New Amana is dying. Food and water are scarce, and people suffering from radiation-caused mutations--the Nukeheads--are the new class of homeless. Vika has just one purpose: to produce healthy progeny using a Husband assigned by the Match Clinic. Unhealthy children are carted away to Asylums to be experimented on, just as Vika's little sister Ceres was, eight years ago. Parents incapable of producing healthy progeny are put to death in gas chambers.When she's assigned a Husband shortly after her twentieth birthday, Vika expects him to be complacent and obedient. But Shale Underwood has a secret. He is a member of the Radicals, the terrorist group intent on overthrowing the government. And Shale has information about Ceres.As she learns more about the Rads's plan, Vika finds herself drawn to Shale in ways she'd never imagined. When freedom calls in the way of a healthy pregnancy, will she betray her government and risk death for Shale and Ceres?
200 pages, ebook
First published March 12, 2013
14 people are currently reading
1,719 people want to read
About the author
Adriana Ryan
4Ìýbooks74ÌýfollowersAdriana Ryan writes in beautiful Charleston, SC. A huge fan of spooky stuff and shoes, she enjoys alternately hitting up the outlet malls and historic graveyards.
Visit her at her on or on
Visit her at her on or on
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
June 30, 2013
Edit: It's been a few months since I reviewed this book and I'm deducting a star. I think I was really stretching with 3 because I wanted to like a book with a pregnant heroine and I didn't hate all of it, but things like "some pretty writing" shouldn't make up for poor plot and world-building and a gross misunderstanding of Feminism.
This review can also be found on
World of Shell and Bone quite nearly made me give up at first. There are glaring problems I have personally with the world-building and the concept of it as a “dystopian.� However, the writing is great and a lot more sophisticated than other dystopian novels out there. Though the diction can be pretentious at times, there is some pretty beautiful prose in some parts.
In a world ravaged by nuclear war, Vika Cannon lives in New Amana, a nation uniting the Americas under one government. Life there is hard; everyone is struggling for emigration passes to China which can only be gotten through passing an extremely difficult physical exam or by bearing children. The society has become matriarchal, but women’s worth is still based on how many healthy children they bear. Men are second-class citizens, relegated to raising children, cooking, and cleaning while women work to restore the environment. When Vika Cannon finds out her husband is a Radical, a male terrorist organization bent on overthrowing the “feminist� regime, he shows her information about her sister, Ceres, who was sent to a state-run “asylum� when she was four. When Vika finds out that she is pregnant, she must decide between easy freedom with a healthy baby or saving her sister and risking her life to expose the secrets of a vile regime.
The biggest problem I struggled with in this book was the idea of the “feminist regime� as a male-hating group filled with lesbians who spit upon those ravaged by genetic malformations and their own children who are “defective.� The point of a dystopian is to take a problem of society and demonstrate what will happen if we don’t stop it. The Hunger Games, for example, addressed the problem of our obsession with reality television and the growing political power of the extremely wealthy. Divergent addressed polarization and the problems of segregating ourselves based on beliefs. This book seems to address the problem of� Feminism? Now I don’t believe the author intended for this to be an anti-feminist piece; I really believe she was trying to address the problem of rad-feminism of which there are members who believe all men are rapists and that women are superior. I don’t deny that those people exist. What I have a problem with is the author saying that this is society’s problem. Rape culture and the hypersexualization of women of every culture isn’t the problem, radfeminism is. Basically the author is taking the very extreme members of a group that is actually fighting for equality and demonizing the whole group based on their words and actions. Doing this makes for a very poor dystopian, in my opinion. It’s not addressing an institutionalized problem within society or even Feminism as a whole, so the entire premise of the book seems extremely implausible to me and the whole point of dystopian is to create a scary, but possible future that the reader feels they must stop from happening when the book is over. Is Feminism a cause I feel should be stopped because I’m afraid the future will end up like in this book? No, and I’m really ticked off that the author gives the impression that people should feel this.
I’ll admit that men were portrayed poorly too, which left me a bit confused. I guess I just wasn’t really sure what the author was trying to get across. Not that one gender is better than the other, but I ended up hating all the men and women in this book. I think it’s likely the author was trying to say that women and men are equal, they both have problems, and we should work together, but feminism is about equality and it was obvious that she didn’t believe in that.
Understanding that and loathing that the basic premise of this book is extremely contrary to my beliefs, I can’t honestly recommend this book to people. I would love to hear from someone else disagrees with me about the issue of feminism in the book, but I can’t say that I want people reading this book and blindly trusting that the author has any idea of what she is saying.
That being said, I think the author’s prose was a above average. I thought parts of it were pretentious and she clearly had a thesaurus open when writing certain paragraphs (thank god for the dictionary function on my kindle). There were also some prettily written paragraphs too. There were weird metaphors and good metaphors. I can see a lot of people thinking the writing is absolutely beautiful, so I’ll leave it at that.
The romance wasn’t really believable. It was like all of the sudden Shale and Vika are in love and I was having whiplash trying to find out when that happened. I didn’t despise it though, and I was glad that Vika had relationships worth fighting for other than her and Shale’s.
This book has sexual violence and a lot of abuse against pretty much everyone, so definitely don’t read if that makes you uncomfortable. This book gets a few bonus points for having a pregnant heroine, which is something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. Pregnant women aren’t really portrayed as strong or empowering, so there’s that. Hm. I think I could recommend this only if before reading it, you educated yourself about feminism and what it actually is fighting for.
This review can also be found on
World of Shell and Bone quite nearly made me give up at first. There are glaring problems I have personally with the world-building and the concept of it as a “dystopian.� However, the writing is great and a lot more sophisticated than other dystopian novels out there. Though the diction can be pretentious at times, there is some pretty beautiful prose in some parts.
In a world ravaged by nuclear war, Vika Cannon lives in New Amana, a nation uniting the Americas under one government. Life there is hard; everyone is struggling for emigration passes to China which can only be gotten through passing an extremely difficult physical exam or by bearing children. The society has become matriarchal, but women’s worth is still based on how many healthy children they bear. Men are second-class citizens, relegated to raising children, cooking, and cleaning while women work to restore the environment. When Vika Cannon finds out her husband is a Radical, a male terrorist organization bent on overthrowing the “feminist� regime, he shows her information about her sister, Ceres, who was sent to a state-run “asylum� when she was four. When Vika finds out that she is pregnant, she must decide between easy freedom with a healthy baby or saving her sister and risking her life to expose the secrets of a vile regime.
The biggest problem I struggled with in this book was the idea of the “feminist regime� as a male-hating group filled with lesbians who spit upon those ravaged by genetic malformations and their own children who are “defective.� The point of a dystopian is to take a problem of society and demonstrate what will happen if we don’t stop it. The Hunger Games, for example, addressed the problem of our obsession with reality television and the growing political power of the extremely wealthy. Divergent addressed polarization and the problems of segregating ourselves based on beliefs. This book seems to address the problem of� Feminism? Now I don’t believe the author intended for this to be an anti-feminist piece; I really believe she was trying to address the problem of rad-feminism of which there are members who believe all men are rapists and that women are superior. I don’t deny that those people exist. What I have a problem with is the author saying that this is society’s problem. Rape culture and the hypersexualization of women of every culture isn’t the problem, radfeminism is. Basically the author is taking the very extreme members of a group that is actually fighting for equality and demonizing the whole group based on their words and actions. Doing this makes for a very poor dystopian, in my opinion. It’s not addressing an institutionalized problem within society or even Feminism as a whole, so the entire premise of the book seems extremely implausible to me and the whole point of dystopian is to create a scary, but possible future that the reader feels they must stop from happening when the book is over. Is Feminism a cause I feel should be stopped because I’m afraid the future will end up like in this book? No, and I’m really ticked off that the author gives the impression that people should feel this.
I’ll admit that men were portrayed poorly too, which left me a bit confused. I guess I just wasn’t really sure what the author was trying to get across. Not that one gender is better than the other, but I ended up hating all the men and women in this book. I think it’s likely the author was trying to say that women and men are equal, they both have problems, and we should work together, but feminism is about equality and it was obvious that she didn’t believe in that.
Understanding that and loathing that the basic premise of this book is extremely contrary to my beliefs, I can’t honestly recommend this book to people. I would love to hear from someone else disagrees with me about the issue of feminism in the book, but I can’t say that I want people reading this book and blindly trusting that the author has any idea of what she is saying.
That being said, I think the author’s prose was a above average. I thought parts of it were pretentious and she clearly had a thesaurus open when writing certain paragraphs (thank god for the dictionary function on my kindle). There were also some prettily written paragraphs too. There were weird metaphors and good metaphors. I can see a lot of people thinking the writing is absolutely beautiful, so I’ll leave it at that.
The romance wasn’t really believable. It was like all of the sudden Shale and Vika are in love and I was having whiplash trying to find out when that happened. I didn’t despise it though, and I was glad that Vika had relationships worth fighting for other than her and Shale’s.
This book has sexual violence and a lot of abuse against pretty much everyone, so definitely don’t read if that makes you uncomfortable. This book gets a few bonus points for having a pregnant heroine, which is something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. Pregnant women aren’t really portrayed as strong or empowering, so there’s that. Hm. I think I could recommend this only if before reading it, you educated yourself about feminism and what it actually is fighting for.
January 4, 2013
Adriana Ryan, you have truly outdone yourself.
The description of the book is already posted, so I won't bore you with that. I downloaded a sample of this book on my Kindle, not thinking it would be that great. It's only a $2.99 book, and the last three dollar book I bought was pretty awful. I mean really, truly awful. Needless to say, I wasn't expecting much. So you can imagine how surprised I was to find that this book was absolutely, utterly fantastic. I read a ridiculous amount of books, and getting a new one every other day is a pretty normal thing to me. But finishing one in about six hours is something I don't normally do. I literally couldn't put it down because I was just so invested in this story. The story line is outstanding and original, which is hard to come by nowadays. The characters were fully developed; I really feel like I got a strong sense of who each person was. Ryan did a great job of giving everyone very different and distinct personalities - headstrong, secretive, manipulative, or asshole-ish. In some books, the characters all seem to meld together, they all have the same voice in my head, which makes it hard to remember who is who and who is saying what. But in this book, everything was so distinct, and each person so different (it's like I'm a broke record).
I'll be the first to admit it: I judge books my the cover. It's a thing. I do it regularly. A bad cover, to me, is a sign that it's just average, maybe it doesn't spark the creativity needed to make a beautiful cover. So of course I was pulled in by the cover of this book - it's stunning. Absolutely stunning. More than that though, the writing itself was beautiful. Some authors have a way of making the poetry, so to speak, of their books forced. But Ryan's writing seemed so effortless; I'd like to hear that woman speak in normal conversation, I can't imagine it being any less eloquent than her books! I'm not usually one to use quotes in my reviews, but she just had a way of making things seem so beautiful. "Suicide. The word seems to echo. The murder of oneself. It's something I have thought of many times, turned over in my hands like a piece of pretty sea glass." Is it just me, or does she make a selfish, terrible act seem almost beautiful?
I've already written a pretty lengthy review, so this may be where I stop writing and leave you to decide for yourself. Something this book has taught me, though: not all three dollar books are great, some aren't even remotely good, but don't let that fool you. The cheapest book may be the greatest thing you'll ever read.
The description of the book is already posted, so I won't bore you with that. I downloaded a sample of this book on my Kindle, not thinking it would be that great. It's only a $2.99 book, and the last three dollar book I bought was pretty awful. I mean really, truly awful. Needless to say, I wasn't expecting much. So you can imagine how surprised I was to find that this book was absolutely, utterly fantastic. I read a ridiculous amount of books, and getting a new one every other day is a pretty normal thing to me. But finishing one in about six hours is something I don't normally do. I literally couldn't put it down because I was just so invested in this story. The story line is outstanding and original, which is hard to come by nowadays. The characters were fully developed; I really feel like I got a strong sense of who each person was. Ryan did a great job of giving everyone very different and distinct personalities - headstrong, secretive, manipulative, or asshole-ish. In some books, the characters all seem to meld together, they all have the same voice in my head, which makes it hard to remember who is who and who is saying what. But in this book, everything was so distinct, and each person so different (it's like I'm a broke record).
I'll be the first to admit it: I judge books my the cover. It's a thing. I do it regularly. A bad cover, to me, is a sign that it's just average, maybe it doesn't spark the creativity needed to make a beautiful cover. So of course I was pulled in by the cover of this book - it's stunning. Absolutely stunning. More than that though, the writing itself was beautiful. Some authors have a way of making the poetry, so to speak, of their books forced. But Ryan's writing seemed so effortless; I'd like to hear that woman speak in normal conversation, I can't imagine it being any less eloquent than her books! I'm not usually one to use quotes in my reviews, but she just had a way of making things seem so beautiful. "Suicide. The word seems to echo. The murder of oneself. It's something I have thought of many times, turned over in my hands like a piece of pretty sea glass." Is it just me, or does she make a selfish, terrible act seem almost beautiful?
I've already written a pretty lengthy review, so this may be where I stop writing and leave you to decide for yourself. Something this book has taught me, though: not all three dollar books are great, some aren't even remotely good, but don't let that fool you. The cheapest book may be the greatest thing you'll ever read.
December 17, 2012
This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I bought it as a courtesy to her...as well as because the cover was so exquisite. And while I was expecting a good read, possibly a 3.5 or 4 star read....my mind was officially blown. Like, to kingdom come.
Okay, so I can't even write a long, extensive review....not because I don't want to, but because I literally cannot wrap my head around this amazing book. I am baffled that it wasn't published by a big 6 publisher, especially when every book I seem to buy from a big 6 lately turns out to be a waste of money. This book is stellar, and edited impeccably. The cover is gorgeous, and the characters are amazing. I was creeped out, intimidated, paranoid, completely in love with the characters, and moved all at once...and when the book ended, I had one of those *holding the Nook above my head* "NOOOOOOOO!!!!" moments. (I don't have very many of those.)
This story line is so plausible, it is scary. I am starting to tire of dystopian stories, but this one is fresh, inventive, and completely terrifying all at the same time. The main character is relatable, and her "husband" is just lovely enough to make you crave another scene with him in it. The younger sister character is like a train wreck. You don't want to look, because it's scary and disturbing, but you can't help yourself...you need to see what happens. To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. I loved it. I LOVED IT. It is going on my list of favorite reads of 2012, right up there with Easy by Tammara Webber and On The Island, with Tracy Graves Garvis--and those who know me know what a bold statement that is.
Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. I will reread.
Look at that....I wrote a longer review. Not surprised. It was *that* awesome. My only complaint? (and I'm pulling at strings, here) It ended abruptly, and so help me...there had BETTER be a sequel. Otherwise I'll die. True story.
Thank you, Ms. Ryan. Your books will be on my auto buy list from now on.
Okay, so I can't even write a long, extensive review....not because I don't want to, but because I literally cannot wrap my head around this amazing book. I am baffled that it wasn't published by a big 6 publisher, especially when every book I seem to buy from a big 6 lately turns out to be a waste of money. This book is stellar, and edited impeccably. The cover is gorgeous, and the characters are amazing. I was creeped out, intimidated, paranoid, completely in love with the characters, and moved all at once...and when the book ended, I had one of those *holding the Nook above my head* "NOOOOOOOO!!!!" moments. (I don't have very many of those.)
This story line is so plausible, it is scary. I am starting to tire of dystopian stories, but this one is fresh, inventive, and completely terrifying all at the same time. The main character is relatable, and her "husband" is just lovely enough to make you crave another scene with him in it. The younger sister character is like a train wreck. You don't want to look, because it's scary and disturbing, but you can't help yourself...you need to see what happens. To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. I loved it. I LOVED IT. It is going on my list of favorite reads of 2012, right up there with Easy by Tammara Webber and On The Island, with Tracy Graves Garvis--and those who know me know what a bold statement that is.
Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. I will reread.
Look at that....I wrote a longer review. Not surprised. It was *that* awesome. My only complaint? (and I'm pulling at strings, here) It ended abruptly, and so help me...there had BETTER be a sequel. Otherwise I'll die. True story.
Thank you, Ms. Ryan. Your books will be on my auto buy list from now on.
October 21, 2014
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will be scribbling this out on my blackboard another 90 times until I learn my lesson. Yes, the cover is very, very pretty. The book dips in a few different dystopian pools, but not in particularly logical ways, so that there are gaping holes in how the world functions. Add to that flat characters and mediocre writing and plotting (seriously, this thing jumps from point A to B to C with all the elegance of a hastily-jotted outline), and there isn't much nice to say about this except that it's very short.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will not be seduced by a pretty cover. I will read samples.
I will be scribbling this out on my blackboard another 90 times until I learn my lesson. Yes, the cover is very, very pretty. The book dips in a few different dystopian pools, but not in particularly logical ways, so that there are gaping holes in how the world functions. Add to that flat characters and mediocre writing and plotting (seriously, this thing jumps from point A to B to C with all the elegance of a hastily-jotted outline), and there isn't much nice to say about this except that it's very short.
March 7, 2013
One of my favorite things to do, even now…as a 32-year-old mother of two, is sit across from my father at the dining room table and talk about books. My husband is not a reader, my dad…he reads almost as much as I do, so being able to “talk shop� with someone who appreciates the wild world of literary genius as much as I do is a special treat for me. But last Sunday something funny (and by funny I mean weird) happened. Hubs joined the conversation.
A quick fact about David, he is a pessimist. Now, he isn’t as bad as me (I don’t think that’s humanly possible) but get the two of us in a room and flip the TV to CNN and we will bring down the house with our negative commentary. Anyways, David was off in his own little world (that’s code for staring at whatever random blinky light he found in the room) when I decided to tell my dad about the book I was currently reading. “World of shell and Bone.�
“So, Dad…you are not going to believe the premise behind this book I’m reading right now. The world is basically destroyed by nuclear warfare�
*David’s head shoots up*
“and since apparently the men did such a horrible job of keeping everyone safe the first time, cause you know…they basically blew up the world…women are the only ones allowed in charge and the men have been reduced to ignorant (by design) house-husbands who’s only job is to cook, clean and procreate.�
My Dad: “That sounds awesome. I could totally stay home all day and be a man-servant.�
David: “That’s ridiculous. The whole “man thing� not the nuclear warfare thing. Did you know that North Korean has been doing testing on their bomb for over a month now and they have pretty much said that as soon as they are satisfied with the result they are going to take out the US.�
*crickets*
This is the point in the conversation when Dad and I decided “Enders Game� was a safer topic, but it got me thinking…if we were bombed tomorrow, and I was stuck in the same impossible scenario that the citizens of New Amana found themselves in…would I behave as inconsiderately as they do?
And how about you? Would you cage your conscience, your humanity for a 1% chance at a better life? I would like to definitively say I wouldn’t, but if I’m honest with myself…I don’t really know. Circumstances change people. And it’s not always for the better.
But I digress, first…a little about the book.
“In a world ravaged by a nuclear holocaust, Vika Cannon knows there are no guarantees: no guarantees of safety, no guarantees that your neighbor is not actually a spy for the government, and no guarantees you’ll be allowed to emigrate to a new life in China. New Amana is dying. Food and water are scarce, and people suffering from radiation-caused mutations–the Nukeheads–are the new class of homeless. Vika has just one purpose: to produce healthy progeny using a Husband assigned by the Match Clinic. Unhealthy children are carted away to Asylums to be experimented on, just as Vika’s little sister Ceres was, eight years ago. Parents incapable of producing healthy progeny are put to death in gas chambers. When she’s assigned a Husband shortly after her twentieth birthday, Vika expects him to be complacent and obedient. But Shale Underwood has a secret. He is a member of the Radicals, the terrorist group intent on overthrowing the government. And Shale has information about Ceres. As she learns more about the Rads’s plan, Vika finds herself drawn to Shale in ways she’d never imagined. When freedom calls in the way of a healthy pregnancy, will she betray her government and risk death for Shale and Ceres?�
Now, before I begin my rant on the beautiful prose I found gracing the pages of Adriana Ryan’s trek through the nuclear holocaust, I want to talk about the characters.
I know I sound a bit like a broken record, but I can not express to you how important it is for an author to establish strong, engaging characters. And I’ll be the first to say that if Ryan hadn’t done so in this book, it would have been on the capital side of epic failure. Despite the multitude of sub-plots, this story was ultimately about the people. How they were affected by their circumstances. Their interactions between each other. Their inability to trust, forgive, look past societal outcast and take a stand against injustices. Simply put, if I (as the reader) was unable to emotionally connect to Vika, her husband or even her sister the way I did, all of the actions performed by them would have been meaningless. Luckily, Ryan was able to establish connections through internal dialogue. Though mostly stemmed from guilt or anger, they allowed emotion to bubble to the serface acting as a catalyst for dynamic relationships.
For example:
“I stare at her as her eyes flutter away from me, her gaze perching on everything around us. She is not there. they have taken my sister and done something with her spirit, ground it up under their dirty boots.�
Though not exactly conventional, this one sentence illustrates just exactly how broken Vika’s little sister is. It establishes precedence for Vika’s guilt, rage and motives throughout the remainder or the book.
But…let’s say you are a person that reads for the underlying message. Lofty prose and stylistic commentary is more up your ally.
No prob, Ryan managed to include that too.
“In the seas of life, when the weather is bad, the optimist says the boat will be fine and the pessimist says we’re all going to die. But the realist � she adjusts the sails.�
“Despite what legend might have us believe, death is not proud, it isn’t fanfare and trumpet blasts. It is quiet but unassailable, absent one minute and absolute the next.�
“World of Shell and Bone� did have it’s fair share of flaws though too. For instance, the plot was inundated with highs and lows. For three chapters you would be in the thick of things. People were taking a stand, or Vika was unraveling a pocket full of lies, then…nothing. The story would stall while trying to make a point that was (in the end) relatively unnecessary. And even though I thought the ending was rather genius (and a total set up for book two.) there is a very good chance the majority of readers will find fault in it. (Let’s just say the ending was a tad more sedated than one would expect. Also…the last sentence left a lot of things open to interpretation.)
In the end however, all of the positives outweighed the negatives, and while I’m still not sure if my actions would be selfish or selfless (if found in the same situation) I’m somewhat comforted by the fact that others will be. Positive that is.
Highly suggested for those of you that love dystopian or apocalyptic literature.
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: you may pretend not to see them, but that doesn’t mean they don’t see you.
A quick fact about David, he is a pessimist. Now, he isn’t as bad as me (I don’t think that’s humanly possible) but get the two of us in a room and flip the TV to CNN and we will bring down the house with our negative commentary. Anyways, David was off in his own little world (that’s code for staring at whatever random blinky light he found in the room) when I decided to tell my dad about the book I was currently reading. “World of shell and Bone.�
“So, Dad…you are not going to believe the premise behind this book I’m reading right now. The world is basically destroyed by nuclear warfare�
*David’s head shoots up*
“and since apparently the men did such a horrible job of keeping everyone safe the first time, cause you know…they basically blew up the world…women are the only ones allowed in charge and the men have been reduced to ignorant (by design) house-husbands who’s only job is to cook, clean and procreate.�
My Dad: “That sounds awesome. I could totally stay home all day and be a man-servant.�
David: “That’s ridiculous. The whole “man thing� not the nuclear warfare thing. Did you know that North Korean has been doing testing on their bomb for over a month now and they have pretty much said that as soon as they are satisfied with the result they are going to take out the US.�
*crickets*
This is the point in the conversation when Dad and I decided “Enders Game� was a safer topic, but it got me thinking…if we were bombed tomorrow, and I was stuck in the same impossible scenario that the citizens of New Amana found themselves in…would I behave as inconsiderately as they do?
And how about you? Would you cage your conscience, your humanity for a 1% chance at a better life? I would like to definitively say I wouldn’t, but if I’m honest with myself…I don’t really know. Circumstances change people. And it’s not always for the better.
But I digress, first…a little about the book.
“In a world ravaged by a nuclear holocaust, Vika Cannon knows there are no guarantees: no guarantees of safety, no guarantees that your neighbor is not actually a spy for the government, and no guarantees you’ll be allowed to emigrate to a new life in China. New Amana is dying. Food and water are scarce, and people suffering from radiation-caused mutations–the Nukeheads–are the new class of homeless. Vika has just one purpose: to produce healthy progeny using a Husband assigned by the Match Clinic. Unhealthy children are carted away to Asylums to be experimented on, just as Vika’s little sister Ceres was, eight years ago. Parents incapable of producing healthy progeny are put to death in gas chambers. When she’s assigned a Husband shortly after her twentieth birthday, Vika expects him to be complacent and obedient. But Shale Underwood has a secret. He is a member of the Radicals, the terrorist group intent on overthrowing the government. And Shale has information about Ceres. As she learns more about the Rads’s plan, Vika finds herself drawn to Shale in ways she’d never imagined. When freedom calls in the way of a healthy pregnancy, will she betray her government and risk death for Shale and Ceres?�
Now, before I begin my rant on the beautiful prose I found gracing the pages of Adriana Ryan’s trek through the nuclear holocaust, I want to talk about the characters.
I know I sound a bit like a broken record, but I can not express to you how important it is for an author to establish strong, engaging characters. And I’ll be the first to say that if Ryan hadn’t done so in this book, it would have been on the capital side of epic failure. Despite the multitude of sub-plots, this story was ultimately about the people. How they were affected by their circumstances. Their interactions between each other. Their inability to trust, forgive, look past societal outcast and take a stand against injustices. Simply put, if I (as the reader) was unable to emotionally connect to Vika, her husband or even her sister the way I did, all of the actions performed by them would have been meaningless. Luckily, Ryan was able to establish connections through internal dialogue. Though mostly stemmed from guilt or anger, they allowed emotion to bubble to the serface acting as a catalyst for dynamic relationships.
For example:
“I stare at her as her eyes flutter away from me, her gaze perching on everything around us. She is not there. they have taken my sister and done something with her spirit, ground it up under their dirty boots.�
Though not exactly conventional, this one sentence illustrates just exactly how broken Vika’s little sister is. It establishes precedence for Vika’s guilt, rage and motives throughout the remainder or the book.
But…let’s say you are a person that reads for the underlying message. Lofty prose and stylistic commentary is more up your ally.
No prob, Ryan managed to include that too.
“In the seas of life, when the weather is bad, the optimist says the boat will be fine and the pessimist says we’re all going to die. But the realist � she adjusts the sails.�
“Despite what legend might have us believe, death is not proud, it isn’t fanfare and trumpet blasts. It is quiet but unassailable, absent one minute and absolute the next.�
“World of Shell and Bone� did have it’s fair share of flaws though too. For instance, the plot was inundated with highs and lows. For three chapters you would be in the thick of things. People were taking a stand, or Vika was unraveling a pocket full of lies, then…nothing. The story would stall while trying to make a point that was (in the end) relatively unnecessary. And even though I thought the ending was rather genius (and a total set up for book two.) there is a very good chance the majority of readers will find fault in it. (Let’s just say the ending was a tad more sedated than one would expect. Also…the last sentence left a lot of things open to interpretation.)
In the end however, all of the positives outweighed the negatives, and while I’m still not sure if my actions would be selfish or selfless (if found in the same situation) I’m somewhat comforted by the fact that others will be. Positive that is.
Highly suggested for those of you that love dystopian or apocalyptic literature.
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: you may pretend not to see them, but that doesn’t mean they don’t see you.
January 8, 2013
The world is suffering from radiation sickness, poverty, and China is the new super power of the world, and apparently the only safe place. Vika lives in New Amana, formally North America, where she dreams of being able to emigrate to Asia. China only wants them if they’re healthy, if they can prove they’re fertile. New Amana is female-run and men are subservient, and aren’t allowed to learn to read or think at all. Women are given five chances to conceive before they’re sent to the gas chamber. Vika is assigned her first Husband, Shale, at age 20, and begins her fertility process. But time is running out. Resources are getting scarcer, and those who don’t die from hunger will soon die from the radiation fallout.
I really enjoyed this world, even with all the bad stuff going down. Children who aren’t perfect are sent to live in assylums. "The human race simply cannot afford to let unhealthy genes into the gene pool anymore. We’re an endangered species.� Nukeheads are the people deformed by the fallout. They live on the streets as beggers. The men work as, nannies, maids, studs, or in maintenance. The women are the breadwinners with all the responsibility. Vika says, “I wish I could be as carefree as Shale � my biggest problem how small to slice the potatoes.�
This world seems to be empty of all emotion. Everyone’s afraid if they don’t act appropriately, they’ll be labeled as a traitor and gassed. Everyone's so paranoid and ruthless and out for themselves. And best of all, the writing is as beautiful as the cover art. I had a few small issues with the plot, but overall, I loved it!
**The ebook ends at 95%**
I really enjoyed this world, even with all the bad stuff going down. Children who aren’t perfect are sent to live in assylums. "The human race simply cannot afford to let unhealthy genes into the gene pool anymore. We’re an endangered species.� Nukeheads are the people deformed by the fallout. They live on the streets as beggers. The men work as, nannies, maids, studs, or in maintenance. The women are the breadwinners with all the responsibility. Vika says, “I wish I could be as carefree as Shale � my biggest problem how small to slice the potatoes.�
This world seems to be empty of all emotion. Everyone’s afraid if they don’t act appropriately, they’ll be labeled as a traitor and gassed. Everyone's so paranoid and ruthless and out for themselves. And best of all, the writing is as beautiful as the cover art. I had a few small issues with the plot, but overall, I loved it!
**The ebook ends at 95%**
March 14, 2013
Yeah. This is totally what would happen if feminists took over the world. Okay.
January 7, 2013
I came across this book in my Amazon recommendations & the title & cover caught my eye. I downloaded the sample & as soon as I'd finished reading it, I bought the book. I had to know where this was going to go. I am happy to say that I enjoyed where it did go & I've found out that there's going to be another book to follow, so I'm looking forward to that.
There were some things that didn't seem very fleshed out & the progression of time was hard to get a handle on (save one instance where the fact that two weeks have passed is mentioned at the outset of a chapter). There certainly was no insta-love between Vika & Shale & it is shown that they do have feelings that are deeper than the original matching of them but to have refer to him as the man she loves was a bit jarring. Up to that point, she had never made any sense of her feelings & expressed mostly wonder at them. She lives in a society in which there are no "boyfriends" & no opportunity to have crushes on the opposite sex, so I didn't know how she made that leap. It's never even established that she's had a girlfriend so that she has some knowledge of experience with romantic love. Still, that was a minor issue.
Vika also seemed to pick up a few "skills" out of nowhere (driving the bus) & was strangely lacking in others. She's given a pistol but has no knowledge or experience using them, yet it is not a concern in any way to her or thought that she should maybe ask someone how to use it (how she gets it back after Drew takes it from her is also a mystery). We're told often that the matriarchal society in which she lives is one that sees men as inferior & inherently dangerous physically but it does not appear that any of the women have taken the time to learn basic skills of self-defense, just in case. I had to wonder how that planned infiltration & takeover of China is really going to go down successfully. Part of me loved that after repeated situations that turned more complex & not quite what was told to her, Vika had an openness & willingness to trust that remained. It seemed nice even if it were also foolhardy. Just as a facet of self-preservation, I wanted her to be more critical & circumspect & not keep thinking that things would just work out. I wanted her to be a planner & take on more of her own agency to reach her goal instead of relying on what others told her. But, this is just the first book & she grew quite a bit, so I temper my expectations.
Even so, there were many moments that I found fascinating, endearing & memorable. Vika's interactions with her mother, Mica & Ceres are all wonderful & the characters shine. I almost felt some sympathy for Vika's mother when she's rendered as the poster child of futility in their society. I never stopped wanting to know more about Mica because his appearances were always reminders that his life has been as much a mystery to Vika as it is to me. I was just glad Ceres turned up alive & Vika found her and their interactions were truly special. The scene where Vika braids Ceres's hair & the other girls with flowers really struck me as beautiful. I really wanted some vicious retribution to come Moon's way early on (she was a great character) & it only increased when she reappeared at the end of the story The ending isn't a typical cliff-hanger & could serve as a good ending to a stand-alone story but it did leave me wanting to see what will happen next in Vika & her companions' journey.
There were some things that didn't seem very fleshed out & the progression of time was hard to get a handle on (save one instance where the fact that two weeks have passed is mentioned at the outset of a chapter). There certainly was no insta-love between Vika & Shale & it is shown that they do have feelings that are deeper than the original matching of them but to have refer to him as the man she loves was a bit jarring. Up to that point, she had never made any sense of her feelings & expressed mostly wonder at them. She lives in a society in which there are no "boyfriends" & no opportunity to have crushes on the opposite sex, so I didn't know how she made that leap. It's never even established that she's had a girlfriend so that she has some knowledge of experience with romantic love. Still, that was a minor issue.
Vika also seemed to pick up a few "skills" out of nowhere (driving the bus) & was strangely lacking in others. She's given a pistol but has no knowledge or experience using them, yet it is not a concern in any way to her or thought that she should maybe ask someone how to use it (how she gets it back after Drew takes it from her is also a mystery). We're told often that the matriarchal society in which she lives is one that sees men as inferior & inherently dangerous physically but it does not appear that any of the women have taken the time to learn basic skills of self-defense, just in case. I had to wonder how that planned infiltration & takeover of China is really going to go down successfully. Part of me loved that after repeated situations that turned more complex & not quite what was told to her, Vika had an openness & willingness to trust that remained. It seemed nice even if it were also foolhardy. Just as a facet of self-preservation, I wanted her to be more critical & circumspect & not keep thinking that things would just work out. I wanted her to be a planner & take on more of her own agency to reach her goal instead of relying on what others told her. But, this is just the first book & she grew quite a bit, so I temper my expectations.
Even so, there were many moments that I found fascinating, endearing & memorable. Vika's interactions with her mother, Mica & Ceres are all wonderful & the characters shine. I almost felt some sympathy for Vika's mother when she's rendered as the poster child of futility in their society. I never stopped wanting to know more about Mica because his appearances were always reminders that his life has been as much a mystery to Vika as it is to me. I was just glad Ceres turned up alive & Vika found her and their interactions were truly special. The scene where Vika braids Ceres's hair & the other girls with flowers really struck me as beautiful. I really wanted some vicious retribution to come Moon's way early on (she was a great character) & it only increased when she reappeared at the end of the story The ending isn't a typical cliff-hanger & could serve as a good ending to a stand-alone story but it did leave me wanting to see what will happen next in Vika & her companions' journey.
December 20, 2012
Gah! Just Look at that cover. I’m in love with it. I keep going back to look at it again and again. What do you think of it?
When I started reading this book, I found myself comparing or rather identifying it with Eve (Eve, #1) by Anna Carey and Matched (Matched, #1) by Ally Condie. But as I progressed with my reading, I found World of Shell and Bone making its own place in the bookish world with an innovative world-building and an entirely different storyline.
The book hooked me right in and I devoured it in less than a day since I couldn’t possibly part with it. The editing is flawless, not a single extra word is written. The speed with which the book moves is thrilling and captivating.
The characters are well-built and as I love myself a strong female character, Vika fit the bill perfectly.
The story is so well-written that I found myself emoting with the character’s situation � smiling, feeling sad and fearing for her.
The plot took turns I didn’t even expect, throwing me off balance. I like that � unpredictability in a book.
Overall, I think Adriana has done a brilliant job with her very first book. It hits the mark for me on all fronts- the plot, characters, pace, editing.
Go grab it right now.
When I started reading this book, I found myself comparing or rather identifying it with Eve (Eve, #1) by Anna Carey and Matched (Matched, #1) by Ally Condie. But as I progressed with my reading, I found World of Shell and Bone making its own place in the bookish world with an innovative world-building and an entirely different storyline.
The book hooked me right in and I devoured it in less than a day since I couldn’t possibly part with it. The editing is flawless, not a single extra word is written. The speed with which the book moves is thrilling and captivating.
The characters are well-built and as I love myself a strong female character, Vika fit the bill perfectly.
The story is so well-written that I found myself emoting with the character’s situation � smiling, feeling sad and fearing for her.
The plot took turns I didn’t even expect, throwing me off balance. I like that � unpredictability in a book.
Overall, I think Adriana has done a brilliant job with her very first book. It hits the mark for me on all fronts- the plot, characters, pace, editing.
Go grab it right now.
January 7, 2013
is this chick-lit? I don't know, but I stumbled upon this book via Amazon and it sounded interesting, and no, the cover didn't catch my interest! OK, I'm lying, but like your father used to say, "I read Playboy for the articles, not the pictures." This cover ended up eventually falling into that category as well.
Anywho...
As far as This book goes, it didn't come off as completely original, but it was fresh enough for me to finish it within a 24-hour period, and I usually don't do that with books, even the ones I really like. It comes off as your standard dystopian novel. You know, some great disaster, in this case a great war that involved nuclear proportions, a great divide and order submerged from this war of two-classes--the oppressed and oppressors, a torn landscape. You get my drift, I'm sure. Except this book wasn't YA, I believe. Not that all dystopian novels are YA... Regardless of the standard formula used in this book, I still enjoyed every page, the plot, and all the characters in this book. This book definitely ends with a cliff-hanger, but this book has only scratched the surface with its possible potential and still has tons of room for the plot and its characters to fully develop. I do hope this author continues on with this series and will read her future work if she does so.
Anywho...
As far as This book goes, it didn't come off as completely original, but it was fresh enough for me to finish it within a 24-hour period, and I usually don't do that with books, even the ones I really like. It comes off as your standard dystopian novel. You know, some great disaster, in this case a great war that involved nuclear proportions, a great divide and order submerged from this war of two-classes--the oppressed and oppressors, a torn landscape. You get my drift, I'm sure. Except this book wasn't YA, I believe. Not that all dystopian novels are YA... Regardless of the standard formula used in this book, I still enjoyed every page, the plot, and all the characters in this book. This book definitely ends with a cliff-hanger, but this book has only scratched the surface with its possible potential and still has tons of room for the plot and its characters to fully develop. I do hope this author continues on with this series and will read her future work if she does so.
January 5, 2013
The first thing I noticed when I started World of Shell and Bone was the writing style. Adriana Ryan has an undeniable way with words; she writes in a lyrical, almost literary style, while never letting the language overshadow the story itself. This is an atmospheric, beautiful book, even though the world it describes is anything but beautiful.
The story flowed smoothly from start to finish. There were no dragging parts, no places where I was tempted to put the book down. I bought it late one night, had to force myself to put it down so I could go to bed, and then finished it the next day. Vika's voice, and the unexpected turns the plot took, kept me reading until the book was done.
I also have to applaud the author for writing about a female-dominated society where men are subservient without making it gimmicky or like a political lecture. In some books this sort of thing comes across as trying to beat the reader over the head with the author's opinions or look-how-clever-I-am attitude; in this book, it was simply a plausible part of the world the author had created.
If you're looking for a sophisticated, introspective post-apocalyptic novel with plenty of ambience, I can't recommend this book highly enough.
The story flowed smoothly from start to finish. There were no dragging parts, no places where I was tempted to put the book down. I bought it late one night, had to force myself to put it down so I could go to bed, and then finished it the next day. Vika's voice, and the unexpected turns the plot took, kept me reading until the book was done.
I also have to applaud the author for writing about a female-dominated society where men are subservient without making it gimmicky or like a political lecture. In some books this sort of thing comes across as trying to beat the reader over the head with the author's opinions or look-how-clever-I-am attitude; in this book, it was simply a plausible part of the world the author had created.
If you're looking for a sophisticated, introspective post-apocalyptic novel with plenty of ambience, I can't recommend this book highly enough.
December 17, 2012
I loved World of Shell and Bone. Ryan did a great job of portraying a world destroyed by nuclear holocaust, with lyrical writing and deep, flawed characters. Every time you think Vika will be saved by some outside force, she's not, and she has to rely on her inner strength for salvation. Even if she manages to save herself and those she loves, it may not be the glorious moment she was hoping for. It was a very real book, and the only negative I found was that the ending wrapped up a little quicker than I was hoping for. Hopefully we'll see a second book in this series from Ryan, because I am very invested in these characters after spending a few nights reading their story.
February 22, 2014
I really don't understand how this book got such good reviews. First of all, the story is pretty similar to others I've read. And it isn't pulled off nearly as well. The characters are shallow and predictable, the world-building is mediocre at best, and there are just too many holes or things left unexplained. Not to mention the story was incredibly predictable. There were times I wanted to slap some sense into the main character because even though obvious things were staring her in the face, she still didn't seem to get it.
There were also some editing issues. I'm glad I only paid $2.99 for this book. It's not worth more than that.
There were also some editing issues. I'm glad I only paid $2.99 for this book. It's not worth more than that.
January 28, 2013
Okay, first, can I talk about how pretty the cover is? The cover is what made me want to read the book in the first place. I LOVE the cover. Even though it really has nothing at all to do with the book.
The book had great potential, but none of the characters really felt developed to me. They were flat. I never felt attached to them, or really cared what happened to them. And in my opinion, Vika and Shale... I mean, I never saw the romance. At all. So... yeah. Definite potential, but needs some fleshing out.
The book had great potential, but none of the characters really felt developed to me. They were flat. I never felt attached to them, or really cared what happened to them. And in my opinion, Vika and Shale... I mean, I never saw the romance. At all. So... yeah. Definite potential, but needs some fleshing out.
March 23, 2013
Vika has always followed the rules of this post-apocalyptic world, even when her baby sister, Ceres, was taken away to the Asylum. Now, as an adult, she is fulfilling her purpose in society, working for the government and taking a Husband to procreate with. At first, everything is going well. If she gets pregnant, she will be able to escape the horrors of New Amana (acid rain, radiation, etc.) and go to China, where everything is perfect.
But then it all starts to fall apart and suddenly, Vika finds herself teetering on the edge of a decision that could make or break her. It's the beginning of an adventure that could go terribly wrong.
I really did enjoy this book, though I felt that the romance element was not really as good as it could have been. There wasn't much reason for Vika to feel anything for Shale, though it did work for the style of book . . . it just would have been nice if she'd been a bit more taken by him. Apart from that, this is a very well written book and I liked the storyline, as well as the pacing.
The fact that women basically rule the world now is a fun one, though they aren't doing a terribly great job of it. Men are considered necessary, but volatile, so they are trained to work in the home and look after the kids. Not a bad concept. ;)
Parental Warning: This book is more New Adult than YA and does not pull any punches. I rather liked that, since I get tired of books that skirt around certain topics, but parents might want to pre-read before letting their younger teens at it. It includes references to sex (duh, it's a huge part of the story) and rape, but does not go into details.
But then it all starts to fall apart and suddenly, Vika finds herself teetering on the edge of a decision that could make or break her. It's the beginning of an adventure that could go terribly wrong.
I really did enjoy this book, though I felt that the romance element was not really as good as it could have been. There wasn't much reason for Vika to feel anything for Shale, though it did work for the style of book . . . it just would have been nice if she'd been a bit more taken by him. Apart from that, this is a very well written book and I liked the storyline, as well as the pacing.
The fact that women basically rule the world now is a fun one, though they aren't doing a terribly great job of it. Men are considered necessary, but volatile, so they are trained to work in the home and look after the kids. Not a bad concept. ;)
Parental Warning: This book is more New Adult than YA and does not pull any punches. I rather liked that, since I get tired of books that skirt around certain topics, but parents might want to pre-read before letting their younger teens at it. It includes references to sex (duh, it's a huge part of the story) and rape, but does not go into details.
January 21, 2013
What can I say about this book? Firstly, I'd like to say that Adriana Ryan is an amazing author that needs to get this in physical book form with the incredible mind-blowing cover and everything. I don't really like buying ebooks, I tend to download them and I know it's bad but it's a way for me to see if I'll like the book so I can then get its physical form. But it's not the case with this one. Thanks to my goodreads recommendations, this baby showed up in the morning. I was intrigued by the beautiful cover. The plot sounded well-crafted, so I gave it a chance (I'm a sucker for dystopian novels idgaf).
When I started reading it I got hooked. I got as hooked as a junky lost in a shooting gallery on a majestic crackhouse. Let me add the following, I don't do reviews. I'm not good doing them so I just favorite the books I liked (if I read something, I usually like it. If not, I don't even bother with it), so bear with me if this review is kind of gross.
Also, I like putting background music while I read dystopian novels. This time I chose to put on some epic Sergei Rachmaninoff, and holy hell. Did that worked. It gave it a certain tone, that kept me mesmerized, dumbfounded. This is the best 2.99 ebook I've ever bought in my entire life.
Everything that appears in my favorites list is TRULLY a favorite, that being said, I'm glad to give this a full FIVE STARS. Because wow...way to go ADRIANA RYAN <3 YOU LIFE RUINER YOU <3 Now i'm anxiously waiting for the sequel.
When I started reading it I got hooked. I got as hooked as a junky lost in a shooting gallery on a majestic crackhouse. Let me add the following, I don't do reviews. I'm not good doing them so I just favorite the books I liked (if I read something, I usually like it. If not, I don't even bother with it), so bear with me if this review is kind of gross.
Also, I like putting background music while I read dystopian novels. This time I chose to put on some epic Sergei Rachmaninoff, and holy hell. Did that worked. It gave it a certain tone, that kept me mesmerized, dumbfounded. This is the best 2.99 ebook I've ever bought in my entire life.
Everything that appears in my favorites list is TRULLY a favorite, that being said, I'm glad to give this a full FIVE STARS. Because wow...way to go ADRIANA RYAN <3 YOU LIFE RUINER YOU <3 Now i'm anxiously waiting for the sequel.
March 17, 2013
"World of Shell and Bone" follows 20 year old Vika Cannon living in harsh New Amana, a country plagued by nuclear fallout after a terrible world war. New Amana's government values its citizens only for how many children they can produce; a woman gets six tries and then she is disposed of. If she is successful, she gets a ticket to go to China, a place allegedly untouched by the warfare. Vika has recently been "matched" with her husband, Shale, and she struggles with the inability to get pregnant while feeling immense guilt about her little sister, Ceres, who was taken by the government and sent to an asylum where all unhealthy ciitzens are placed. Vika begins to explore the underbelly of society: the Radicals who seek to overthrow the government and the Nukeheads, people malformed from the nuclear fallout and hated by the healthy citizens.
The plot of this novel felt interesting and unique among many recent dystopians. Through her writing style, Ryan did an excellent job describing how hopeless Vika felt in the dreary landscape of New Amana. The ending of the novel definitely seems to set up for a sequel, and I think the world that Ryan created clearly provides enough interesting material to continue this story. I'd recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a good dystopian story about a heroine struggling through (and against) a bleak future.
The plot of this novel felt interesting and unique among many recent dystopians. Through her writing style, Ryan did an excellent job describing how hopeless Vika felt in the dreary landscape of New Amana. The ending of the novel definitely seems to set up for a sequel, and I think the world that Ryan created clearly provides enough interesting material to continue this story. I'd recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a good dystopian story about a heroine struggling through (and against) a bleak future.
January 3, 2013
Ok my actual rating would've been 4.5 stars.
Firstly, I nearly didn't read this book because of the cover and I'm not saying it's bad, in fact it's very good but, in my opinion, it screams "chic lit" or "not for boys". I fear it may put 50% of readers off...
This book is excellent, the writing is excellent as is the setting of the mood and pace. I would recommend it to anyone, male or female.
I always ask when reading, what soundtrack would accompany this novel? I'll go Bulimic Beats by Catatonia.
--------------------------------------------------------
For poor books remember Yoda - If no mistake have you made, yet losing you are ... a different game you should play!
How I review...
1 star - binned it before half way, please don't write anymore!!!
2 stars - finally binned it after really trying, I mean really trying and I hate to not finishing someth....
3 stars - finished it but boy was that hard work on times, it just about hooked me back in as I was about to dump it
4 stars - great book but it lacked something, something, can't put my finger on it but.... something
5 stars - want more, more books, more movies about the books, more movies about the authors and the making of the movie, just more!!!
Firstly, I nearly didn't read this book because of the cover and I'm not saying it's bad, in fact it's very good but, in my opinion, it screams "chic lit" or "not for boys". I fear it may put 50% of readers off...
This book is excellent, the writing is excellent as is the setting of the mood and pace. I would recommend it to anyone, male or female.
I always ask when reading, what soundtrack would accompany this novel? I'll go Bulimic Beats by Catatonia.
--------------------------------------------------------
For poor books remember Yoda - If no mistake have you made, yet losing you are ... a different game you should play!
How I review...
1 star - binned it before half way, please don't write anymore!!!
2 stars - finally binned it after really trying, I mean really trying and I hate to not finishing someth....
3 stars - finished it but boy was that hard work on times, it just about hooked me back in as I was about to dump it
4 stars - great book but it lacked something, something, can't put my finger on it but.... something
5 stars - want more, more books, more movies about the books, more movies about the authors and the making of the movie, just more!!!
May 24, 2013
This is an amazing book. It is dystopian, which I love and the premise here is that women are in charge because men have made a mess of things in the past. Men are very subservient and are not allowed to read or have any kind of job other than being a husband, taking care of their children (if the mother still wants him around) or as a maintenance worker. This book reminds me a little of Julianna Baggott's Pure because there are people in this book, called nukeheads, that are very deformed from the nuclear blasts. Vika, the heroine, is rather self absorbed but does have a lingering love for her little sister, who was taken away about 8 years ago because she started having fits, and put into an asylum. Vika gets a husband, Shale, who she falls in love with and who encourages her to be herself. She helps the Rads and becomes involved with all sorts of different kinds of people. There is some language and brutality in this book. There is a rape scene and you get some description of the "wedding" night so I don't think I would recommend this book for less than a 14 year old.
July 21, 2016
This book was a journey of character and emotion. And not just for the main characters, Vika and Shale, but for Vika's mother, Moon, Ceres and others. Yet not once did I feel as though author Adriana Ryan took them out of the realm of how they would react to evolving situations. She draws a very vivid character and a very vivid world. Parts are dark, accompanied by suppressed emotions. To her credit Ryan doesn't shy away from the harsher side of living in a dystopian world. Too often the focus in these types of novels is on the fight but not the sheer exhaustion, guilt and horror that must accompany the situation. The story's romance is fairly minimal but key, and the world building is extensive, including a focus on feminism, caste, government, ability to rule and right to rule. At times I felt certain scenes could have been more richly detailed, but in the end it is a very satisfying story arc in just 200 quickly read pages. Next installment is avidly anticipated!
June 10, 2013
The world fell into war. China won. New Amana, made up of North and South America, are under feminist rule and suffering from acid rain, contaminated air and the corruption of power. If you can produce a healthy baby for New Amana, they will let you go to China where you can be healthy and happy. (Or will they?) Failure to produce healthy offspring is a death sentence. Does anyone have the courage to do what is right and fight back against the oppressive regime?
It's a little bit matched with a smidgen of Feminism on a power steroid mixed with a crumb of the Handmaid's Tale.
The author handled the subject matter incredibly well. Her writing draws you in and leaves you waiting for the second installment. Character developement is good.
This is not a story promoting or arguing against feminism. It is a story of humanity and love resurfacing in the wake of a country grown on the corruption of power.
Put that all together and I give it a 4 star rating & look forward to the 2nd book.
It's a little bit matched with a smidgen of Feminism on a power steroid mixed with a crumb of the Handmaid's Tale.
The author handled the subject matter incredibly well. Her writing draws you in and leaves you waiting for the second installment. Character developement is good.
This is not a story promoting or arguing against feminism. It is a story of humanity and love resurfacing in the wake of a country grown on the corruption of power.
Put that all together and I give it a 4 star rating & look forward to the 2nd book.
January 28, 2013
This was a very quick read. And even though I have NO IDEA why this beautiful cover is on the book, I'll admit that it was what first caught my eye. And while this story didn't feel very original to me, I did enjoy it.
August 5, 2013
meh.....I wanted to love this book with pretty cover and interesting plot, but there were too many holes and the story was just lacking. I still find the story line interesting... just wish the writing could have been better.
January 7, 2013
maybe the kids will like it...
February 28, 2013
Wow this is a writing workshop book. First few chapters ok, rest....eh not so much. I'd advise everyone to pass on this one.
May 8, 2013
This book has an over simplistic view of the world! All feminists are lesbians, all men are rapists. It's shocking in its childishness!!
March 5, 2014
"Safety is the cleverest illusion New Amana perpetrates. It is the rabbit pulled out of a back hat that, when you're looking away, morphs into a rabid wolf."
Imagine gray skies, acid rain, breathing in radiation twenty four hours a day and deformed "nukeheads" scavenging in the streets. Food and resources are fleeting and neighbors are turning on each other in hopes of gaining favor. Dissidents are being gassed. Strong citizens are desperate to emigrate to the first world country that is China. America is gone, New Amana with its feminist regime has risen in its place. Women govern. Women work. Women are educated. Men are taken from their homes at a young age, never taught to read or write and used simply for seed. The lucky ones are allowed to keep house after providing their matches with child. Anything weak is eliminated. Chronically ill children, male or female, are shipped off to the asylums to suffer inhuman fates. Religion is gone. Faith is gone. Freedom is gone. The only escape is procreation and emigration. Vika Cannon is simply trying to survive, pushing through her days until she can be matched and impregnated. When she meets Shale Underwood in the matching clinic she believes her chance has come. Little does she know Shale is a member of the Rad's, a radical group of men who have gone underground rather than bow to the women's rule, and his matching to Vika is no accident. He's come just for her...
Despite the blurb to this one immediately drawing my attention, I was incredibly hesitant to purchase and read World of Shell and Bone. In fact if we're being honest, I was more than hesitant. I put off this one for months because of its length, or lack there of. I typically never buy any book that's under two hundred pages as this one is. I may spend a dollar or two on a book with less than three hundred pages but I never, ever spend money on a book with only a hundred odd pages. I was however severely hooked on young adult dystopian for some time and eventually caved on this the first in a new trilogy. My only regret after reading it? That I didn't buy it the first time I saw it.
"Morning crawls in and lays on my bedroom floor, its gray belly exposed."
"Perhaps there are twin versions of us all somewhere, living out the destinies of which we've been robbed."
"Days drift by like ash settling on concrete."
"We birth humans and batter them into human-shaped pulp; empty nothingness housed by crumbling shell and bone."
"Despite what legend might have us believe, death is not proud, it is quiet but unassailable, absent one minute and absolute the next."
Ryan has built an ugly world in New Amana, and yet she conveys it to us readers so beautifully. As we shadow Vika through her journey to become pregnant and emigrate to China I can almost feel the acidic rain on my own bare skin, the heavy gray skies weigh on my own mood and I cringe seeing Nukeheads scattering in the shadows of the streets. The thundering silence through which Vika suffers, her desperation, both palpable. Ryan has an incredible knack for imagery. I've found many authors, particularly in the dystopian genre, overload their novels with pretentious one liners. Whether reaching for a certain level of depth in their word building or attempting to paint a particularly vivid image of their setting, nine times out of ten, the novels come off desperate and physically painful to read. Ryan completely hit the mark in World of Shell and Bone finding the balance between grace and pretention, because really Monica Gellar said it best with "a little pretention never hurt anybody."
The story of World of Shell and Bone starts from page one and never tapers off. My earlier complaint that it is too short did resonate from beginning to end. Though Ryan wastes no words in sharing the first part of Vika's story I am convinced that she could easily have doubled the length of the novel and never lost anyone's attention. The storyline certainly holds its own and moves along at breakneck speed. So much so in fact that I'm left with another complaint, though it's a frequent theme in young adult titles. The relationship between Vika and her husband Shale seemed to go from awkward and cold to full blown I-will-risk-my-life-for-you-no-questions-asked in a matter of a paragraph. Oddly enough, and I credit this to Ryan's skill, even after the sudden change their relationship never felt forced. It was only the progress of the relationship that was unrealistic. I've never in another title known a couple to suddenly fall in love and have the entire rest of the relationship not feel forced. Somehow Ryan avoided this pitfall common in the New / Young adult genre completely.
Complaints? There was a bit left lacking in the character development of the supporting roles, Moon in particular. Though if we're being honest who needs character building when one is clearly a villain through and through? Certain revelations and scenes could have used more padding, and yes I am being redundant in complaining about the length. I almost read over strong plot points because they were so suddenly introduced into the story and then nearly passed over without ceremony. If I hadn't been paying attention I would have missed some important changes, of course Ryan's writing is so infectious that I was paying complete attention to every word that I read.
Overall I truly enjoyed this book. There was some language that I was not expecting though nothing that would redden my cheeks if my grandmother was in the room. In fact, the sterility of some of the sex scenes made me more uncomfortable than the vulgarity of some of the Rad's. My only true complaint is of course the length. Had Ryan slowed down to share just that much more of her world with us, I would have given World of Shell and Bone a full five stars. It was good enough that I forgave the jump in Vika and Shales relationship and detracted no stars because of it. I have just purchased the second book in the series and cannot wait to continue the journey.
Imagine gray skies, acid rain, breathing in radiation twenty four hours a day and deformed "nukeheads" scavenging in the streets. Food and resources are fleeting and neighbors are turning on each other in hopes of gaining favor. Dissidents are being gassed. Strong citizens are desperate to emigrate to the first world country that is China. America is gone, New Amana with its feminist regime has risen in its place. Women govern. Women work. Women are educated. Men are taken from their homes at a young age, never taught to read or write and used simply for seed. The lucky ones are allowed to keep house after providing their matches with child. Anything weak is eliminated. Chronically ill children, male or female, are shipped off to the asylums to suffer inhuman fates. Religion is gone. Faith is gone. Freedom is gone. The only escape is procreation and emigration. Vika Cannon is simply trying to survive, pushing through her days until she can be matched and impregnated. When she meets Shale Underwood in the matching clinic she believes her chance has come. Little does she know Shale is a member of the Rad's, a radical group of men who have gone underground rather than bow to the women's rule, and his matching to Vika is no accident. He's come just for her...
Despite the blurb to this one immediately drawing my attention, I was incredibly hesitant to purchase and read World of Shell and Bone. In fact if we're being honest, I was more than hesitant. I put off this one for months because of its length, or lack there of. I typically never buy any book that's under two hundred pages as this one is. I may spend a dollar or two on a book with less than three hundred pages but I never, ever spend money on a book with only a hundred odd pages. I was however severely hooked on young adult dystopian for some time and eventually caved on this the first in a new trilogy. My only regret after reading it? That I didn't buy it the first time I saw it.
"Morning crawls in and lays on my bedroom floor, its gray belly exposed."
"Perhaps there are twin versions of us all somewhere, living out the destinies of which we've been robbed."
"Days drift by like ash settling on concrete."
"We birth humans and batter them into human-shaped pulp; empty nothingness housed by crumbling shell and bone."
"Despite what legend might have us believe, death is not proud, it is quiet but unassailable, absent one minute and absolute the next."
Ryan has built an ugly world in New Amana, and yet she conveys it to us readers so beautifully. As we shadow Vika through her journey to become pregnant and emigrate to China I can almost feel the acidic rain on my own bare skin, the heavy gray skies weigh on my own mood and I cringe seeing Nukeheads scattering in the shadows of the streets. The thundering silence through which Vika suffers, her desperation, both palpable. Ryan has an incredible knack for imagery. I've found many authors, particularly in the dystopian genre, overload their novels with pretentious one liners. Whether reaching for a certain level of depth in their word building or attempting to paint a particularly vivid image of their setting, nine times out of ten, the novels come off desperate and physically painful to read. Ryan completely hit the mark in World of Shell and Bone finding the balance between grace and pretention, because really Monica Gellar said it best with "a little pretention never hurt anybody."
The story of World of Shell and Bone starts from page one and never tapers off. My earlier complaint that it is too short did resonate from beginning to end. Though Ryan wastes no words in sharing the first part of Vika's story I am convinced that she could easily have doubled the length of the novel and never lost anyone's attention. The storyline certainly holds its own and moves along at breakneck speed. So much so in fact that I'm left with another complaint, though it's a frequent theme in young adult titles. The relationship between Vika and her husband Shale seemed to go from awkward and cold to full blown I-will-risk-my-life-for-you-no-questions-asked in a matter of a paragraph. Oddly enough, and I credit this to Ryan's skill, even after the sudden change their relationship never felt forced. It was only the progress of the relationship that was unrealistic. I've never in another title known a couple to suddenly fall in love and have the entire rest of the relationship not feel forced. Somehow Ryan avoided this pitfall common in the New / Young adult genre completely.
Complaints? There was a bit left lacking in the character development of the supporting roles, Moon in particular. Though if we're being honest who needs character building when one is clearly a villain through and through? Certain revelations and scenes could have used more padding, and yes I am being redundant in complaining about the length. I almost read over strong plot points because they were so suddenly introduced into the story and then nearly passed over without ceremony. If I hadn't been paying attention I would have missed some important changes, of course Ryan's writing is so infectious that I was paying complete attention to every word that I read.
Overall I truly enjoyed this book. There was some language that I was not expecting though nothing that would redden my cheeks if my grandmother was in the room. In fact, the sterility of some of the sex scenes made me more uncomfortable than the vulgarity of some of the Rad's. My only true complaint is of course the length. Had Ryan slowed down to share just that much more of her world with us, I would have given World of Shell and Bone a full five stars. It was good enough that I forgave the jump in Vika and Shales relationship and detracted no stars because of it. I have just purchased the second book in the series and cannot wait to continue the journey.
December 14, 2013
INITIAL THOUGHTS
So first of all I should totally admit I messed up and read Moon which is 1.5 in the Glimpsing Stars Series first. But on a good note it definitely did not spoil my enjoyment of Bk#1 as Moon concentrates on "Moon" as the main character, whereas in World Of Shell And Bone the main characters are really the Cannon family.
So as I had read Moon previously I had an inkling I was going to love this book too! As I knew I already enjoyed S.K. Falls writing style, I will say my expectations were even higher for this book. when I started reading it I really hated it every single time I had to put it down! In fact I even took my kindle to read in the college car park whilst waiting to pick my daughter up! I was totally hooked.
MY REVIEW
I purchased this title in e-book format from Amazon.co.uk after I finished reading Moon in the Darkest Worlds Anthology. So the cover features a woman, presumably Vika in a gorgeous dress holding a bird cage. I think the bird cage could be there to represent how people are literally in cages, in that if they step out of line they can be sent to be gassed. Also women are the rulers of society. It's a total role reversal of our present day society. Men are more considered homemakers and somewhat second class citizens.
Would the cover alone make me want to read the book? Being totally truthful no. The cover would maybe make me want to learn more about the book. Though it's the blurb that would totally sell me the book.
The book is set in a place called New Amana, which is plainly dying daily. The air is at times un-breathable, the rain burns the skin like acid. It is a society ruled by "higher ups" who decide who can have a place on a ship to a healthier place to live and who will stay behind and die. The members of this society have certain duties they have to take care of. The womens role if to bear healthy children to re-populate New Amana. Men are cast in a supportive role, obviously they have to perform to get the women pregnant when they are "Matched" but after a child is born the women can send the man away, and take another to be matched with for her second child etc. When first matched a couple has a certain amount of tries over 6 months, but the rules can be changed however and whenever the govvernment of women wish it to.
So the main character of this book is Vika Canon, daughter of the very important Mathilde Canon. Mathilde Canon is so determined to play by the rules to earn her place on a ship to china she even "sold out" her own daughter Ceres, when it became apparent she was less than perfect, when she began having fits. Ceres is sent away to an Asylum, to be "experimented on" for the wider good of humanity. When Ceres is taken away all traces of her are removed from Vika's home and Mathilde insists that Ceres never be spoken of again. It's literally as if she never ever existed. But Vika remembers her beautiful sister. Mathilde continually puts great pressure on her only remaining daughter to be a perfect example of societies rules. When Vika is "matched" to the male named Shale her mother again puts pressure on them to deliver the goods so to speak.
So as in most dystopian societies there are the conformers and the non-conformers, called Rads in this book. The Rads want to rescue the children who were sent to the asylums to be experimented on, as news has leaked out that they are being hurt and abused. Vika hears this news and decides she must rescue her sister Ceres, the beautiful, carefree child she has never forgotten despite her mothers attempts. Vika also has a brother who ends up rebelling against his mother and her governments regime.
I really could go on and on forever about this book, I thoroughly immersed myself into this book ad the societies culture as I was reading the book. I was hanging on every word of the book. The book starts at what I'd say was a medium pace and then as you learn the background you need to know, the pace picks up and you, the reader want to figuratively run along faster with it. I couldn't wait to know more and more. I felt Vika's frustration with the social order within New Amana, I felt her broken hearted disappointment when she realises who gave up her sister to be sent to the Asylum. You also feel her desperation and deep need to find Ceres and try to put right all the wrongs that have been done to her in the name of improving humanity. I enjoyed reading about the trials and tribulations Vika goes through, the hard times, dangerous situations and the occasional lucky break she manages to get. When I got to the very end and Vika looks up at a male, wondering if her eyes are telling her the truth about whom she is seeing, I really wanted to flick to the next page on my kindle and see a certain males name but the book just stops short of revealing the males name.I know who I really want it to be, and I'm highly anticipating the next book.
So did I enjoy the book? I loved reading this fantastically well thought out dystopian delight! Would I recommend the book? I would highly recommend this book & series. Would I read another book in this series? I have already read Moon, though I read it in the wrong order I loved it. and I am earnestly looking forward to reading Bk#2 Would I read other books by this Author? I would certainly take a closer look at any books by S.K. Falls after reading World Of Shell and Bone.
So first of all I should totally admit I messed up and read Moon which is 1.5 in the Glimpsing Stars Series first. But on a good note it definitely did not spoil my enjoyment of Bk#1 as Moon concentrates on "Moon" as the main character, whereas in World Of Shell And Bone the main characters are really the Cannon family.
So as I had read Moon previously I had an inkling I was going to love this book too! As I knew I already enjoyed S.K. Falls writing style, I will say my expectations were even higher for this book. when I started reading it I really hated it every single time I had to put it down! In fact I even took my kindle to read in the college car park whilst waiting to pick my daughter up! I was totally hooked.
MY REVIEW
I purchased this title in e-book format from Amazon.co.uk after I finished reading Moon in the Darkest Worlds Anthology. So the cover features a woman, presumably Vika in a gorgeous dress holding a bird cage. I think the bird cage could be there to represent how people are literally in cages, in that if they step out of line they can be sent to be gassed. Also women are the rulers of society. It's a total role reversal of our present day society. Men are more considered homemakers and somewhat second class citizens.
Would the cover alone make me want to read the book? Being totally truthful no. The cover would maybe make me want to learn more about the book. Though it's the blurb that would totally sell me the book.
The book is set in a place called New Amana, which is plainly dying daily. The air is at times un-breathable, the rain burns the skin like acid. It is a society ruled by "higher ups" who decide who can have a place on a ship to a healthier place to live and who will stay behind and die. The members of this society have certain duties they have to take care of. The womens role if to bear healthy children to re-populate New Amana. Men are cast in a supportive role, obviously they have to perform to get the women pregnant when they are "Matched" but after a child is born the women can send the man away, and take another to be matched with for her second child etc. When first matched a couple has a certain amount of tries over 6 months, but the rules can be changed however and whenever the govvernment of women wish it to.
So the main character of this book is Vika Canon, daughter of the very important Mathilde Canon. Mathilde Canon is so determined to play by the rules to earn her place on a ship to china she even "sold out" her own daughter Ceres, when it became apparent she was less than perfect, when she began having fits. Ceres is sent away to an Asylum, to be "experimented on" for the wider good of humanity. When Ceres is taken away all traces of her are removed from Vika's home and Mathilde insists that Ceres never be spoken of again. It's literally as if she never ever existed. But Vika remembers her beautiful sister. Mathilde continually puts great pressure on her only remaining daughter to be a perfect example of societies rules. When Vika is "matched" to the male named Shale her mother again puts pressure on them to deliver the goods so to speak.
So as in most dystopian societies there are the conformers and the non-conformers, called Rads in this book. The Rads want to rescue the children who were sent to the asylums to be experimented on, as news has leaked out that they are being hurt and abused. Vika hears this news and decides she must rescue her sister Ceres, the beautiful, carefree child she has never forgotten despite her mothers attempts. Vika also has a brother who ends up rebelling against his mother and her governments regime.
I really could go on and on forever about this book, I thoroughly immersed myself into this book ad the societies culture as I was reading the book. I was hanging on every word of the book. The book starts at what I'd say was a medium pace and then as you learn the background you need to know, the pace picks up and you, the reader want to figuratively run along faster with it. I couldn't wait to know more and more. I felt Vika's frustration with the social order within New Amana, I felt her broken hearted disappointment when she realises who gave up her sister to be sent to the Asylum. You also feel her desperation and deep need to find Ceres and try to put right all the wrongs that have been done to her in the name of improving humanity. I enjoyed reading about the trials and tribulations Vika goes through, the hard times, dangerous situations and the occasional lucky break she manages to get. When I got to the very end and Vika looks up at a male, wondering if her eyes are telling her the truth about whom she is seeing, I really wanted to flick to the next page on my kindle and see a certain males name but the book just stops short of revealing the males name.I know who I really want it to be, and I'm highly anticipating the next book.
So did I enjoy the book? I loved reading this fantastically well thought out dystopian delight! Would I recommend the book? I would highly recommend this book & series. Would I read another book in this series? I have already read Moon, though I read it in the wrong order I loved it. and I am earnestly looking forward to reading Bk#2 Would I read other books by this Author? I would certainly take a closer look at any books by S.K. Falls after reading World Of Shell and Bone.
September 21, 2021
Standard dystopia
Not exciting literature but an easy read. Contains pretty much every dystopian troupe and cliché you can think of but some people like that. It had interesting bits but I won't be sticking with the series.
Not exciting literature but an easy read. Contains pretty much every dystopian troupe and cliché you can think of but some people like that. It had interesting bits but I won't be sticking with the series.
July 28, 2013
This review and others can be found on my blog,
.
The description sounds intriguing, doesn't it? That combined with that pretty cover enticed me to read this book (still not sure how the cover relates to the book).
I really liked the first half of the book. I did find some parts a little far fetched. Basically there was a really big war, a nuclear war. Lots of men went off to fight and most of them died. New Amana is made by "feminist" women rising up to take the lead. I say feminist lightly because what is a feminist?
A feminist is an advocate for social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men.
And that is clearly NOT what is happening in this book. In this book men are inferior to women, partially because it was men and testosterone ways that brought about the war. The women in this book are not any kinder though.
Also in this book China has become the new super power. Clearly they somehow managed to stay out of the war and all of the nuclear pollution managed to stay away from the air over China. So, China has the cleanest air in the world. This is partially explained by saying they have new technology to help clean up the air and keep it clean.
This technology is suppose to be in use slowly cleaning up the air over New Amana which will take years. In the meantime, people are left to breathe horribly polluted air. And the population is dwindling. I should say healthy population. Because in this new world they institutionalize or murder (via gas chambers) anyone who is not genetically healthy or cannot produce a child within a given time frame.
If you are a good little citizen and manage to produce children or meet specific fitness guidelines, you have a chance of getting a boat ticket to immigrate to China to live while New Amana is cleaned up. Those left behind will continue having dwindling safe food and water and will most likely die. Oh, and if you turn in fellow citizens that break the law, you get extra special brownie points with the government. These "law breakers" tend to be immediately sentenced to death with no chance to defend themselves.
Not necessarily all believable, but interesting nonetheless. We follow Vika, one of the sheep of New Amana who blindly follows what the government expects of her. As a character she starts out pretty flat but develops okay over the course of the story. She is given a Husband, who is suppose to keep house (think 1950's role reversal), help Vika conceive a child (via boring and clinical sex), and if Vika chooses, stay home and help raise the child. Vika is assigned Shale. Now Shale is an interesting character. I really liked him. Shale is really part of the rebel underground who was given the task (he volunteered) to be Vika's Husband and try to get information from Vika's work that will help the rebels. Vika works for a government agency who sorts coded data related to the movement of people to and from the asylums and gas chambers.
Vika slowly comes to realize that the government is bad and decides she wants to help the rebels free children from the asylums, including her little sister. All while this is happening her relationship with Shale develops. And they are off on their mission. So far so good. I was really liking it at this point and was even discussing it with my family and friends. And then the story goes down hill (for me anyways).
Overall I feel the author started out with a 4-5 star book. Definitely would have been 5 if she had thrown in chapters from Shale's POV. I would LOVE to have his POV of the whole situation. Then about halfway through you drop the most interesting character from the book. The second half was a 1.5-2.5 star book. This leaves me with having to give this book a 3 star rating. It definitely has potential, but I think it needs to be reworked. Maybe pick up a professional editor or rework the story a little.
The description sounds intriguing, doesn't it? That combined with that pretty cover enticed me to read this book (still not sure how the cover relates to the book).
I really liked the first half of the book. I did find some parts a little far fetched. Basically there was a really big war, a nuclear war. Lots of men went off to fight and most of them died. New Amana is made by "feminist" women rising up to take the lead. I say feminist lightly because what is a feminist?
A feminist is an advocate for social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men.
And that is clearly NOT what is happening in this book. In this book men are inferior to women, partially because it was men and testosterone ways that brought about the war. The women in this book are not any kinder though.
Also in this book China has become the new super power. Clearly they somehow managed to stay out of the war and all of the nuclear pollution managed to stay away from the air over China. So, China has the cleanest air in the world. This is partially explained by saying they have new technology to help clean up the air and keep it clean.
This technology is suppose to be in use slowly cleaning up the air over New Amana which will take years. In the meantime, people are left to breathe horribly polluted air. And the population is dwindling. I should say healthy population. Because in this new world they institutionalize or murder (via gas chambers) anyone who is not genetically healthy or cannot produce a child within a given time frame.
If you are a good little citizen and manage to produce children or meet specific fitness guidelines, you have a chance of getting a boat ticket to immigrate to China to live while New Amana is cleaned up. Those left behind will continue having dwindling safe food and water and will most likely die. Oh, and if you turn in fellow citizens that break the law, you get extra special brownie points with the government. These "law breakers" tend to be immediately sentenced to death with no chance to defend themselves.
Not necessarily all believable, but interesting nonetheless. We follow Vika, one of the sheep of New Amana who blindly follows what the government expects of her. As a character she starts out pretty flat but develops okay over the course of the story. She is given a Husband, who is suppose to keep house (think 1950's role reversal), help Vika conceive a child (via boring and clinical sex), and if Vika chooses, stay home and help raise the child. Vika is assigned Shale. Now Shale is an interesting character. I really liked him. Shale is really part of the rebel underground who was given the task (he volunteered) to be Vika's Husband and try to get information from Vika's work that will help the rebels. Vika works for a government agency who sorts coded data related to the movement of people to and from the asylums and gas chambers.
Vika slowly comes to realize that the government is bad and decides she wants to help the rebels free children from the asylums, including her little sister. All while this is happening her relationship with Shale develops. And they are off on their mission. So far so good. I was really liking it at this point and was even discussing it with my family and friends. And then the story goes down hill (for me anyways).
Overall I feel the author started out with a 4-5 star book. Definitely would have been 5 if she had thrown in chapters from Shale's POV. I would LOVE to have his POV of the whole situation. Then about halfway through you drop the most interesting character from the book. The second half was a 1.5-2.5 star book. This leaves me with having to give this book a 3 star rating. It definitely has potential, but I think it needs to be reworked. Maybe pick up a professional editor or rework the story a little.
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