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Thursday, February 16, 2012

REVIEW ~ PARTIALS (PARTIALS, #1) BY DAN WELLS

The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials--engineered organic beings identical to humans--has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them--connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

Dan Wells, acclaimed author of "I Am Not a Serial Killer," takes readers on a pulsepounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question--one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival. ~ From GoodReads

Wow. Wow,wow,wow! After falling in love with the post-apocalyptic world in Under the Never Sky, I didn't think I would find another novel to compete with it for quite some time, let alone this soon. But in Partials, that is exactly what I found, and I couldn't be more excited.

If you take a good look at the cover, the story is laid before you. The world as we know it is a wasteland, bleak and empty, with the buildings and homes humans once occupied nothing but an empty shell. The story is set in 2076, not so far ahead that it cannot be envisioned. And the circumstances that led to this downfall are entirely too plausible. The United States was involved in a war with Iran and another war with China, scarily possible. The government needed an unbeatable army, so they created Partials, who look like us, talk like us, but are much harder to kill. After the wars were over, the Partials were relegated to an oppressive existence. They revolted. They won. But not only did they win, they decimated the human population with the RM virus, leaving the human race unable to bring a child into the world longer than a few days. Which means the human race is going extinct. But things are not always what the seem. Who is the real enemy?
 
How scary is that? I found the plausibility of the plot to be a most terrifying, yet intriguing concept. My whole life, I've heard older people say that our technology would one day bring about our downfall. Robots would take over the world, and take us down. I always laughed that idea off, but what if it's true?

On top of the brilliant plot line, the author has created a terrific cast of characters. The interaction between the characters, the nonverbal and spoken communication was excellent. I had a great sense of who they were, how they felt about one another without the author having to overexplain. Main character Kira is a medical researcher, intelligent and resourceful. And the girl, only sixteen years old, never says quit. Willing to risk her own life to save humanity (and her best friend's baby), Kira is fierce and loyal. Tough as granite, she holds firm in the face of all adversity, including a huge bomb of a secret she is sitting on.

Kira's boyfriend Marcus was without a doubt the most entertaining character. He is always quick with a one-liner that diffuses a tense situation. He is faithful and believing in what Kira hopes to achieve. I loved him, so much. Xochi, another of Kira's friends and a partner, was also absolutely hilarious and endearing. Even with all of the drama going on, she was great for comic relief. Truthfully, there are at least five more characters that I would love to talk about in depth. But I'm going to hold back a bit because this is a review about a book and not an actual book.

I don't always enjoy post-apocalyptic books because many have become formulaic, in my opinion. That is absolutely not the case in Partials. The fact that not only is there one enemy out there, but two, in addition to the virus that will eventually kill of the human species, left me reeling. The terror is lifted to a whole new level, leaving you feeling surrounded on all sides. The author does not take the easy way out with the characters and the situations they face. Any character, shockingly, can be collaterol damage. The end of Partials left me frantic, flipping the pages as quickly as possible and crying. The story is tragic and bittersweet, yet promising. It was a terrific finish that left me wanting more, but not angry. But, honestly, I'm dying for more!


Favorite Quote:

" 'That is the second worst idea I've ever heard,' said Tovar, 'but since the first worst is you shooting me in the face, I'm all for it.' " (pg. 61, ARC)

"All we have left is each other, so let's enjoy it. Let's be together, like we've always said we'd be, and let's forget all this death and fear and everything else and just live. You want to leave this island, let's leave- let's go somewhere no one will find us, away from the Senate and the Voice and the Partials and everything else. But let's do it together." (pg. 133, ARC)


Browse Inside Partials.
Watch the PARTIALS trailer

Hardcover, 1st Edition, 472 pages
Expected publication: February 28th 2012 by HarperTEEN
You can pre-order PARTIALS at:
Find Dan Wells at:

33 comments:

  1. I laughed at the first quote. Loved it. :) And the fact that there's a character that is witty? I soooo need to read it SOON.


    Thanks for the great review, I can't wait to read it myself

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    1. The entire book is filled w/funny dialogue like that. So good.
      Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. This cover seriously gives me the shivers! I'm so happy the story is good too I can't wait to start it I plan to read it in a few days. And those quotes are awesome!! Baha

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    1. The cover is brilliant! Gorgeous and ominous. Can't wait to see what you think of it.

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  3. I don't really read post-apocalyptic books either, but maybe I'll give this one a try. Great review!

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    1. I hope you love it, if you do decide to give it a try.
      Thsnks for stopping by, Autumn!

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  4. I was already looking forward to this one, but now I'm even more excited! I am seriously addicted to post-apocalyptic novels.

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  5. Awesome review!! I have been wanting to read this one since I first heard about it. It sounds even more awesome than I originally thought. I am really looking forward to it.

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    1. I was hoping to like it, at best. Was so happy that I loved it!
      Thanks for stopping by!

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  6. oh wow, I've seen this book a couple of times but never stopped to read the synopsis, I haven't read any post-apocalytipc books but now I really want to read this one.

    If you enjoy it this much I'm pretty sure is an impressive book, now I'm really looking forward to it ;)

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    1. Hey, sweet girl! I hope you're able to fit this into your busy schedule x
      Thanks for stopping by!

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  7. omg, your review has given me chills.. I'm dying.. I need to read this.. I love me a good apocolyptic world. I have been a little burnt out lately, but this sounds so different from others I have read.

    And just look at that cover.. it's seriously one of my favs lately.. although her hair looks pretty darn nice.. I want her shampoo.. for realz.

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    1. Haha! Her hair is pretty, for sure. I hope you love it.

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  8. maybe she washes it in awesomesauce.

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  9. Okay, I must read this. Dan Wells is an awesome writer for sure!

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    1. I haven't read any if his other books. I definitely need to take a look.
      Thanks for stopping by!

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  10. I really want to read this on! I have been watching this one for awhile! It is getting so many great reviews! It is defiantly something I need to pick up and make time for soon! Great Review! I am glad you loved it!

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    1. Try to make the time! Partials is one of the better books I've read this year.
      Thanks for stopping by!

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  11. I am soooo happy that you have the same enthusiasm as I did when reading Partials! I was so worried that it wasn't going to get the hype that it deserves.

    Great review! I love it.

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    1. I can't believe everyone isn't raving about it! I think it's brilliant.
      Thanks for stopping by!

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  12. I've got to read this! Sounds like a big winner for 2012 already. Thanks for this great review to get me excited about it. If I only I wasn't so broke....

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    1. I'm sorry! I've had to go on a strict buying allowance. It's tough with all the great ones out there.

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  13. AHHHHHHHHHH I Need this book !! Thanks for the fabulous review Andrea :)

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    1. I hope you're able to read it soon, Elodie!
      Thanks for stopping by.

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  14. Wow, I got teary-eyed just reading the cover blurb, but I have a soft spot for babies. I get a bit weepy whenever I think about mothers losing children. Thanks for the review, I am definitely going to read this!

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    1. The "losing babies" aspect of the story is a MAJOR catalyst for the plot. It was heartbreaking and frantic.
      I hope you enjoy this!

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  15. YAY so glad to hear you enjoyed this one!!! I love reading dystopians so I was seriously anxious to pick this one up but now I want to read it even more. Amazing review Andrea!!!!

    Jaskirat~SeeitORreadit

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    1. Partials is definitely one of the better books of the genre, and I am super picky about those.
      I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by!

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  16. Wonderful review. I'm counting the day of it's release date. I can't wait for my copy. Love the trailer. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. It'll be release day before you know it! I love great book trailers, too.
      Thanks for stopping by!

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  17. I really enjoyed reading this! It was sort of a mixture of sci-fi, dystopia, and epic fantasy. It took me a while to read, but I think that is because my week has been crazy and not because of anything bad about the book.

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