Troubled Times: Power's Out (2)
by Rachel Meehan
Genre(s): Young Adult, Dystopian
Pages: 240
Published: Dec 2013
Publisher: Cherry House Publishing
Official Summary: "“You could almost imagine everything was like before,” said Nairne, staring at the distant lights. “But it’s just an illusion, a few people hanging on to something that’s already dead.”
“You don’t think we can get it all back then?” Ronnie asked.
“No, the old way is gone, just wait until the lights go out for good. My dad always said once the power goes out mankind will go back to the caves.”
The power is failing, society is losing the last vestiges of order and the world is becoming a dangerous place. Nairne has been searching for a new home, somewhere people want to try and build a better future. Nairne thinks she has found it, a place where she can settle and be safe. A place where she can build a better future.
But he’s coming for her. From a past she wanted to leave behind and he’s seeking retribution."
Before reading any further, be sure to check out my review and learn more about book one of the series: Water's Edge
Review: Quite a bit different level of friction from the first one. While the
world is getting worse all around Nairne and Paul this one just didn't
have the drive or the teeth grinding suspense the first one had. While I
still enjoyed the story, it was more a relaxed reading than what I was
expecting.
First of all it starts off over a year after the first book. I had honestly expected it to pick up almost right where it left off. So the tension left over from Water's Edge quickly fizzled away. It was like coming off a sugar rush, especially if you read the books back-to-back like I did.
One the plus side of this though, we see a much more matures side of Paul. He really grew on my in this one quite a bit. Nairne is relatively the same. Half distrustful, half determined to find the good in others. Her relationship with Ronnie actually surprised me given his past. But it goes to show you haw people change when times get tough. We get a lot of other new characters in this one. Some good, others not so much.
I like how the author has me thinking 'what if' still. Honestly, after reading these I want to learn a bit more about being self-sufficient. From farming, hunting, energy saving, etc. Lots of interesting aspects crop up here. Then there is the questions about civilization breakdown, community behavior, trusting neighbors, overcrowded cities and so much more touched on in this.
One improvement I noticed is in how the character perspectives change. In the first book, it was more jumbled, but in this book, the focus change is clear and distinctive, and at better break intervals. I always like seeing improvement in the writing and I easily can here. This leaves me curious as to how the third book will turn out.
First of all it starts off over a year after the first book. I had honestly expected it to pick up almost right where it left off. So the tension left over from Water's Edge quickly fizzled away. It was like coming off a sugar rush, especially if you read the books back-to-back like I did.
One the plus side of this though, we see a much more matures side of Paul. He really grew on my in this one quite a bit. Nairne is relatively the same. Half distrustful, half determined to find the good in others. Her relationship with Ronnie actually surprised me given his past. But it goes to show you haw people change when times get tough. We get a lot of other new characters in this one. Some good, others not so much.
I like how the author has me thinking 'what if' still. Honestly, after reading these I want to learn a bit more about being self-sufficient. From farming, hunting, energy saving, etc. Lots of interesting aspects crop up here. Then there is the questions about civilization breakdown, community behavior, trusting neighbors, overcrowded cities and so much more touched on in this.
One improvement I noticed is in how the character perspectives change. In the first book, it was more jumbled, but in this book, the focus change is clear and distinctive, and at better break intervals. I always like seeing improvement in the writing and I easily can here. This leaves me curious as to how the third book will turn out.
*I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair/honest review.*
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.