Partials - Dan Wells

Partials - Dan Wells

This book was fascinating and also pretty terrifying in multiple aspects. This was probably why it appealed to me as much as it did. Honestly, going into it, I wasn't sure that I was going to like it, but after the first hundred pages or so, I was completely engulfed in the story. Sure, some parts read a bit slow and were difficult for me to get through, but I felt that the overall story was enough to make up for these minor inconveniences. I don't know what it is about dystopian titles that always make me pause and debate over whether or not it'll be any good, but I do know that most of them always end up impressing me. Maybe I should lower my standards?

Anywho, this book is packed with badassery, (one of my favorite things to read in a book) from the characters to the setting, this story just wreaks of it. Not to mention how intense and jaw-droppingly harsh the setting is. Seriously, it was one of the things that terrified me that most. Truly, I didn't think that this story disappointed, and I believe that any dystopian fanatic will devour it.

The government created Partials to be the ultimate human beings. Nearly invincible, strong and the ultimate fighters, however what they didn't expect was for them to change sides and start a war. Because of this, the human population becomes decimated by a deadly virus called RM, and leaves only a small fraction of the human population alive. These lucky survivors are somehow immune to the virus and settle themselves into Long Island to regroup and work out how to deal with their enemy. 

Eleven years pass, and a lot of the "plague babies" have grown up. No babies have been born to resist the virus, and thus no new life has braced this ugly world and lived for longer than a few days. Unjustly, mandatory pregnancy laws are established in the hopes that some of the babies somehow survive. Sixteen year old Kira is a medic and has seen the first-hand effects of he virus on the newborns. She knows that she can cure them if she's only given a chance, and that chance involves bridging the connection between human and Partial. Somewhere in this connection is the cure that they've been looking for, and Kira is the only one willing enough to find it.

The author certainly knows how to right an intricate and intense book that easily sucks you in. Everything, from the the crazy intense shooting and fighting to the meticulously detailed medical analyses, drew me in completely. I was overly eager to keep reading and figure out the ending and if she found the cure, that I was pretty much cursing work and other things that kept me away from it. I must also give props to Mr. Wells for creating such wonderfully badass and great characters. No matter how important of a role they played, they were all phenomenal and realistic, which is nice and refreshing to read.

The pace of this book kind of flip flopped for me. There were some parts that went exceptionally slow like most of the medical talk, and then things picked back up and I found myself reading at normal speed again. I think that these parts slowed me down so much because I'm not very knowledgeable about things like that, so I was constantly trying to make it all work somehow in my brain. Basically, I was trying to understand it in a way that was a bit too much for my brain, but that's not to say that I hated these parts, because I didn't. They were interesting, and helped the story to make sense. In it's own special way, that is. I can understand that they were vital to the plot, and thus didn't let them hinder me too badly. However, don't be fooled, this isn't just a book about comparing Partial and human DNA, there is plenty of kick-butt action and small bits of humor that keep the story lively. 

Now to delve deeper into the terrifying aspects of this book. I'm not saying that it reads like a horror novel, per say, just that some things were pretty frightening to think about. For starters, the fact that there were mandatory pregnancies as soon as you turn eighteen. Now, being a female of nineteen, this thought really scared me. I couldn't imagine being told that I had to have a baby. Also, just knowing it would probably die would be crushing and life shattering. I think that I'd be a basket case. At this point in my life, I don't even want children yet, so having it be mandated that I had to is just a very scary thought. 

Not to mention the fact that the age then gets dropped to sixteen. Just imagine how scary that would be. Being sixteen and told that you have to get pregnant and give birth to a child that isn't going to live. You're expected to deliver a child when you're still a child. The whole thing just gets under my skin and freaks me out. Thankfully it was just a story and this world isn't the actual world.

Next, just the whole virus thing. It wiped out more than 3/4 of the US. That's crazy scary. It would just be a matter of luck as to your survival. CRAZY.

As for the characters, I believe that I already mentioned how badass and wonderful the characters were. Kira, our main character, was really courageous and kickbutt, that she's definite role model material. Seriously, she was brave and stood up for what she believed in. She was willing to give her life for the cause and nearly did many times. I don't know if I could have done half of the things that she did. Seriously, she was wonderful and brave and a blast to read about.

Then we had her friends, who were a very diverse group of people, who all had their little quirks and added much to the story. 

Overall, Partials is a kickbutt book that every avid dystopian reader should pick up immediately. It isn't all about romance, in fact, there are very few instances of romance in the entire book. This one is more about saving the human race and keeping the government in line. There is plenty of intense action and fighting to capture that aspect of your literary heart, but also contains many scientific aspects to make the whole thing come full circle. All of this plus great characters, why it seems like the perfect book! Honestly, it does read a bit slowly, but if you're willing to work past that then you're in for a wonderful read. 

☆☆☆☆/5

Recommend?: For all of the action dystopia fans out there.