Enclave (The Razorland Trilogy, 1)

Deuce has always wanted to be a Hunter and she finally is. She is now one of the elite who helps protect the underground enclave from Freaks, zombie like creatures that have overtaken the only world Deuce has ever known. Except when she's paired with the mysterious and aloof Fade, the only boy who has ever seen Topside and lived, she begins to question her entire existence and the Elders who control them. Enclave is another addition the ever growing YA Dystopian genre. I haven't read that many and I consider The Hunger Games one of the best books ever so I was a little leery as to whether Enclave would live up to what I consider the Holy Grail of Dystopian. I don't think Ann is re-writing the genre in any way but man oh man did I love this one! I talked about the characters for days afterwards; I even talked my husband into reading it just so I could discuss it with someone. I'm not sure why this story resonated with me as opposed to other dystopian novels. Maybe it was that this was a world of children, where no one lives much past their 20th birthday. Maybe it's the idea of not being able to choose your own path. Or of identifying a "brat" as a number rather than a name (Girl 96 or Boy 12), until you're old enough to attend the naming ceremony in which you receive a series of cuts with a razor. The number of cuts denotes your profession and what object your blood happens to fall on is now your name. Your career assignments are either a Breeder, Builder or Hunter, depending on how you best serve the enclave. The Breeder option rankled the most for obvious reasons but the Builder and Hunters bothered me in other ways. Yes, thankfully you are not on a breeding schedule with people chosen only for their genetics, not out of love but nor are you allowed any affection with the opposite sex. All encounters are chaperoned less you produce inferior children that won't contribute to the enclave. A common touch or a pat on the shoulder for comfort is not allowed. This is all horrific enough but the way these children handled it was what broke my heart. They dealt with it. Yes, they felt some despair but they weren't broken, or whiny. They believed the Elders and did whatever helped the whole survive. They acted more mature than most adults I know. For some reason I desperately wanted to give them hope or show them what life could be. Enclave felt less like a book and more like a movie to me. It is bleak and at moments I didn't think I could take much more but the story just moves and takes you with it. I could see it. It's also filled with hope and a surprising amount of humor and humanity. The pacing is perfect. We're never in any one place too long. The scenes change, characters develop and grow. Just like Deuce & Fade, we have to keep moving on. When they were in the dark tunnels running from the Freaks - I felt like I was there in the tunnels. When Deuce was taking her first gulp of fresh air and seeing a bird for the first time - I ducked, just like she did. Deuce and Fade meet others on their journey and there was not one character in the book that I didn't want to know more about. They eventually pair up with two others kids, Stalker and Tegan. Every character was multi layered and complex. Deuce quickly became one of my favorite heroines. No whining, no insufferable internal monologue, she learns from her mistakes. I LOVED her. They all make mistakes and difficult choices to survive. Would I make the same choices? Probably not in some of their cases but I could understand all of them. Even the bad guys weren't so easy to write off. Stalker in particular could have been written as the "snarky bad boy" to Fade's "good guy" but thankfully she didn't go that way. The romance isn't over played in Enclave. It is but one element, added when it furthered the plot, not as a way to lure young girls to read the book. So much dystopian these days is written as a romance rather than about actual survival. This could very well be a book that guys would be interested in too. My husband read it in four hours and enjoyed it. Some people may disagree with me on this part but I felt that Enclave had a very satisfying ending. Not until I finished did I realize not much had been answered, yet I wasn't left frustrated by questions. I was swept up in the journey. There is definitely more ground to cover and I'm happy to say that this is a trilogy (you won't hear me say that very often!). I can't wait to take that next step into the world Ann has created. Really I could go on and on but you get the idea - I loved it. I really hate long gushy reviews myself and I know not everyone will feel the same way but I am so happy to be this excited about a book again.

Title: Enclave Author: Ann Aguirre Rating: 4.5 Stars My Review The only spoiler in this review is one that I think should not be a spoiler. Enclave is a ZOMBIE book (Freaks). I have to say that this was the very first 'zombie apocalyptic' that I had ever read. Despite enjoying apocalyptics, I tend to favor science-fiction over zombie, or at least I did in the past. (No I didn't read World War Z or I Am Legend. They are on the to-read list people. Jeez, relax!) That being said, I think that Ilsa J. Black has Ann Aguirre to thank for my purchase of Ashes (review to come). If I had not enjoyed Enclave so much I never would have taken a chance on Ashes, but it was kind of an accident that I ended up reading a zombie novel at all. When I read the synopsis of Enclave (see above), I somehow failed to realize that it was a zombie story! I know, why don't you read it and tell me if you could tell that??? Once I did realize that I was a zombie story, I was already so entangled in Deuce's feelings and world that I couldn't put it down. So let's get to the things I loved. Deuce - Love, Love, Love Deuce. She's a Huntress through and through and you know I am a sucker for a strong female protagonist. The opening scene in which she receives her name was both thrilling and disgusting, and you find yourself on her side immediately. She is strong and fierce and loyal, and most of all, she is very good at what she does...which is hunt. Forced to live underground in the subways and sewers, Deuce has never seen natural light or known a life lived without fear of the Fade - I love Fade. He survived Topside somehow for a time and found his way into the Enclave where he was sort of accepted, but not truly. There was always an air of mistrust around him and Fade did little to dissuade that himself. Despite the horrors of Topside, Fade sees flaws in the stringent society of the Enclave, in which their lives are as short and cheap as their choices. He never fully trusts them. His mistrust makes him a loner, but then again, with the exception of two somewhat close friends, so is Deuce. She is not a social person by nature and though she's annoyed by Fade's obtuseness, she doesn't mind being so herself. Together, they are a dynamite team. Capable, fast, and deadly, they were well selected to pair up by the leader of the Hunters, Silk. They survive the constant onslaught of the Freaks and in the process, they learn more about their world. Unfortunately for Silk, their partnership would prove stronger than their bonds to nearly anything else, an outcome she could not have predicted. Silk - Her name is her irony. She should have been named IRON or STEEL. Despite being female, there is nothing soft about Silk -- her word is law. It is difficult to get a real read on Silk, beyond her gruff exterior. At times she seems to be on Deuce's side and at other times she seems pitted against her. In the end, Silk plays an unexpected role that for me, solidified 'which side she was on' in the end. I found it satisfying. Stalker - Stalker is introduced later in the story, once Deuce and Fade find themselves in unfamiliar territory. Without giving anything away, suffice it to say that Stalker turns out to be more interesting and more sympathetic than you would ever have imagined when you first meet him. I believe that Enclave is the first in a trilogy or series, and I look forward to seeing what Ann will do with this character. The World - As a non-expert in zombie apocalypse, I can't say how her world measures up against the classics, but I found it disgustingly easy to visualize. Perhaps the setting being primarily in the subways of New York helped me with that...there is a familiarity there when she describes the tunnels and platforms and stations. It helps it to feel real and I have to warn you, the reality sometimes makes you want to take a shower. :P The contrast with Topside was truly startling. I felt much like Deuce, blinking in disbelief as she emerged. I also enjoyed Deuce's introduction to this world of sun and moon and plants and animals that scurry about in the light...it was all so new to her. Despite the constant danger, there was something touching about those moments of discovery. A note about ROMANCE - Aguirre throws in enough romance to sustain you, but don't expect that to be the over-arching theme. This is a zombie book! It's about survival and there is quite a lot of graphic violence. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author. Now, as tweeted previously, this is likely my last book review for a bit because I must begin my re-reading of THG!!

I am really looking forward to reading the next book! Enclave was my first experience with this author and I wasn't disappointed.

In College enclave, hidden in the tunnels beneath a ruined New York, people only earn the right to a name if they survive their first fifteen years. Once you age enough to leave the ranks of unnamed brats, you choose a path as a Breeder, a Builder or a Hunter. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember so she is thrilled to join their ranks, even when she is paired with Fade a boy who grew up outside the enclave. A Hunter's job is to patrol the tunnels, bringing back food and fighting the monsters known as Freaks but as the Freaks become more intelligent, Deuce is forced to question the rules she has lived her life by. This is the first in the Razorland trilogy and it was a book I approached with trepidation. I'd seen good reviews, it sounded interesting, even the trailer looked good but something made me hesitate. Now I've read it I really regret that hesitation as this is an outstanding read. Set in a future where people have taken refuge in underground tunnels, it soon becomes clear the author has really done her research as the narrative has a realistic take on how difficult that life would be. The dystopia and world building are excellent as by introducing Deuce at the start of her Huntress career, the reader is introduced to the world alongside Deuce meaning that there is no info dumping and the revelations come in some surprising twists and turns. The plot is tightly written and a steady pace is maintained throughout as Deuce's world steadily expands beyond the tunnels that used to be all she knew. The dystopia itself is scarily believable yet leaving room for new facts to emerge. Deuce is a great lead character as she is strong and relentless. I found it really easy to identify with her, despite the fact our lives have nothing in common. Her determination to serve her enclave and her gradual realisation that things aren't okay made me like her. Fade is the perfect way for Deuce's illusions to be shattered. He doesn't maliciously change her world, just points out things with the perspective of an outsider allowing the revelations to happen naturally. The romance between them takes a backseat to the action but it is nevertheless well written and developed. The Freaks quickly become a horrifying threat, and their existence develops alongside the main plot. They quickly go from dangerous but stupid monsters, to terrifyingly smart calculating predators a shift which undermines the stability the enclave claims. In some ways this is a book of two halves as the story development leads Deuce and Fade "topside" and out of the tunnels, revealing the reasons behind the downfall of society and more about Fade's past. The storyline flows through the location change and the ending leaves Deuce and Fade ready to continue their adventures. All in all, this was a great read and I'm really looking forward to Outpost . Plot: 10/10 Characters: 10/10 Ending: 10/10 Enjoyment: 10/10 Cover: 9/10 Overall: 49/50

Intriguant dès le début, personnages attachants, action, amour, un combat pour survivre tous les jours. J'ai fini ce livre en ayant vraiment envie de connaître la suite!

So lange lag das Buch auf meinem Sub und jetzt bereue ich es fast, es nicht schon eher gelesen zu haben. Was für eine Achterbahnfahrt der Gefühle. Ein echtes Abenteuer, bei dem sich die Protagonistin von Seite zu Seite weiterentwickelt. Zunächst völlig ins System integriert, eine stolze Kriegerin, muss sie miterleben, wie der Ältestenrat sie ohne mit der Wimper zu zucken opfert um ein Exempel zu statuieren. Sie muss sich mit Fade an ihrer Seite in einer Welt zu Recht finden, die ihr völlig fremd ist und doch ist sie eine Kriegerin, eine Jägerin. Sie muss erleben wie ihre Welt sich wandelt. Wie die Freaks getrieben vom Hunger beginnen zusammenzuarbeiten und planvoll zu handeln. Ich habe Deuce die ganze Geschichte hindurch bewundert, ihre Stärke ihren Mut, aber auch ihr Mitgefühl. Atemlos bin ich nur so durch das Buch geflogen, denn es war keine Minute langweilig. Insbesondere als sie von den marodierenden Banden in der Stadt geschnappt wurde, um als Fortpflanzungsobjekt zu fungieren. Nach ihrer geglückten Flucht wurde es jedoch kein bisschen langweiliger, denn in dieser scheinbar verlassenen Stadt verbirgt sich hinter jeder Ecke Freaks oder andere Gefahren, wie der hereinbrechende Winter, der die Reise der vier ungewöhnlichen Weggefährten zu einem Wagnis werden ließ. Es hat mich gepackt und einfach nicht mehr losgelassen. Ich werde wohl nicht mehr so lange warten, um mir den Rest der Geschichte zu Gemüte zu führen, dafür bin ich zu neugierig was aus Deuce und Fade noch wird.

Enredo nos prende do começo ao fim, já li a trilogia e penso seriamente em ler novamente em breve