In a Word: Meh
Not a lot happens in the small town of Mount Pleasant, Utah. Even on Homecoming night. So, the very last thing Aubrey Parsons expects to encounter at her first high school dance is a team of soldiers intent on detaining all the teenagers. With groups of adolescent terrorists causing havoc all over the country, Aubrey understands why she and her peers are being questioned. And she totally gets why the government wants to know about kids like her—kids with a virus that gives them superhuman powers—but that doesn't mean she's going to go willingly. Jack Cooper, an old friend of Aubrey's, has his own reasons for avoiding the round-up. Working together, they hope to avoid capture.
As a "Positive," Alec Moore's using his new-found abilities to send a message to the government. Along with his team of special teens, he travels the country destroying national landmarks and other key sites, showing everyone who's in charge now. The government might think it can turn the super-teens into subservient soldiers, but as Alec's group is proving, that's a whole lot easier said than done.
When Aubrey and Jack meet Alec, they must decide which side of the conflict they're on and what that means for their increasingly uncertain futures.
As unoriginal as Blackout—the first book in a new dystopian series by Robison Wells—is, it's still kind of tough to describe. Plot-wise, there just isn't much. And what is there sounds like every other novel in the YA sci-fi/dystopian section. I can forgive a familiar plot if its coupled with a vibrant setting, intriguing characters or vivid prose, but I found none of that in Blackout. What the novel does have is action. Lots. And while the intensity was enough to keep me reading, the story really didn't impress me otherwise. In a word: meh.
(Readalikes: Reminded me a bit of the Gone series by Michael Grant [Gone; Hunger; Lies; Plague; Fear; Light])
for language (no F-bombs) and violence
Labels:C Grade Books,Dystopian,LDS Authors,PG 13-rated Books,Robison Wells,Supernatural Thrillers,U.S. Settings: Utah,Whitney Award Winners and Nominees,YA Novels
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard 11 April, 2014 09:09
It's too bad the book doesn't work, because the premise has potential, both for character development and social commentary. Thanks for the heads-up; I'll avoid this one.
melissa @ 1lbr 12 April, 2014 13:35
I totally got sucked into the plot, but upon reflection, it isn't very original.