4.5 stars 
 I picked up The Farm after reading the prequel, which was a Kindle freebie at the time that I read it. After finishing the prequel, I was eager to learn more about the secrets and mystries behind the farms, and I was definitely ready to see why Lily and Mel were so desperate to escape a place that was described as a perfect refuge from a zombie outbreak, at least in the prequel. 
 Since everyone, of course, hasn't read the prequel, I'll back up a bit to cover a brief overview of the characters and plot. We meet Lily and Mel, twins who have been sent against their will to a Farm, a place described to their parents as a sanctuary from the Ticks, genetically modified mutants that most closely resemble zombies -- although, The Farm is definitely not a book that I would just describe as a zombie novel. 
 Anyways, Lily is the strong and determined twin, protector of her sister Mel, who tends to get lost in her own world of nursery rhymes and melodies since she has an autistic disorder that heavily impacts the way she communicates with the world. Once Lily and Mel are in The Farm, they learn that these supposed places of refuge are actually more like horrific prisons where teenagers are harvested for their blood, which is made into food to appease the monstrous Ticks who would otherwise kill any human in sight. Although those in charged are hushed on the topic, everyone knows that life is over once you turn eighteen in The Farm -- and Lily and Mel are nearing this special birthday, which makes now the perfect time to escape. 
 When the girls run into Carter, an old classmate and former crush of Lily's -- one that they hadn't seen or heard from since well before the Tick outbreak -- they are confused by his motives.. especially when they learn that he may play a dangerous role in the teenage blood banks. It is clear that Carter has his own agenda, one that centers upon Lily, who he believes may have powers beyond her wildest expectations. But Lily can't determine quite yet if Carter's plans for her might be more devastating than she can handle. 
 But something terrible lies behind The Ticks, making these killer monsters less of a danger than what lies behind their creation. Is Lily really a key player in the ultimate fight for humanity or is Carter setting her up for something far more sinister? 
 I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed The Farm -- both because it was full of twists and turns that really captured my attention and also because portions were written with so much heartfelt emotion that I really wasn't expecting in this type of novel. The story alternates in perspectives between Lily, Mel, and Carter -- although Mel's segments tend to be very short and melodic, a flow of consciousness written to convey the way that she sees the world through the autistic spectrum. The addition of Mel's chapters really added more depth to the layers of the plot, I think, while Lily and Carter's separate sections added to the backstory as well as pushed forward the plot with exciting twists and turns. 
 It did take me a while to really get into the story, but I was especially enthralled by the last quarter of the book, especially the touching scenes near the end that dealt with some of the final interactions between Mel and Lily. Lily's strength and Mel's loyalty were so wonderfully captured through McKay's thoughtful writing style, and I am definitely interested in reading the next book in the sceries. 
 I think if I were to loosely compare The Farm to another series, I would forget The Hunger Games and Resident Evil references on the front of the book, and instead relate it as a less complicated, equally heartfelt YA comparison to Mira Grant's Newsflesh Trilogy (which is just beyond brilliant and one of my favorites of all times). Both have realistic, touching sibling relationships and unique, intriguing perspectives on zombies, which contribute to the action and excitement without really being the ultimate purpose of the series. I'd give this one a strong 4.5 stars and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend The Farm to all of my friends who love an exciting YA series!