SERIES: The Farm, Book #1
AUTHOR: Emily McKay
PUBLISHER: Berkley Trade
PUBLICATION DATE: December 4, 2012
PUBLICATION DATE: December 4, 2012
FORMAT: Paperback, 420 pages
GENRE: Young Adult, Science Fiction/Dystopia
GENRE: Young Adult, Science Fiction/Dystopia
ISBN: 9780425257807
Life was different in the Before: before vampires began devouring humans in a swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up and quarantined. These days, we know what those quarantines are—holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the undead monsters, known as Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other…
And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible.
Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices—like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won’t be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help…
Carter was a schoolmate of Lily’s in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race...
MY REVIEW:
This is a great dystopian novel with paranormal elements! It won the 2013 RITA Award by Romance Writers of America for Best Young Adult Romance.
The story revolves around Lily and Mel Price, twins who are high school seniors. At the outset of the book, the sisters are living at The Farm which was formerly a private college just south of the Oklahoma-Texas border. The government convinced parents that the only safe place for their teenagers were these "farms" which were strongholds that protected them from Ticks, who are ravenous vampires that destroy everyone and everything they come across. The Ticks are said to prefer the blood of teenagers due to their raging hormones. However, at The Farm, the teens feel anything but safe. Parents were told that their children would be released once they turned 18 years of age, but Lily feels that they are no better than livestock being fattened up for slaughter! She believes that they will not be released to be free but, instead, fed to the Ticks. She plans to escape and will do anything to protect her autistic sister.
Ticks are not your ordinary vampires. Their behaviour is more zombie-like and frightening! They have no self-control, behaving like pack animals. They are mutants, and they exist along with the regular vamps.
McKay had me hooked with the fast pace of the story and the non-stop action! I also really enjoyed how McKay told the story from more than one perspective, which I feel adds dimension to both the characters and the story. Each chapter is told either in Lily's voice or Mel's voice, and later a third voice is introduced as Lily's bad-boy crush from The Before (pre-Tick infestation). Lily is a total kick-ass character, and I love that! She's a great heroine, and I love her protective nature and devotion towards her sister. I found the chapters told in Mel's voice very interesting. With the chapters told from Lily's point of view, we see Mel's autistic mannerisms. However, I really enjoyed getting inside Mel's head and seeing the world through her eyes with the chapters told from her point of view. My impression of her certainly changed as the story unfolded. The character that I was most intrigued with is Sebastian, and I hope that we learn more about him as the series progresses.
The ending of this book has me very eager to read the next installment, The Lair! I can't wait to find out what happens next!!
The book has a very cool "government" website called National Pandemic Disease Control Organization, where you can read a copy of the official letter to all U.S. citizens and the Farm Plan. It's a neat addition to the book!
MY RATING:
4 stars!! It was really good! You should put it on your TBR list!
This book qualifies as:
#3 for my 2014 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge
#3 for my 2014 Let Me Count The Ways Reading Challenge: Book Level
#1 for my 2014 Where Are You Reading? Challenge
#1 for my 2014 Global Reading Challenge
#1 for my The In The Middle Reading Challenge
#1 for my 2014 Women Challenge
#2 for my New Author Challenge 2014
#2 for my 2014 Reading Challenge: First-Reads
#1 for my 2014 1st In A Series Challenge
#1 for my 2014 And So It Begins Reading Challenge
#1 for my 2014 Series Challenge
#3 for my I Love Library Books Reading Challenge 2014
#2 for my 2014 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge
#1 for my The Eclectic Reader Challenge 2014
#1 for my 2014 Fur & Fangs Reading Challenge
#1 for my Vampire Challenge 2014
#1 for Category #1 of my 2014 Immortal Reading Challenge
#1 for my 2014 Everything YA Reading Challenge
#1 for my Dystopia Reading Challenge 2014
#1 for my Check Off Your Reading List Challenge 2014
#1 for my Retreat's YA Reading Bingo Challenge 2014
View all my reviews
This is a great dystopian novel with paranormal elements! It won the 2013 RITA Award by Romance Writers of America for Best Young Adult Romance.
The story revolves around Lily and Mel Price, twins who are high school seniors. At the outset of the book, the sisters are living at The Farm which was formerly a private college just south of the Oklahoma-Texas border. The government convinced parents that the only safe place for their teenagers were these "farms" which were strongholds that protected them from Ticks, who are ravenous vampires that destroy everyone and everything they come across. The Ticks are said to prefer the blood of teenagers due to their raging hormones. However, at The Farm, the teens feel anything but safe. Parents were told that their children would be released once they turned 18 years of age, but Lily feels that they are no better than livestock being fattened up for slaughter! She believes that they will not be released to be free but, instead, fed to the Ticks. She plans to escape and will do anything to protect her autistic sister.
Ticks are not your ordinary vampires. Their behaviour is more zombie-like and frightening! They have no self-control, behaving like pack animals. They are mutants, and they exist along with the regular vamps.
McKay had me hooked with the fast pace of the story and the non-stop action! I also really enjoyed how McKay told the story from more than one perspective, which I feel adds dimension to both the characters and the story. Each chapter is told either in Lily's voice or Mel's voice, and later a third voice is introduced as Lily's bad-boy crush from The Before (pre-Tick infestation). Lily is a total kick-ass character, and I love that! She's a great heroine, and I love her protective nature and devotion towards her sister. I found the chapters told in Mel's voice very interesting. With the chapters told from Lily's point of view, we see Mel's autistic mannerisms. However, I really enjoyed getting inside Mel's head and seeing the world through her eyes with the chapters told from her point of view. My impression of her certainly changed as the story unfolded. The character that I was most intrigued with is Sebastian, and I hope that we learn more about him as the series progresses.
The ending of this book has me very eager to read the next installment, The Lair! I can't wait to find out what happens next!!
The book has a very cool "government" website called National Pandemic Disease Control Organization, where you can read a copy of the official letter to all U.S. citizens and the Farm Plan. It's a neat addition to the book!
MY RATING:
This book qualifies as:
#3 for my 2014 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge
#3 for my 2014 Let Me Count The Ways Reading Challenge: Book Level
#1 for my 2014 Where Are You Reading? Challenge
#1 for my 2014 Global Reading Challenge
#1 for my The In The Middle Reading Challenge
#1 for my 2014 Women Challenge
#2 for my New Author Challenge 2014
#2 for my 2014 Reading Challenge: First-Reads
#1 for my 2014 1st In A Series Challenge
#1 for my 2014 And So It Begins Reading Challenge
#1 for my 2014 Series Challenge
#3 for my I Love Library Books Reading Challenge 2014
#2 for my 2014 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge
#1 for my The Eclectic Reader Challenge 2014
#1 for my 2014 Fur & Fangs Reading Challenge
#1 for my Vampire Challenge 2014
#1 for Category #1 of my 2014 Immortal Reading Challenge
#1 for my 2014 Everything YA Reading Challenge
#1 for my Dystopia Reading Challenge 2014
#1 for my Check Off Your Reading List Challenge 2014
#1 for my Retreat's YA Reading Bingo Challenge 2014
#3 for my 2014 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge
#2 for my 2014 Monthly Motif Challenge
#3 for my Anne & Kristilyn's 2014 Book Bingo Reading Challenge
#1 for my 2014 What an Animal Reading Challenge VII
#1 for my R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril IX#2 for my 2014 Monthly Motif Challenge
#3 for my Anne & Kristilyn's 2014 Book Bingo Reading Challenge
#1 for my 2014 What an Animal Reading Challenge VII
View all my reviews
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OMG Darlene..I have this book. A fellow blogger gave it to me because I wanted to read it..Have I read it yet? *flailing hands* No. Your review has reminded me why I was excited to read it, so I am going to put it in my current pile...thanks!
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