Partials (Partials #1)

Partials (Partials #1) by Dan Wells 

Rating: 4.5 stars


I got this out a few weeks ago but only just got around to finish it today. This is what happens when all the library books you have requested ages ago come in for you all at once. I have about one month to read something like 17 books! 
Anyway, I read the synopsis for this book and was instantly drawn to it, so I was very excited to start reading it a few days ago. I had quite a high expectation, and I'm very glad to tell you: "Yay!! I loved this book"!


Science fictions, especially for young adults, are usually quite hard to write. Because the background of the book have to be somewhat scientific, full of imagination, be able to capture the reader's interest yet have deepth. Most YA science fictions I have read disappointed me a little, but Dan Wells did a darn good job at this book, it captured and contained my interest, full of action, had deepth and knowledge as well as managing to write at a high standard. I'm impressed.


Partials started off a bit slow, I was not as entertained at the beginning as I was after that, but I was still curious enough to read on. But I guess this is understandable as the beginning needed to explain a lot of things, let the reader get used to the science-fiction environment and some terminology. So if you aren't too impressed by the first 30 or so pages, don't scream in frustration and throw down the book! Calm yourself and continue, you will be positively rewarded and grateful for that decision. The pace then gradually built up towards the climax and the whole story/plot evolved to the next level, drawing the reader right in. I didn't want to put the book down after the first 30 or so pages. From that point on, it was action-packed and would make your blood pump harder (or mine did as I "ran" along with the actions the main characters took part in). The climax was awesome, and you could clearly see where the climatic point was. Do you know what's one of the most annoying things that can happen while you read? Having to put the book down right in the middle of the climax! That's what I had to endure while reading between classes. *sigh* once again, the ending was a huge cliffhanger and I can't emphasis enough on how MUCH I WANT the next book. I didn't want the story to end and am looking forward to more actions (perferably not stupid actions) in the next book!


There were a lot of medical related knowledge in this book, involving many scientific calculations and examinations as well as some futuristic approaches to problems. I really liked that as the science subjects are my favourite subjects and I'm kind of good at that area, so it's nice to read something that had the right knowledge in it and was able to develop a story around it so well. Kira, the main character herself, was a medic.


The heroine was kick-ass and strong. I love strong central female characters. Kira was solid, brave and intelligent. She was so smart! Also, she never gave up and always believed there would be a solution to the problems she encountered, she was determined and trusting. She was always the lead in whatever action they need to take and was able to make others listen to her and help her. Some called her crazy (not really in a bad way) and I found lots of the conversations and actions funny and entertaining. Jayden and Samm were also other characters whom I really liked.


The writing style was a balanced combination of extended description and short sharp sentence/dialogues that pushed the pace forward. Dan Wells used the human senses to help in his descriptions and did so successfully. I couldn't complain much about his writing style as I did many other YA novels, so congrats! The book is written in third-person but using Kira as the central character. I have always found male authors who wrote in a girl's perspective weird and uncomfortable, but Dan Wells really gave me a brillant suprise. He is almost the only male author so far in books I read who has successfully written in a girl's perspective. I didn't found many faults in there and there were only a few places where I felt he could have written a little better as a girl which suggested that the author is a guy. But overall it was great.


All in all, it was an excellent read and I have to endure another long wait until Fragments comes out!! 


Synopsis from Goodreads


Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the world’s population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanity’s time is running out.

When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friend’s pregnancy, she’s determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the war’s origin that she never knew to ask.Combining the fast-paced action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Battlestar Galactica, Partials is a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question—one where our sense of humanity is both our greatest liability, and our only hope for survival.