Devastation: Built on Fear 1

TITLE:  Devastation: Built on Fear 1
AUTHOR: Shandy L. Kurth
PRINT LENGTH:  265 Pages
MY RATING: aaaaa
PUBLISHED:  December 14, 2011
LANGUAGE: English
RATING:  Young Adult
GENRE:  Dystopian
PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon

SUMMARY: Devastated by a seemingly unforeseeable attack, America is shattered by a military that is the least likely of suspects. In the aftermath, American civilians are left to run, hide, die or fight, pushing through all weakness in their effort to stay alive. Fighting against all odds, seventeen year old Fallon and twelve year old Emery struggle through a nightmare they can't wake from in order to save their younger siblings. Collecting others along the way, and enduring obstacles unfathomable in their innocence, the kids trek cross country to reach The Safe Zone, a fortified area rumored to be set up in the south. Fallon and his friends aren't even sure there is a Safe Zone though. They could be running for nothing. Never remaining in one place for too long in their attempt to avoid bombings and capture, the kids fight against attack, the elements, sickness and their overwhelming sense of desperation, pushing each other to the limit as they struggle to survive this land of devastation.

REVIEW:

Imagine a world torn apart by war.  Now imagine you’re just a kid and have to fend for yourself. Do you take in other kids and help them or do you just look out for number one? Well in this fabulous first novel by Shandy L. Kurth we find out just what makes us tick. I found myself thinking ahead. I found myself linked inexplicably to Fallon who seems to be just as I imagine I would be, helpful and protective of those younger than myself.

In this book Shandy does something I actually enjoyed, she made it clear in no uncertain terms which character we were dealing with and whose head we were in. This made it simple and clear for the reader to discover the ins and outs of the characters she has created. At first I was taken aback by the switch of perspectives but within seconds I realized that I loved that aspect of her writing.

The character development in this book was astounding. Kurth spent a lot of time in the minds of these characters and it shows in not only the dialogue but also in the personality of each character shining through. And we get to meet quite a few characters but it was never confusing in the least.

I must say that I tend to steer away from dystopian types of books since I prefer the happy ever after type story. But this one not only sucked me in but kept my attention from page 1 on through to the very last page and past. I closed the book saying to my husband “Ack I have to wait for book 2 to come out now” and I am NOT known for my patience in this regards. However lucky for me book 2 arrived in my greedy little hands not long after and now I’ve completed that one as well. Review to follow.

All in all this was a fabulous read and I recommend it to anyone who likes dystopian novels and even for those like myself who don’t tend to enjoy them, you may be surprised just as I was.