Pub. Date: September 24th, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic
Hardcover
384 pages
Synopsis from Goodreads:
In a world ravaged by mutation, a
teenage girl must travel into the forbidden Savage Zone to recover lost
artifacts or her father’s life is forfeit.
America has been ravaged by a war
that has left the eastern half of the country riddled with mutation. Many of
the people there exhibit varying degrees of animal traits. Even the plantlife
has gone feral.
Crossing from west to east is
supposed to be forbidden, but sometimes it’s necessary. Some enter the Savage
Zone to provide humanitarian relief. Sixteen-year-old Lane’s father goes there
to retrieve lost artifacts—he is a Fetch. It’s a dangerous life, but
rewarding—until he’s caught.
Desperate to save her father, Lane
agrees to complete his latest job. That means leaving behind her life of
comfort and risking life and limb—and her very DNA—in the Savage Zone. But
she’s not alone. In order to complete her objective, Lane strikes a deal with
handsome, roguish Rafe. In exchange for his help as a guide, Lane is supposed
to sneak him back west. But though Rafe doesn’t exhibit any signs of “manimal”
mutation, he’s hardly civilized . . . and he may not be trustworthy.
____________________________________________
I’ve been dystopia/ post apocalyptic storied out recently because
nothing felt fresh. That was before Inhuman.
From the beginning the premise really intrigued me. The twist of human error
causing the apocalyptic event – and the apocalyptic event itself – is different.
Avarice and vanity have lead to death and destruction, which makes it all the
more horrifying. Because the apocalyptic element is so different, there’s a
level of unpredictability to the story. You never know if there will be a happy
ending, which characters will survive, or what’s going to happen. There’s a
huge shocking reveal, and so many little twists and turns, all of which keep
you on the edge of your seat while reading.
I really loved that there is no doubt that Lane, her
intelligence and her experience are 100% essential to the story. This isn’t a
case where a heroine falls into a position of action. Without Lane, the story
could not happen. I found Lane to be fascinating. As the story progresses, the
more aware she becomes of just how much her father prepared her for the Savage
Zone. The little puzzles/stories that Lane was told as a child, meant to
protect her, need smarts and logic to be interpreted correctly. I really liked
how much strength and intelligence Lane finds within. She goes from a hand
sanitizer, germ obsessed girl – which is actually hilarious – to someone who
acknowledges, and uses her strengths to her benefit.
I typically avoid love triangles like the plague. But, the
triangle in Inhuman is so secondary,
the guys so endearing, and Lane so oblivious to it all, that it was a point for
a lot of humor. I loved how unique and how purposeful Everson and Rafe, as well
as all of the secondary characters, are to the story. Both guys are entirely
likeable, funny, interesting, and so well developed, that they could easily be
narrators themselves. You really can’t root for one guy over the other because
they are awesome in their own ways. As part of the triangle, I loved that the
guys are the emotionally driven ones, pining for the girl. Lane’s obliviousness
to the whole thing, contrasted with how ridiculous aware Everson and Rafe are
that they’re competing for her, adds a level of funny that really added to the
story overall. The entire triangle element is so different from any I’ve read
before, that an overused element became new and refreshing.
I really loved Inhuman.
The pacing is quick, the story consistently shocking and thrilling, and the
characters well developed and unique. The added benefit of having the perfect a
balanced blend of funny and serious is icing on the cake. I definitely
recommend this novel, and I cannot wait for Book #2!
** I received a copy of the novel from the publisher to read
and honestly review. I was in no way compensated.
Rating 5/5
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