Author:
Jordana
Frankel
Pages:
480
Genre:
Young
Adult
Publisher/Source:
Edelweiss
/ Katherine Tegen Books
Amazon:
The
Ward
Release
Date:
30th
April 2013
Synopsis.
(Goodreads)
Sixteen-year-old
Ren is a daredevil mobile racer who will risk everything to survive
in the Ward, what remains of a water-logged Manhattan. To save her
sister, who is suffering from a deadly illness thought to be caused
by years of pollution, Ren accepts a secret mission from the
government: to search for a freshwater source in the Ward, with the
hope of it leading to a cure.
However, she never expects that her search will lead to dangerous encounters with a passionate young scientist; a web of deceit and lies; and an earth-shattering mystery that’s lurking deep beneath the water’s rippling surface.
Jordana Frankel’s ambitious debut novel and the first in a two-book series, The Ward is arresting, cinematic, and thrilling—perfect for fans of Scott Westerfeld or Ann Aguirre.
However, she never expects that her search will lead to dangerous encounters with a passionate young scientist; a web of deceit and lies; and an earth-shattering mystery that’s lurking deep beneath the water’s rippling surface.
Jordana Frankel’s ambitious debut novel and the first in a two-book series, The Ward is arresting, cinematic, and thrilling—perfect for fans of Scott Westerfeld or Ann Aguirre.
Review:
3 ½ out of 5 stars
The
Ward
is the first book in this two part series set in dystopian NYC and is
a debut novel by author, Jordana Frankel.
Sixteen
year-old Ren is a daredevil mobile racer trying to survive in
water-logged Manhattan; she races to support herself and her younger
sister Aven (not biologically) who is infected with the HBNC
/ Blight virus, she also at times accepts secret, dangerous spy
missions from the government; her main purpose to search for a
freshwater source in the Ward .
I
really liked Ren as a character, she was smart despite being a risk
taker, determined and loyal to everyone around her but at times her
inner monologue had me rolling my eyes. I adored the bond she shared
with Aven, it was really sweet despite them not getting a lot of page
time together and you really felt for what they were having to go
through.
The
Ward's
premise was certainly intriguing and Ms. Frankel's storyline unique;
the world-building though was lacking and definitely could have been
refined - what was missing for me were the background details, I
needed more visual information about underwater Manhattan and how it
all came to be and there were a number of inconsistencies which left
me quite confused. The virus and its rapid spread was also something
I feel could have been developed further , it was a tad unclear;
{spoiler - highlight to show} we know there isn't a cure but Ren is immune, this didn't
seem to be a central point despite feeling it was quite relevant to
the overall story. {end spoiler}
I
really liked reading about the mobile racing, it was new to me and
written in a way that kept me interested and wanting to learn more, I
enjoyed the descriptive race and action scenes.
Just
a personal whine - I was hoping on a little more romance, there was a
possibility of it progressing with two potential love interests, Derek and Callum but
Ren pursuing a relationship certainly wasn't at the forefront of the
story, being a huge
fan of romance I hope we see a little more in the sequel.
Overall,
The
Ward wasn't
without its faults but I did enjoy it none the less. Ms. Frankels
writing was enjoyable and the creative story she has weaved certainly
thrilling. I just hope some aspects are further developed in the
sequel.
Overall,
an enjoyable start to the series.
