The Busy Bibliophile

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE

In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember. As a Huntress, her purpose is clear–to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning. Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first she thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace. As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known. 

My thoughts: Another take on the zombie genre? Yes, please. Enclave takes place underground, after humans have retreated from the surface generations ago. They have separated into clans and live in enclaves that are joined by miles-long subway tunnels. They grow vegetables, fruits and grains but must hunt for rabbits, rats and other animals for their meat. But animals aren’t the only things in the dark tunnels – they must also watch out for the Freaks, flesh-eating people who roam around looking for a slow human to munch on. Deuce is perfectly happy in her role as Huntress, which she has trained for forever, until her new partner, Fade, comes into the picture. He came from outside the enclave and has stories that don’t seem real and doesn’t like to follow the rules like everyone else.

And that’s where the story really started to pick up. During a hunting trip, Deuce and Fade discover maybe the Freaks aren’t as stupid as everyone thinks. But the elders of her enclave refuse to listen and the two of them end up on a journey Deuce doesn’t want to take. (I totally could have written the blurb for this one, right?)

The characters were great, all very well-developed. Deuce was just about the strongest female protagonist you could want. She didn’t want to be a Breeder or a Builder, she only wanted to be a Huntress. She had trained for years and wouldn’t let anyone tell her she couldn’t do it. Even after she was officially a Huntress, she didn’t forget her friends or the younger kids, she was still patient and kind with them. Her 2 best friends, Thimble and Stone, were also strong characters. Stone was a breeder and Thimble was a Builder, so we learned a little about their jobs and daily lives. Fade was different from others in the enclave as he wasn’t raised to be non-touchy-feely, as the other Hunters were. He was more comfortable with expressing emotion than Deuce and that made for a few interesting scenes. There were new characters introduced as Deuce and the others ended up above ground, and they had different personalities than Deuce was used to, including 1 who was a real jerk and completely inappropriate as a love interest. I couldn’t understand exactly what Deuce saw in him and was pissed that his appearance created a love triangle.

The dialogue was different, there were many made-up names that took some getting used to, starting with their names. Deuce? As in Number 2? As in what people do in the bathroom? Fade, Twist and Copper? In addition to the proper names, there was a whole lexicon to get used to. It was somewhat jarring at first, as I learned all the names, but eventually, I was able to listen to it without having to wonder what a word meant. The flow of the book really worked for me as well. There was a lot of action and some very tense moments and quite a bit of gore.

The narration was okay. I liked Emily Bauer’s voice fine, but she had a tendency to get really breathy when she was reading the action scenes, like she couldn’t get her breath, or was trying to sound sexy. It was annoying. The cover is a generic steel grate with 2 swords crossing. It does fit the story, but it’s kind of generic looking.

The sum up: Scary and intense, this is a great option for zombie fans. Think about skipping the audio version, though.

Connect with Ann Aguirre:
website (The first 2 chapters are available to read for free here.)
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Purchase:
Nook
Barnes & Noble hardback
Audible
Kindle
Amazon hardback

Other opinions:
The Reading Date
Wondrous Reads
Reading Teen
Good Books and Good Wine