TLT Teen Review: Partials by Dan Wells

The world is a harsh place to live. After the war with the Partials—super engineered organic beings that mimic humans in every way apart from their super-advanced assassin skills and military thinking—the population has been irreparably decimated. Along with the release of RM—a deadly virus with no cure released by the Partials, the entire race of mankind has been 99.9 percent destroyed. Only a fortunate few thousand still reside on the Earth due to their unique immunity.

With the threat of mankind becoming extinct, and the little government the world still actually has, mankind’s only hope is to have children. Constantly have children and hope one comes out immune like the rest of mankind that’s left. Pregnancy ages are enforced, nearing sixteen years of age, which does not sit well with some, creating the terrorist group called the Voice who show their disgust of the pregnancy law, or “Hope Act,” by kidnapping, bombing, and assassinations.

Kira Walker, a sixteen-year old medic-in-training, strives day and night studying the deadly RM virus and discover a cure. For over a decade the world has watched as newborns die only after a few days as they are not immune to RM. And Kira is not content with standing by and letting it happen, especially when her sister gets pregnant. She can’t watch her sister go through the pain she sees everyday of new mothers who watch as their babies burn alive as RM eats at their bodies. Kira won’t stand to see her sister or her baby suffer. She has to find a cure for RM and find it fast.

And they only way to do that may be to capture RM’s creators.

A Partial.

Kira and her friends travel through dilapidated New York in search of the dangerous Partials, intent on capturing one and running tests on its blood.

It’s a rough ride with tension, adventure, fear, and a girl’s determination to save her sister’s baby. But there are secrets in a world that’s falling apart. Lies. The line between friend and enemy, protector and adversary become blurred. Will she have to choose a side? Human? Or…Partial?

With the human race crumbling before her eyes, can anything really be as it seems?

This was one of those don’t-put-it-down-till-you’re-done books for me. I really enjoyed Dan Wells’ “Partials.” It was fast-paced and full of action with a touch of romance here and there, but not too much to be intolerable for guys. Kira is one of those strong, kick butt, fiery-spirit girls that we come to know, love, and root for during her entire journey through dilapidated New York.

There were a few instances of military jargon, which I don’t care too much for, but not a lot. But I think I still would have loved the book even with more of it. There’s a strong sense of “family” or “belonging” in the voice of the characters, which I really enjoy. They’re willing to fight and even die for each other while still taking the time to joke around, put to use by Mr. Wells apparent sense of humor.

It has such a great cast of lovable characters and a powerful and heart-pumping storyline and I really look forward to the sequel, which I assume there is according to the end. I eagerly await Dan Wells’ next book in the series, and I’ll definitely still be rooting for Kira the whole way! 

From TLT Teen Reviewer Cuyler Creech, learn more about him on the Meet TLT page

Filed under: Book Reviews, Dan Wells, Partials