Title: The
Farm
Author: Emily
McKay
Publisher: Berkley
Trade
Publication Date:
12.4.12
Pages: 420
Genre: Horror,
Dystopian
Series: Yes (The Farm #1)
Source: Finished
copy from publisher
Rating: A
Summary (from Goodreads):
Life was different in the Before: before vampires began devouring humans
in a swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up
and quarantined. These days, we know what those quarantines are—holding pens
where human blood is turned into more food for the undead monsters, known as
Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by
turning on each other…
And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible.
Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices—like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won’t be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help…
Carter was a schoolmate of Lily’s in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race...
And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible.
Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices—like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won’t be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help…
Carter was a schoolmate of Lily’s in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race...
Review:
Breathtaking, pulse-pounding, and
relentless, The Farm grabs you from
page one and doesn’t let up. Emily McKay masterfully redefines the vampire
genre in this stunning tale. Instead of keeping vampires hidden in the
shadows, they surge to the forefront, toppling society and taking over
everything.
There could be a few similarities drawn
between The Farm and Julie Kagawa’s The Immortal Rules. Yes, both take place
in a dystopian society where vampires have taken over and regularly use humans
for food, but what separates them (and I freely admit to loving both) are the
characters.
For starters, McKay uses alternates
between three points of view. Now this could often confuse and alienate a
reader, but let me say that Lily is by far the dominant narrator. Carter and
Mel seem like they are there (storytelling-wise) to enhance Lily’s story. They
give a fresh, alternate perspective that keeps the reader on their toes.
I truly understood Lily on a level that
surprised me. Maybe it’s because we both share a sibling with autism, so I
could really put myself in her shoes and wonder how I would react if I were in
her situation. I loved her fight and drive and the way she never gave up.
Sometimes she was calculating, sometimes she was reckless, but all the time she
was enjoyable.
As if this novel wasn’t awesome enough
with the dual horror and dystopian genres, McKay threw me for several loops
with all the twists and turns. This book is just as much a mystery as it is
anything else, and I loved that there was simply so much going on. I never once
felt bored or disinterested. McKay did a fantastic job of holding my attention
throughout the entirety of the novel. This is a book you definitely need to
grab!
Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository
GIVEAWAY:
US Residents only
Must be over 13
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email before a new winner is selected
YAY HANNAH!!! I have this one waiting for me, so I'm super excited that you loved it so much:) Lily sounds like a brilliant character, and I'm glad that despite the multiple POV we have a dominant character so I won't get lost in the sea of different perspectives:)
ReplyDeleteI am reading this one now :) I am in the very beginning where she is trading stuff for a coat & runs into an old friend (a cute guy from the sounds of it) This isn't a spoiler btw. In case anyone's wondering..
ReplyDeleteThank you for the giveaway. I'd love to own a physical copy.
Bella's Bookshelf
I seriously love alternating POVs. Rage Within and a few other of my fav's all have them!! I loved your review and officially NEED this one <3
ReplyDeletegaaaaaaaah i really want this book now! keeping my fingers crossed! :)
ReplyDeleteOoooohhhhh I soooo want to read this! Thanks so much for the chance and for the review!
ReplyDeleteThe Farm is fantastic so far! This is the first book I have seen that has mastered the multiple POV "trend" as it were. You have hit the nail on the head where Carter and Mel enhance the story and add a great element!
ReplyDelete