Welcome to this stop of the Viral Nation Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Tours!
Title: Viral Nation by Shaunta Grimes
Published:
July 2nd, 2013 by Berkley Trade
Source:
ARC provided by author
Format: eBook
(from NetGalley)
Group age:
Young adult
Genre:
Dystopian
Challenge(s):
Distopyan
Grade rate: A
After a virus claimed nearly the entire global population, the world changed. The United States splintered into fifty walled cities where the surviving citizens clustered to start over. The Company, which ended the plague by bringing a life-saving vaccine back from the future, controls everything. They ration the scant food and supplies through a lottery system, mandate daily doses of virus suppressant, and even monitor future timelines to stop crimes before they can be committed.
Brilliant but autistic, sixteen-year-old Clover Donovan has always dreamed of studying at the Waverly-Stead Academy. Her brother and caretaker, West, has done everything in his power to make her dream a reality. But Clover’s refusal to part with her beloved service dog denies her entry into the school. Instead, she is drafted into the Time Mariners, a team of Company operatives who travel through time to gather news about the future.
When one of Clover’s missions reveals that West’s life is in danger, the Donovans are shattered. To change West’s fate, they’ll have to take on the mysterious Company. But as its secrets are revealed, they realize that the Company’s rule may not be as benevolent as it seems. In saving her brother, Clover will face a more powerful force than she ever imagined… and will team up with a band of fellow misfits and outsiders to incite a revolution that will change their destinies forever.
My Review
Just wow!
I’m a lover of the dystopian genre and I really loved Viral Nation. What a fast paced, complicated and riveting read!
Let me start by telling you how hesitant
I was to read this book, I wasn’t sure that I would understand the mindset of
an autistic character, but I need to worry as Ms. Grimes is a master of
characterization. Clover is brilliant,
and has autism. She has dreamed all her
life going to the Academy, but during her interview, something goes wrong and she
is send to the ‘Company’. Clover’s character is fascinating to read
about. The inner workings of her
mind and her triggers and difficulties are understandable and part of her. Believe me when I tell you that her condition
is in no way a disability. Mango is Clover’s dog and he’s been trained to help
her.
West is so good. He has sacrificed a lot to keep Clover stable
and safe, and although he might resent it a little bit, I think he resents more
his dad for leaving them on their own. West is really smart, loyal, a natural
leader, and very loving. I really
admire him for what he did and still does for his neighbor, and almost mother
Mrs. Finch, for his friend Isaiah, for Clover and even for Bridget.
Now, let me introduce you to the Freaks;
that’s what they call themselves in the book, really! Jude is great and I hope he grows to be an
asset to the revolution. Phire, Emmy,
Christopher, Geena and Marta round up the rest of the Freaks, with the
exception of Bridget, which accidently falls in with this bunch.
Ned Waverly is plain crazy, all I’m
saying.
James, West and Clover father is haunted
by a decision from his past that crippled him as a father. I really can understand his pain, BUT is just
not right to leave his children to suffer because of it.
The plot is complicated, a tale of
domination of the ‘Company’ after a host of natural disasters and disease. What they did to the surviving population and
most of all, the children was despicable, and I’ll stop there because I don’t
want to spoil it for you. I really can’t
understand how the world turned out to be so messed up in such a short period
of time! To add to the overall confusion of the characters, is the brilliant
addition of time travel through a portal that looks two years into the
future. The story is enveloped in a sense of mystery and suspense that had me
reading non-stop until I reached the ending. This causes all sort of
confusion of what was and what will be as time loops develop quite often. The story is told in the third person, from
James, West and Clover’s points of view.
This gives us a clear outlook of what all the characters are going
through at different points of the story, especially when the characters are
not together. The writing is really
good, flows freely and it’s easy to read.
Overall, Viral Nation is a great addition of the YA dystopian genre, one
full of twists and turns and a testament to Ms. Grimes imagination. I
can’t wait for the next book in the series and see what’s in store for the
Freaks!
Where to find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Guest Post
The influence of the government in dystopia
Any genre of novels has its tropes. One of the biggest for
dystopian novels is a corrupt or broken government. In nearly every dystopian
story, no matter the format (book, movie, TV), people struggle to get along in
a world where the central unifying, governing force has collapsed or has become
something really scary. In Viral Nation the US government is around, but has
become a figure head. The real power is in the Company. The Company gives
everyone what they need. Not just every American, but everyone everywhere. A
major theme in Viral Nation is the question of how to be a citizen when the
bottom falls out of your society.
Whether it's the Holnists in David Brin's The Postman,
President Snow in Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games, or the fighting mayors in Jericho—we
are fascinated by the idea of the downfall of the few people at the top.
Dystopia is the place where that downfall happens, I think, because the
opposite of a broken government would be a utopia. Utopia means 'no place.' It
can't exist. There is always something under it, lurking, dark, greedy, and
corrupt. Even if we haven't seen the underbelly, we imagine it there. In
dystopian fiction, we get to take it out and examine it. And we get to imagine
what it would be like to be on our own, without the comfort and confines of a
working government.
Stories need conflict. That's creative writing 101. Put your
character in a tree then throw rocks at her and see what she does. The ruling
class is Goliath to the average David. Instant conflict. In the case of Viral
Nation I thought—okay, I have this Company and the people running it are doing
some pretty bad things and it's a bunch of kids who find the cracks. Now what?
How do Clover and West and Jude and the rest of the Freaks handle it? What do
they do when the Company gets them up a tree and starts throwing rocks? The
government is bigger and meaner and badder, right? So the characters have to be
smarter and faster and better.
About the Author
Shaunta Grimes has worked as a substitute teacher, a
newspaper reporter, a drug court counselor, and a vintage clothing seller. No matter
which direction she strays, however, she always comes back to storytelling. She
lives in Reno with her family, where she writes, teaches, and perpetually
studies at the University of Nevada. Viral Nation is her debut
traditionally-published novel.
How to Connect with Shaunta:
Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Newsletter
Giveaway
Five finished copies of Viral Nation US/Canada only
Tour Schedule
6/15/2013 All Things Urban Fantasy- Guest Post
6/16/2013 Reading and Writing
Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and Romance- Guest Post
6/17/2013 Moosubi Reviews!- Guest Post
6/18/2013 Mom With A Kindle- Interview
6/19/2013 Books, Bones & Buffy- Interview
6/20/2013 The Demon Librarian- Guest Post
6/21/2013 YaReads- Interview
6/22/2013 Fantasy Book Addict- Interview
6/23/2013 The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia-
Guest Post
6/24/2013 The Reading Diaries- Guest Post
6/25/2013 Curling Up With A Good
Book- Guest Post
6/26/2013 Melissa's Eclectic
Bookshelf- Guest Post
6/27/2013 Jessabella Reads- Guest Post
6/28/2013 Chocolate Coated Reviews-
Guest Post
6/29/2013 Reading with ABC- Interview
6/30/2013 BookHounds YA-
Interview
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Rockstar
Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although
payment may have been received by Rockstar Tours, no payment was received by me
in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive
review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily
agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this
review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16
CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in
Advertising*
Ooh, I got this from Netgalley the other day despite not having read any reviews - now I'm glad that I grabbed it!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you grabbed, it's really good; I hope you love it too!
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