Review : Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Summary (from Goodreads)Title : Enclave (Razorland #1)
Author : Ann Aguirre
Author : Ann Aguirre
Publisher : Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date : April 12th 2011
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 Deuce 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.
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 Deuce 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.
Personal Thoughts
Dystopians are a favorite of mine. However, they can either be a hit or a miss for me. Enclave wasn't exactly a book that was on my radar. I haven't seen much reviews for it and I actually stumbled upon it while going through my Goodreads recommendations. You guys have no idea how glad I am that I came across this fabulous book!
Deuce,the protagonist, lives in an underground society, the Enclave, where the life expectancy doesn't usually exceed 20 years. The children, known as "Brats", are all named only on their fifteenth birthdays. These very children are trained to either become "Hunters", who have to fight off the zombie-like "Freaks", "Breeders", who have the task of procreating and "Builders", who ,as their name suggests, have to construct and build. Ever since she was young, Deuce has known that she would excel as a Huntress. Soon, she is paired up with the mysterious outsider, Fade. As the Freaks start becoming even more cunning, the threats that Deuce and Fade, along with the Enclave, keep increasing.
I was amazed by how incredible the characters in Enclave were. Upon their introduction, I wasn't very sure whether I would wind up loving them or hating them. However, as the story progressed, the characters developed, making me fall in love with them. Deuce was by far one of the greatest YA dystopian heroine I've ever read about. I loved how even though she was someone usually quiet and obedient, she was very strong-minded. She might have been brain-washed from a young age to believe every word the Elders of the Enclave told her, but she was someone who could think for herself. Besides being an independent and brave girl, she was also the kind of character who was willing to go to lengths to help out her friends and loved ones. Deuce was a young girl who had grit and mettle. The strength that she exuded made her appear confident, but there was also a part of her that was naive. However, as the plot moved along, she began to shed her naivety and became even more dauntless. Plus, you've got to love a girl who knows how to kill zombies! Fade was a very likable character too. At first, he appeared to be buried in a cloak of mystery. For me, his motives and actions weren't clear to me. It was only when hints about his history were dropped that I started to slowly grasp his character. Behind his tenacious and uncaring act, was a boy who had gone through painful moments in his life. Even the secondary characters were well-crafted and so beautifully written that they too seemed like they were part of the main cast.
When a story involves zombies, you expect blood, death and gore. Enclave provided exactly that. The story was not only action-packed, but also grisly, violent and on certain occasions, quite ghastly. I absolutely loved it! The perpetual fear that the characters were experiencing was intensely palpable. During some scenes I had to hold my breath because I was afraid for the characters. The world building was really well done ,in my opinion. The author took her time to provide us all the necessary information required to vividly picture the setting in the reader's mind. I thought the post-apocalyptic world that Deuce and Fade lived in was stark, bleak and extremely scary. Honestly, I can't imagine myself living in such a grim society. I had a lot of questions that needed to be answered when I started the book. Thankfully, most of them were swiftly answered throughout the course of the story. I'm hoping my remaining questions will be answered in the next installment of the series. There was also some romance in the book, but it never bogged down the plot. Instead, it remained in the sidelines and moved at a subtle, but satisfying pace. It was sweet and Deuce and Fade shared a healthy relationship. I liked how both of them were a constant support for each other. I also really loved how Fade slowly opened up to Deuce and let her into him. What I enjoyed with Enclave was the pacing of the plot. This book was so fast paced that once I started reading I just couldn't stop. My only reason for giving the book 4 stars instead of 5 stars is the ending. I wasn't satisfied with how the story wrapped up since there wasn't much of a resolution, but even with the awful ending, I was quite pleased by the book.
Enclave is a highly underrated book, in my opinion. It's ,without any doubt, one of the best dystopian books that I've ever read. It's got everything that I ask for in a post-apocalyptic story. Strong and free thinking characters ? Check. Picturesque world building ? Check. Tons of action ? Check. Seriously, it was amazing!
Rating
Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5
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