Book: Quarantine (or Quaranteen): The Losers
Author: Lex Thomas
Recommend: If you handle violence well and have a strong stomach.. this one is a bit graphic!
I found the concept of this book intriguing and when I found out that I could read it early for free, I decided that it was worth checking out. I’ve always been a sucker for a free book. This book is The Lord of the Flies meets Mean Girls with a touch of The Hunger Games thrown in for good measure. On the first day of high school in a brand new building as students report to their first class, something strange starts to happen to the teachers. Suddenly everyone is in a panic and the military locks them all in, only allowing students who are of age to leave. Quickly normal teens turn into gangs that fight to survive in their harsh environment. What happens when David, the former star of the football team, fallen from glory decides to build a gang of his own?
I found this book extremely gripping. I had a very hard time putting it down. The language in it was very descriptive, the events shocking and the characters interesting to read. I felt pulled along at watching from the center of a hurricane while everything fell apart around me. I found the fact the relationship between Will and David complex and interesting to follow and the romance having a fresh spin on it.
The thing I liked least about the book was the never-ending violence. It felt like it just never took a break. The descriptions became too much in some places and it actually started to turn my stomach, which is a very rare occurrence for me. I also found the accepted overt sexuality running rampant through the school to be a bit unrealistic. While they never described the act, there was plenty of mention of sexual activity being a regular part of the teen society and yet there is zero mention of a single teen pregnancy which makes no sense at all. It is never addressed. Not once. if you are going to mention this topic, as a responsible writer for impressionable teens, there needs to be some consequence for it. Instead it seems to perpetuate the idea that there are no adult consequences for those actions.
Overall the book was an enjoyable read and I think I’ll be watching for the sequel when it comes out.
Final Rating:
Get it used...
The Obsessive Book Worm 