Partials

Book 31 of my 2016 Reading Challenge
read from March 24 - 29

Partials by Dan Wells
book 1 of the Partials Sequence series

Summary (via Goodreads)
Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. But sixteen-year-old Kira is determined to find a solution. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that that the survival of both humans and Partials rests in her attempts to answer questions about the war's origin that she never knew to ask.
Playing on our curiosity of and fascination with the complete collapse of civilization, Partials is, at its heart, a story of survival, one that explores the individual narratives and complex relationships of those left behind, both humans and Partials alike—and of the way in which the concept of what is right and wrong in this world is greatly dependent on one's own point of view.

My Opinion
I really like this author's writing.  Just like his other books I've read, there is plenty of humor spread throughout some pretty dark times to break the tension.  An example from the text:
 ""Look on the bright side," said Marcus.
  Kira waited.
  "This is the point," she said, "at which you would traditionally suggest a bright side."
  "I've never been a real traditional guy," said Marcus. "Besides, I'm not saying I know a bright side, I just think this would be a great time to look at one.""

The pages kept turning and I was very interested even if I didn't understand exactly what was going on.  It was kind of strange though; if I had to stop reading, I wasn't itching to get back to it but once I picked it up and started reading again, I got pulled in and read more chapters than I intended to.

During the time Marcus wasn't as heavy in the plot I missed the levity he brought.

There was a very unexpected twist!  It ended with a good incentive to continue the series but some things were resolved so it wasn't a letdown to reach the end.

A Few Quotes from the Book
"Those of us who survived came to this island with nothing - broken, fragmented, lost in despair - but we survived."

"Happiness is the most natural thing in the world when you have it, and the slowest, strangest, most impossible thing when you don't."

""The old world ended," said Madison, intoning the familiar words, "but the new one is only beginning."
 "We will never forget the past," said Haru, "and we will never forsake the future."
 Xochi raised her chin, holding her head high. "Life comes from death, and weakness teaches us strength."
 "Nothing can defeat us," said Kira. "We can do anything." She paused, then added softly, "We will do everything.""

"Our boys go to war, our girls get pregnant, and we always do everything they say and it never changes anything. Nothing ever gets better. You know why? Because if it gets better, we don't have to listen to them anymore."

"Peace...she wanted to reach out and touch it, to taste it, to know what it felt like not to live in constant fear."