Enclave (Razorland #1)

This book beautifully translates the hardships of growing up and finding out that adults don’t know everything to the post-apocalyptic world. Deuce has grown up thinking that the Elders are infallible and they only have the enclave’s best interests at heart, but when she learns something that will endanger the lives of the entire enclave, the Elders ignore and then punish her and she is left to make sense of the Topside to which she has been banished. Her entire world has been shattered and she needs to make sense of the new world she finds herself in before it kills her.

Deuce is a very flawed character. She reacts to things extremely differently to how we would react to them. This has caused some problems amongst other readers. I understand their outrage but I feel they fail to understand the character. Deuce has no reference whatsoever to the events that she finds herself confronting so she reacts the only way she has been taught how. This comes across as victim blaming to our modern way of thinking, but not to Deuce who has only ever been taught to fight and if you can’t fight, then it is your fault. Yes, I’m being quite vague here, but I want this review to be as spoiler-free as possible as I really want new readers to go into this book with an open mind and not to be influenced by other people’s thoughts and opinions.

Besides this problematic section, which honestly is one very small part of the book, the book as a whole is fascinating. I love reading books that explore what life and society would be like without the rules that we have governing modern day society and without the knowledge we all currently possess about our way of life. When I’m in museums looking at relics from ancient times and how we try to explain them, I wonder what will end up from our civilisation in the museums in the future and how will those civilisations explain them. This book touches on that, our civilisation is as puzzling to them as the Ancient Greek civilisation is to us, possibly even more so.

Readers who have always wondered What if? when it comes our morals and society structure will love this book.

The front of the book compared Enclave to The Hunger Games. That sets the standard for quality in a teen dystopia pretty darn high...and Aguirre totally came through! I was completely pulled into this world from the first pages. The writing, the plot and the characters are all fantastic. Book two will so be mine (and I totally want to acquire a copy of this one for my personal collection).

Zombies have been done before, of course, but these feel much more terrifying. They have the speed of any other predator and are learning, like in Aftertime. What they reminded me of more than anything actually were the morlocks from The Time Machine. Super creepy! And they're not the only terror: "I had begun to throb with the desire to understand why things happened, why some people lived under the ground, like our enclave, the Freaks, and the Burrowers, and why some stayed Topside and turned into the greatest monsters of all" (173).

Speaking of figuring out why things happened, that is something I would still like to know. That explanation has yet to appear. Thankfully, this does not come across as a lame attempt to increase my interest, but as a part of Deuce's journey that has not yet come. Deuce feels so real. The comparison to The Hunger Games lies largely in Deuce. We see from her perspective and she, like Katniss, cares first and foremost about survival. She doesn't really want to be involved in politics and relationships definitely confuse her. I am digging her love triangle, but have not firmly declared support for either team (Fade vs. Stalker), as both have promise.

To sum up, I loved this and recommend it to pretty much everyone who likes reading darker stuff, like dystopias. This one rocks, especially because the characters go to a library to research in their post-catastrophe world. Now that's awesome! Ann Aguirre is officially on my watch list.

Setting: Post Apocalyptic New York

A Few of the Characters:
·
Deuce - A young girl, recently branded as a Huntress for her underground society or "Enclave". She is eager to protect the people she has grown up trusting, until she discovers that maybe they haven't always told her the truth about the "Topside".
·
Fade - As a young boy Fade was found by the Enclave and was kept as a hunter because he proved to be strong. Deuce is assigned as his partner. Deuce knows nothing about Fade and is shocked to discover where he came from. He opens Deuce's eyes, and makes her feel things she has never felt before.
·
Freaks - Flesh eating zombie like creatures.
What made me keep turning the page?
Experiencing the way of life in this other word Deuce calls home
The "edge of your seat" action throughout the book
Seeing what happened to the real world
Watching Deuce change her thoughts about what makes a person strong or weak

Any complaints?
Nope
Recommendation:
Dystopia/Science Fiction YA Fans
·
Final Thoughts…
This was an action packed book! I'm not normally into the zombie scene, but I loved this! There was just enough romance to make me happy. I really loved Deuce; she is one tough girl! I like how she realized she can express her feelings and still kick butt. I am hoping to see Fade develop more in the next book. I will be first in line to read the next of this series!

I really liked this book. It was different than all of the other books I have been reading lately. It was more dark and mysterious, things I usually stay away from.
I won this book from Caster Girls blog ( http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/3LNGnJ/castergirls.com/winners-of-the-near-witch-giveaway/ ) And I flipped out when I saw that I won a book! I eagerly waited for the book to come in the mail, I was pleasantly shocked when I saw the books cover.
I was a little freaked out at the beginning. I mean there was a claw coming out of the back! Even a little cautious I began to read.
Immediately I was sucked into the world of Deuce, a new blood, or a Huntress. She just got her marks and was so proud of them, until she was paired with Fade. I loved Fade from the start, I love that quiet and mysterious type. Their relationship starts out a bit rocky but grows and grows. I'm going to stop there to not give away anything.
I liked Deuce's personality, she was the strong person that everyone wants to be, but is just as confused on the inside that we all are. She stands up for what she thinks is true, even when it gets her in trouble, and always protects her friends.
Then there Fade, the dark mysterious boy who always keeps to himself. Who doesn't quite fit in his own skin, but has a strong heart that can easily be damaged.

I really enjoyed this books, I loved the characters, the plot twists and the mysterious setting that we didn't quite know where it was. The curiosity of everyone with the new, unknown things and just everything else made this book a great read! Go check out Enclave by Ann Aguirre!!
~~ Sam :)

A worthy edition to the dystopian shelf! Gritty, well-imagined, a plot that gives both suspense and romance ... an enjoyable read for the dystopian fan!

a review by G.Clyde

After a tweet from Richelle Mead saying she read the book and enjoyed it, I decided I would give it a shot as well. When I picked it up I saw that it said on the cover "For fans of The Hunger Games" since the Hunger Games is my favorite book this filled me with excitement. However; like most times when people recommend certain books for Hunger Games fans I found it was nothing like the Hunger Games. I liked the book, I liked it a lot, but I didn't necessarily see how you could compare the two. While reading it I was scared, I kept expecting a freak to pop out and try to tear me to pieces. I was scared of Stalker and his wolf pack. Usually in Dystopian books there is a love triangle in which I can't figure out who I would choose and no matter who gets chosen I want to cry for the other one, Deuce knows who she wants, and even though there is another man involved, she doesn't get confused by her love for one or the other. I'm not sure if I just wasn't paying attention or if it really wasn't brought up until the end, but when the library book in the end said "Property of NY library" a chill ran down my spine. So that's what New York had come to? A freak infested wasteland? It freaked me out, I loved it! I would recommend this book and I can't wait for #2!