Ruins

April 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-The final war between the Partials and the humans is at hand. Though both sides possess weapons that could destroy the other, Kira Walker holds the key to preventing all-out destruction.

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2013
In the wake of one apocalypse, can humans and Partials, cloned supersoldiers, live together, or will the world end again? Kira Walker found a cure for the RM plague. The Partials think her DNA might hold the cure for their "expiration date," the genetic trait that shuts their bodies down when they turn 20. The Partials held the last remnant of humanity hostage until Kira turned herself in for study (Fragments, 2013); when her biopsies yield no answers, she sets off to find unaligned Partials in hopes of finding a solution to the expiration date herself. Meanwhile, Samm, her Partial boyfriend, makes a startling discovery halfway across the country, and he sets out to find Kira and, he hopes, save both races. However, a splinter group of humans plans to use a nuclear warhead to destroy the Partials. And two very different genetically modified scientists are stalking the survivors; one shaped like a monster is warning everyone, and another shaped like a man is intent on harvesting everyone to create a perfect future. Wells concludes his post-apocalyptic, action-packed trilogy with a literal bang and a lot of blood. Believable characters face tough moral choices, and though the end is tidy, the twists and treachery that get readers there are all the fun. It's enjoyable alone but best read after the first two. Science (fiction) at the end of the world done right. (Science fiction. 14 & up)

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March 15, 2014
Grades 8-11 What happens when your mortal enemy may be your only hope of a cure for a disease that is exterminating everyone like you? Is it even possible to coexist peacefully after a decade of war? In this, the concluding installment of the Partials Sequence, Kira (who has discovered that she herself is a Partial); her beloved Samm; Dr. Morgan, who is determined that Kira will provide the cure even if she dies in the process; and Delarosa, who is prepared to sacrifice her own life to end the reign of the Partialsall are back, along with a few more old and new characters. Unless they want to be utterly lost, readers better check out Partials (2012) and Fragments (2013) before jumping into this ably written and quite relentless story. For fans who love the panoramic world-spanning feel of this story, suggest Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams' Tunnel series or Ilsa J. Bick's Ashes trilogy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)