28 April 2014

Dark Days by Kate Ormand

Dark Days
Series: N/A, Standalone
Publication date: June 3, 2014
Publisher: Sky Pony Press 
Genres: YA Sci-fi, Dystopia
Format: eARC
Source: Edelweiss
Pages: 256


The future world has been divided into sectors--each the same as the other. Surrounded by thick steel fences, there is no way in and no way out. Yet a cyborg army penetrates each sector, picking off its citizens one by one, until no one is left. Behind the sectors' thick walls, the citizens wait to die. Few will be chosen to survive what's coming; the rest will be left behind to suffer. A new world has been created, and its rulers are incredibly selective on who will become a citizen. They want only those with important roles in society to help create a more perfect future. 




Sixteen-year-old Sia lives in one of the sectors as part of a family that is far too ordinary to be picked to live. According to the digital clock that towers high above her sector, she has only fifteen days to live. Sia has seen the reports and knows a horrific death is in store for her, but she is determined to make the most of her final days. Sia refuses to mourn her short life, instead promising herself that she'll stay strong, despite being suffocated by her depressed mother and her frightened best friend. Just when Sia feels more alone than ever, she meets Mace, a mysterious boy. There is something that draws Sia to him, despite his dangerousness, and together, they join a group of rebels and embark on an epic journey to destroy the new world and its machines, and to put an end to the slaughter of innocent people.


I have seen this title a couple of times now, and I never really knew what it was about - but I kept coming back to it because I really liked the cover. Then I read the summary, and it lured me in! When you read the first line, you think it's going to be like The Hunger Games, then there is the fences.. And it's still a bit Hunger Games-esque. And then comes the twist: CYBORGS! I love that twist! 
I also loved that Sia, our main character, know she has 15 days left. It made the book fly by, and that is on one hand great and on the other not so great. I started to feel a bit "meh" once the "and then she meets Mace..." popped up in the summary. I hate when everything is about the boy! I read dystopia because of the worlds, not because of the "boy meets girl" or "girl meets boy" factor - I have my contemporaries for that!

But let's get on with the actual review:
It starts out very quickly, she has known that she's going to die for 6 days when the book starts out, and now she only has 15 days left. I love how she makes a realistic bucket list, instead of things like save the world or things along those lines. 
Sia is a character we can sympathize with. Everybody reacts differently once they get a death sentence, Sia is one of those that just want to live her life to the end and make the most of it (hence the bucket list). While her mother gets depressed and won't leave the couch and barely speaks to Sia or Sia's father. Her father is just absent, Sia barely sees him and they barely even talk. So in her final days, Sia is basically alone - who would want to be alone at a time like that?

When it comes to the world I am sad to say that it wasn't explained that much in the book. I really wanted some background information as to WHY the world was divided into those sectors and more information about the New World. I know that the sectors are very secluded and rely on the New World for everything - but that's basically it. I would've loved to get more info about the sector also, we don't really know that much about how it look like either. We are told that the houses are identical and that even the furniture is identical in each house. 

I am happy to say that this book did not include a love triangle! She stuck to Mace and I like Sia for that, I also liked how she didn't just invite him in to her house or started falling for him immediately *Cough* Twilight *Cough*. It took a couple of days, and I will accept that since they are going to die! 

I know this is a 250 page book, but everything just happened way too quickly, I understand that Sia looks at the world differently and that the time goes a bit faster because she is near the end of her days, but I still felt like it was too fast-paced. 

I love that this for once is a standalone dystopia! You don't come across those that often!

With all that said, I liked the hurriedness of the book a little bit, but it was still way too fast. I liked Sia - that name is actually really beautiful - but I would still love to know more about the world. I gave this book 3 hearts because it was missing some information about the world, but the main character was great!



Have you read this book? If so, what did you think? If not, are you planning to?

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