 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Partials
- By Dan Wells
- Genre: Science Fiction
Common Sense Media says
Tense action, sharp plot twists distinguish dystopian tale.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Partials is the action-packed first installment of a science fiction series with a strong female protagonist. Set in a post-apocalyptic New York in which 99 percent of the human popular has been killed by a weaponized virus, it features a fair amount of violence, some language, and much discussion of the Hope Act, which mandates that all women over 18 become pregnant as soon as possible. But actual sexual content isn't particularly graphic.
What's the story?
Eleven years after the Partials wiped out 99 percent of the human race with the weaponized RM virus, 16-year-old medic-in-training Kira Walker hatches a desperate plan to save her species. Disobeying the middle-aged Senators, who've mandated that all women over 18 be impregnated as soon as possible, Kira and a small group of allies set off from their stronghold on Long Island to journey to New York City and kidnap a Partial. They plan to study one of the engineered organic beings and perhaps find a cure for RM, but they have no way to expect the revelations that their mission uncovers.
Is it any good?
In a market glutted with post-apocalyptic tales featuring spunky heroines, PARTIALS stands apart. The world-building is complex, and the plot's scientific underpinnings ring true. The action is intense, but the bloodshed isn't gratuitous. Main character Kira first seems a little too good to be true, but the author has a few tricks up his sleeve for her and the readers. This is only the first volume of a proposed trilogy, and it will leave many readers eagerly awaiting the next installment without feeling that the author is stringing them along.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about what it might be like to be forced to become a parent at age 18. If the human race were threatened with extinction, would a plan like the Hope Act, which mandates that all young women 18 and older get pregnant as soon as possible, make sense?
The Partials look like human beings but don't seem to age and are genetically engineered for their extraordinary healing powers. Would it ever be OK to use widespread genetic engineering to "improve" humans? Why or why not?
How do people continue with their work and lives in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds? Kira and her colleagues at the hospital, for example, must continue working while knowing that every baby they deliver will probably die quickly of the RM virus.
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| Topics: | adventures |
| Author: | Dan Wells |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Science Fiction |
| Publisher: | Balzer + Bray |
| Publication date: | February 28, 2012 |
| Number of pages: | 480 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 14 |
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