Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Kira tracks creators of super-soldiers in exciting sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
FRAGMENTS picks right up where Partials left off, with 16-year-old medic-in-training Kira Marshall on her own in an abandoned Manhattan and searching for answers about who created the super-soldier Partials and RM, the virus that decimated the human race. The more she learns about ParaGen, the corporation responsible, the more questions are raised about how Partials and humankind might co-exist. Accompanied by Afa Demoux, an unhinged former ParaGen employee, and Samm and Heron, two Partials with divided loyalties, Kira ventures into the poisoned heart of the continent, hoping to find a solution before both humans and Partials succumb to extinction.
Is It Any Good?
Fragments is a worthy successor to Partials, the initial volume of this dystopian science fiction adventure. It suffers from some of the standard pitfalls of middle books in a series, sometimes feeling a little static and overly complicated. But author Dan Wells spins out some interesting new wrinkles to his inventive plotting, and the series is notable in the way that it grapples with the thorny issues it raises, using the dystopian setting for much more than just window dressing. Here's hoping Wells can stick the landing with the conclusion of this sequence!
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about dystopian novels. Why do you think they're so popular? What other ones have you read?
What would be some of the advantages of creating a race of genetically superior soldiers? What dangers would that plan include?
What kinds of genetic research have been helpful to humankind? What kinds seem unproductive or downright dangerous?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship , STEM
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Balzer + Bray
- Publication date : February 26, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
- Number of pages : 576
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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