Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fantasy creatures enhance near-future page turner.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
INHUMAN imagines a near-future United States devastated by a viral infection that causes genetic mutations. Creating human-animal hybrids, these mutations bring a strong fantasy element to a bleak, dystopian future. Everything east of the Mississippi River has been abandoned to the \"ferals,\" and people live behind a massive wall built along the river. However, survivors, some human and some hybrid, remain in the east. To save her father's life, heroine Lane has to risk infection and worse to bring something back from the wild, dangerous territory.
Is It Any Good?
Kat Falls starts off Inhuman at a brisk trot and builds nicely to a heart-pounding finish at full gallop. Her characters, both human and fantasy, are relatable and believable, with dialogue that rings true. The post-viral-apocalypse world is realistically and vividly imagined. A dramatic twist at just the right time will take readers by surprise. Suspense and peril ebb and flow at a good rate, which will keep those pages turning all the way to the big finish and satisfying ending.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why science fiction and fantasy are so popular? Which parts of Inhuman are sci-fi, and which parts are fantasy? Do the two genres work well together?
Is it OK to treat the ferals the way they're treated in the kingdom of Chicago? Why, or why not? How does it compare to the way we treat animals or the way slaves were treated?
How does society cope with a massive, life-threatening viral outbreak in Inhuman? Does it seem realistic? What role does the mega-corporation Titan play, as opposed to the U.S. government?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , STEM
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Press
- Publication date : September 24, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 384
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated : December 3, 2025
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