this book has absolutely nothing in common with the hunger games. sure, there are kids who fight, but the circumstances are entirely different. most of the kids in h.g. have not been trained to fight, they are being forced to fight for the entertainment of the capitol. the main character of h.g. is not a girl who has been honed to kill monsters that attack her community, nor one who has been raised in such a sheltered and specific educational-track focused entirely on fighting that emotions are

So, The Hunger Games had a baby with Fallout. Then, they broke up and The Walking Dead became the new step-parent. Giving rise to the strange child we call Enclave. Isn't she a cwute wittle one?I had this big stupid flow chart all planned out for this review, but it seems there are like a hundred reasons why it won't work. Well, more like two. Images aren't working correctly on Goodreads at the moment AND I can't find a free site to host such a large image on AND it looks like crap small. Damn.

3/29/12 Stop by The Nocturnal Library to read our interview with Ann Aguirre and enter for a chance to win one of 3 books: Enclave, Grimspace or Blue Diablo. I am happy. I am shocked. I still can’t believe this. Ann Aguirre just got promoted to my favorite author. Ok, maybe not favorite, but close enough. I mean, come on! She writes this fantastic SF series, starting with Grimspace, a very good (if not great) and very unusual UF series with elements of horror (the Corine Solomon series), and

HOLY WOW. WHY HAVE I NOT READ THIS SERIES SOONER? SO MUCH FUN!!! AMAZING PROTAGONIST. AMAZING, CREEPY WORLD. LOVE, LOVE, LOVVVVVE STALKER (even though I know he won't win!). This is SO my type of book, why did I take so long to read it?

If I knew this book is about zombies, I wouldn't have read it. And gladly I didn't. The thing is I'm not a zombie fan. It was my first book of this kind because I usually avoid anything zombie related. Disgusting. I know lots of researchers theocratically say that humans can become zombies and it would have to be caused by a very rare virus or something but although they can truly happen I still dislike to watch/read (or so I thought) anything about them. Anyway, you can guess my surprise when I...

I thought for a little bit about how to review this book, if I should go over all the weird mistakes and struggles with the world building chronologically or if I should just jump in at what bothered me most and work backwards. Generally, following the timeline of the book makes for a better review, but since I am so utterly horrified by the last third of the book I can't stomach talking about things like sewer systems, night vision, bad name choices, and human nature. All that keeps ringing in

Enclave's premise drew my attention more than a lot of the other, more hyped YA dystopias. And I believe that most of it lived up to my expectations.Enclave starts with Deuce - or rather, at the time, Girl15 - en route to her naming ceremony. In the enclave, your name is merely your gender and an exclusive number. But if you're lucky enough to make it to the age of fifteen, you get a real name. Six cuts, three on each forearm - these are the marks that make you a Hunter or Huntress. It has been

Okay, I'm adding this note because I'm seeing some activity on this review as I'm updating my reading progress in the third book. I need to reread this one at some point, because reading the sequel Outpost completely changed my perspective on certain issues. My mini reaction to that book is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...But for now, my initial reaction to the first book remains below. It's fascinating to see this society that the author created.2.5 stars I really wanted to like t...

After receiving a copy of this book from GoodReads friend Lucy, I was immediately drawn to the Publisher’s Weekly quote declaring the book to be “for fans of The Hunger Games”. Such comparison quotes, while attention grabbing and common practice amongst publishers, immediately set up a certain level of expectations, even in the most cynical of readers. While I haven’t actually finished reading The Hunger Games yet (I’ll get round to it eventually, I swear!), I began this book with the same expec...

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.comSeveral months ago, I made the decision to read everything Ann Aguirre had on the market because I loved her Sirantha Jax series so much (so for all of you who visit The Obsessive Bookseller regularly, I’m sorry for being so repetitive, haha). I was particularly excited to pick up this series because I’d had it on my reading list even before I became fond of the author. I am glad to report that Enclave was every bit as enjoyable as her other book...

3 1/2 starsA couple of years ago, I endured read a young adult zombie novel which it seemed might turn me away from the shambling mobs forever. But then, after two years of strict zombie literature abstinence, enter the Goodreads Zombie Advocacy Board: your friendly neighborhood support group, recommendation service, and cheerleaders for all things decomposing and reanimated. So far I’ve read three zombie books this year; a very small percentage, but I think it’s safe to say that the healing has...

This book, you love it, or you hate it. And then there's me.Enclave starts out as a very captivating, very exciting read. The world building is terrifying; we've got society living underground, talk of barren wastelands and acid rain "Topside", beasts are roaming the tunnels which, let's face it, are zombies. These "Freaks" eat human flesh, they smell and look like death, and they are taking over! I was lost and absorbed by this dreary desolation. Though what makes it the most compelling is the

2.5 stars out of 5.The GOOD- Character development (except later in the book). When Deuce was underground (at the beginning of the book), the author really took her time to develop her characters. Deuce is a soldier underground. In the beginning, Deuce does what she is told, thinks what she is told and doesn’t question authority. However, it is clear to the reader that there is more to Deuce than her brutal surroundings and life. Fade, her partner, is mysterious not only to Deuce but to everyone...

HATE New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has taken to living in underground enclaves, where the life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. The main character is name Deuce, yes Deuce.... She gets this name in a naming ceremony where the towns people gather around, place a bunch of rando items in front of you, cut your arms a bunch of time, and then whatever you bleed on first is your new name. (This is really where the problem started for me.) I wont...

This was only the second book I’ve read by Aguirre, with the first being Skin Game, which I was less than impressed with. And yes, I realize I still haven’t read the one series lauded as her best, Sirantha Jax, but I will get to it one of these days. Although Enclave had some great ideas, some very quotable passages, and some fascinating characters, I think it also fell short in a number of ways.This book tells the story of Deuce; a girl living underground in the tunnels and sewer systems of a p...

TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE AND VICTIM BLAMINGI actually re-read this because the new one came out and I just looked at most of the reviews for this one and thought, "Damn, maybe I was just in a bad mood when I read it."The re-reading actually made me lower the rating from 2 stars to 1.The first time I read it I was in the middle of exams, and I wasn't really thinking about what I was reading, it was mostly to get my mind off things for a bit - and it failed even at that, since I only gave it a 2

*** Read first and reviewed in 2011 *** Post-plague, underground, dystopian fiction set in a smallish, harsh, survival-of-the-fittest society, a deserted, crumbling New York City, unexpected friendship, a hint of romance and super-gory zombies! "Enclave" turned out to be extremely engrossing. Although, sometimes, I was a little chicken to turn the page and find out what happened next, I craved to return to the story with a feverish intensity each time I decided to shut down my Kindle, since nour...

Ummm....WOW. Enclave was a breath a fresh air. If you are looking for a book with lots of action, a strong, ass-kicking heroine, and romance that takes a back seat, Enclave is your book. This book is marketed towards, "Fans of The Hunger Games." Ummm...why? The only similarities I can possibly see is the strength of the main characters. Katniss and Deuce (how awesome is her name?!) are both hunters and get into a lot of fights. And both books do feature dystopian societies. Enclave is very fast

There were different kinds of strength. I knew that now. It didn’t always come from a knife or a willingness to fight. Sometimes it came from endurance, where the well ran deep and quiet. Sometimes it came from compassion and forgiveness. I thought this was really good. It is an identity story wrapped in a devastated world survival/adventure tale, and it is surprisingly insightful. It was engrossing enough that I started the next book immediately.

This book reminded me of why I sometimes HATE when writers for adults attempt to write for younger audiences. People, how many times do I have to remind you that having a good premise and combining that with sloppy worldbuilding, a teenaged protagonist, and a love triangle does NOT automatically qualify a book as YA? I managed to finish ENCLAVE, but only because the whole time I kept on expecting it to get better, for it to eventually blow me away. Well, there was definitely no blowing away: my