Fragments, Dan Wells

Book: Fragments
Author: Dan Wells His Site
Series: Partials (#2)
Genre: Dystopian, Apocalyptic, Sc-Fi/YA Fiction 
Rating: 5/5
Moral: 5/5

Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence—it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that involves Kira, a plan that could save both races. Her companions are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them? Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what's left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira's journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of postapocalyptic America, and Kira and Marcus both will discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn't even know existed.

Dan Wells is an ingenious author, rising up with a new generation of unique writers. I am thoroughly impressed by the latest installment of the Partials series, Fragments. 

The Plot: 
The plot was disturbingly manipulative. It brilliantly messed with my mind and thrilled me. Fragments reminded me of Ilsa J. Bick's, Shadows, which was the sequel to Ashes. Th plot twisted in unexpected ways, and it challenged the characters to their breaking points. How he tied in a side of romance, I am unsure. It fit perfectly. The different factions of people, all trying to control their own futures, mixed together precariously. New people were introduced as roadblocks, new places were described, it was delicious! If you were judging by action, the plot is extremely fast. The book was smart, sometimes I had to pause and question what I just read and how it tied with everything else. 

The Characters:
Kira is strong willed, and has been since the beginning of the first book. What I got from her character arch was a simple moral, seeing right from wrong and learning to make the hard decisions. Kira had no choice but to catch on quickly.  Dan really pushed his characters to their breaking point. Marcus, Kira's boyfriend from book one, makes his way to the front row. Instead of being home, idly worrying for Kira, he became a warrior to protect the people of East Meadow. His humorous voice stood out among the other roughly serious characters in the book. Samm continues to confuse me. He seems like this tough guy, yet from his own perspective he is oddly emotional. I never figured out who he really was. That was a small downer for me. No longer was he the elusive partial Kira captured, he turned into a lovey-dovey wimp. Seemingly, without his own voice. The Trust, the people who created the partials, all seemed to have gone slightly crazy. Actually, almost everyone you meet who worked at ParaGen went crazy. Their morals are askew, truly the most interesting characters. They are manipulative and sly. I absolutely loved them!

The Setting:
The Setting is mostly the same as book one. Dystopian with rotting, debris everywhere, acid rain and a whole lot of other rubbish. It fits perfectly with the plot and really outlines the meaning of the book. It brings foreward the fact that meterial things are never as importiant as they seem. Unless, of course, that meterial thing happens to be a nuke... 

The Standout:
The icing on this enormous cake was the complex questions and decisions that had to be made. Are some people worth more because of what they can do? Is saving ten innocent people okay if it kills two thousand? Do numbers really matter when it comes down to life or death? Would you sacrifice yourself, even if you didn't know if it would fix the problem? 

The Moral:
You may have noticed from above, that the story was full of questionable morals and the meaning of life. It dared you to answer questions that no one ever asks, the stuff hidden under the bed. What would you really give up? The swearing is at a minimum, which is still quite a bit when it comes to the end of the world. There isn't sex, or even a lot of kissing, since the book is focused on much more important things. Such as saving all mankind and not killing a whole other race while doing so. A delightfully, beautiful book!