Review : Enclave

Posted by on September 23, 2011 11:13 am in 3.5 stars reads | 2 comments

Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Pages : 259
Genre : YA, Post-Apocalypse
Series : Razorland, Book 1
My Rating :

What it’s about :

Deuce’s world is divided in three classes : Builders, Breeders and Hunters. From as long as she can remember, she’s been preparing to be a Huntress, getting ready to face the “Freaks” that inhabit the tunnels outside of her enclave.

On her first day as a Huntress, Deuce gets paired with Fade, a mysterious young boy who came by the tunnels years ago. With him, Deuce will learn about a world she never really knew and the secrets that shape her society, forever changing her and her life.

My Thoughts :

Previous to reading Enclave, I had read many not-so-hot reviews of this dystopian novel. Nothing really negative, mostly just a general “meh”. I have since read much more positive comments on it, but at the time of reading it, my expectations were sufficiently low that I actually really enjoyed it.

But when thinking back on it, I felt in parts unsatisfied. There were too many unanswered questions, and while some of these could be explained by the main character’s ignorance, some other things simply could have used more explanations and details. While the trend of dystopian novels is going strong with books like Matched, Delirium, Divergent and some others that I haven’t read yet, it seems many of these books also share a lack of worldbuilding that irritates me. Just because it’s YA doesn’t mean the world you write about doesn’t need to make sense. I don’t need the whole encyclopedia, either; I just need to feel like the author thought the world through, outside the limits of what will create an cool premise.

That being said, I did enjoy my initial reading. There was a good rhythm to the scenes, just enough action, and Deuce is a great main character. She certainly follows in the footsteps of The Hunger Game’s Katniss, so I couldn’t be happier. Though she was a bit naive at times, she was mostly a solid young woman willing to fight for what’s right. Her world was bleak but I didn’t think that she was this pessimistic character you could imagine her becoming.

I also loved her interactions with Fade, though I couldn’t really feel the chemistry between the two. Maybe it was just too quick, too soon. He certainly was an intriguing character though and his story did make me curious to know more. I feel he could develop in a really strong and complex character if Aguirre gives him enough space to do so.

Enclave is the first in a planned trilogy and my hope for the next novel (still a year from now) is that the author will put a little more meat into the worldbuilding and develop the main characters a little more. Enclave was good enough that I’m considering reading this next novel, especially since the story in this first volume is far from complete, and I think it could be a great read for readers of dystopias that enjoyed a bleak, dangerous world with a strong female lead.

Series Reading Order :

  1. Enclave
  2. Outpost (coming September 2012)
  3. Horde (coming 2013)

2 Comments

  1. This does sound a bit ‘meh’. I am not sure I will rush out and read it, but good review.

  2. I just won this book, and am so excited about reading it! I have come to discover that I really enjoy YA dystopians, and you are right, there are so many great ones out there. I will have to let you know what I think of this one when I am done!

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