The Ward by Jordana Frankel

The Ward by Jordana Frankel
Expected Publication: April 30th
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Page Count: 384
Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Ren is a daredevil mobile racer who will risk everything to survive in the Ward, what remains of a water-logged Manhattan. To save her sister, who is suffering from a deadly illness thought to be caused by years of pollution, Ren accepts a secret mission from the government: to search for a freshwater source in the Ward, with the hope of it leading to a cure.

However, she never expects that her search will lead to dangerous encounters with a passionate young scientist; a web of deceit and lies; and an earth-shattering mystery that’s lurking deep beneath the water’s rippling surface.

Jordana Frankel’s ambitious debut novel and the first in a two-book series, The Ward is arresting, cinematic, and thrilling—perfect for fans of Scott Westerfeld or Ann Aguirre.

*An advance copy from the Publisher was provided for me to review*

I've had my eyes on this book for quite a while, people.  The cover is absolutely kick ass and the premise sounds promising.  I was so excited to read it!  So then when I got an advance copy of it, I knew I had to read it as soon as possible.  Which I did.

Ren is not the average bad ass female protagonist.  She was strong, loved wholly, and determined--more so than any other character I've encountered in my reading.  Ren had such a unique voice and--while I got  a bit confused every now and then--I enjoyed the narrative.  It didn't take long for me to fall in love with her character and her story.  Her character throughout the entire story stayed consistent, which can be a trouble for some debuts, but not this one.  And the best part is that she didn't need a man to go on in life, and she proved that to not only herself, but also to a certain *coughs* male figure.  I loved that about her.  The love for her sister--that bond--was much stronger than the need to find a guy.

Frankel's depiction of this waterlogged New York City was frighteningly surreal and original.  Surreal because: what if that happened?  And original because: when do you get a futuristic New York with these water-skipping, roof-jumping cars and a scant amount of fresh water?  Such a crazy-great idea for a book!  I loved the story and I wanted so much more.  It's just too unfortunate that I'll have to wait about a year to read the second and final book. *sighs*

The Ward was a gritty and epic read about how far a person would go in the name of love.  It was the fight for survival and the macabre dance with Death.  Ren played such a unique and relatable character and was a delight to be inside the head of.  Fans of dystopia, an evil government, and a strong, bad ass protagonist may possibly enjoy this book.

4.5 Splashes