By Emma Clayton
Review By Rosin Kavanagh
Emma Clayton is a British children's novelist and author of dystopian thriller, The Roar. The Roar was nominated for the Carnegie Medal in 2008.
The book is set sometime in the future where an animal plague turns all animals into infected, vicious killers. The plague is televised and the population of the world are terrified. The government build a large wall circling the northern hemisphere to protect the population from the dangers that lurk outside. As the population grows, conditions inside the wall deteriorate and this causes unrest amongst the poorest of the population. A time after the plague, one of the main characters, Ellie, goes missing and is presumed dead. Her twin brother Mika, the second of the main characters knows she is still alive as a connection between the two leads him to believe so. The twins are rare mutants as a result of evolution. The story follows Mika’s desperate quest to retrieve Ellie and along the way the plot thickens as he uncovers secrets of deceit and betrayal that the government have kept hidden. These secrets, if discovered, could change life as the children of the northern hemisphere know it.
This is an extremely interesting, entertaining and fast paced read. The story jumps from being mostly narrated by Mika to then also being narrated by Ellie. This aspect of the novel is great, as we get to read two different tales that intertwine and come together, from two different perspectives. Each page is intriguing and entices you to read on, it is hard not to read it all in one sitting and will leave you anxiously awaiting the release of the sequel. Since the book is set in a post-apocalyptic, dismal world, the reader feels that the main characters are brave and determined to persevere through these conditions to take a stand against injustice. This futuristic novel with weapons and fighting scenes abound will appeal to fans of science fiction with a wartime twist. The Roar is a definite must-read.
Review By Rosin Kavanagh
Emma Clayton is a British children's novelist and author of dystopian thriller, The Roar. The Roar was nominated for the Carnegie Medal in 2008.
The book is set sometime in the future where an animal plague turns all animals into infected, vicious killers. The plague is televised and the population of the world are terrified. The government build a large wall circling the northern hemisphere to protect the population from the dangers that lurk outside. As the population grows, conditions inside the wall deteriorate and this causes unrest amongst the poorest of the population. A time after the plague, one of the main characters, Ellie, goes missing and is presumed dead. Her twin brother Mika, the second of the main characters knows she is still alive as a connection between the two leads him to believe so. The twins are rare mutants as a result of evolution. The story follows Mika’s desperate quest to retrieve Ellie and along the way the plot thickens as he uncovers secrets of deceit and betrayal that the government have kept hidden. These secrets, if discovered, could change life as the children of the northern hemisphere know it.
This is an extremely interesting, entertaining and fast paced read. The story jumps from being mostly narrated by Mika to then also being narrated by Ellie. This aspect of the novel is great, as we get to read two different tales that intertwine and come together, from two different perspectives. Each page is intriguing and entices you to read on, it is hard not to read it all in one sitting and will leave you anxiously awaiting the release of the sequel. Since the book is set in a post-apocalyptic, dismal world, the reader feels that the main characters are brave and determined to persevere through these conditions to take a stand against injustice. This futuristic novel with weapons and fighting scenes abound will appeal to fans of science fiction with a wartime twist. The Roar is a definite must-read.
