Book Reviews and More: FEAR - Corinna Turner

FEAR

unSPARKed Book 7

Corinna Turner
Unseen Books

ISBN 9781910806340

eISBN 9781910806357

ASIN B0B525XFPQ

FANtastic, that is my first thought about this volume, it is totally AWEsome! I have said it before, and I say it again, this series keeps getting better and better. I first read a story by Turner in 2015, and read the first in this series in 2017. Since then I have read book by her a total of 55 times, and unSPARKed stories 28 of them. When this book released the eBook came out on Friday and I started reading it, the paperback was released on Saturday and I ordered a copy for my son. He saw I was almost done it on Sunday, and was terribly upset that I could not wait one more day to start reading it with him. So as I write this review he has started reading it to me a second time. My son is a reluctant reader, but he has read most of the stories in this series more than once. Some he has read to me twice, and read a third time on his own. This is a great read and the whole series are excellent stories for teens, young adults and adults. And the series keeps getting better and better! It has real staying power.

When I recommending the series, which happens frequently, I often describe it as a mashup of Mad Max, Lost World, and Jurassic Park, and I have recommended it to many, all who have enjoyed them. We have even bought a full set for my son’s school library.

unSPARKed is a series set in a not-too-distant future. Dinosaurs once again roam the earth. Just because a scientist could do something, did not mean they should have done it. Most people live SPARKed, in cities with walls and electrified fences. There are two groups of people who live unSPARKed, farmers who have electric fences around their farms and live in community with their close neighbours. The other are Hunters who live most of the time out on the road or off road in HabVI’s Habitat Vehicles.

The description of this volume is:

“We Have To Reach The Habitat Vehicle—Or Die.

After breaking into Jason’s illegal rex farm to hunt for their kidnapped dad, farm-teens Darryl and Harry, along with young hunter Joshua, have taken extreme measures to escape capture by Jason. But with Darryl now lost in the dark mountains and Josh badly injured, their troubles are far from over. Yet the greatest threat to their survival may be the fears they carry within.

FEAR is the seventh quick-read in award-winning author Corinna Turner’s unSPARKed series. If you like Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, and Mad Max, you’ll love this pulse-pounding, futuristic, dino-dystopian series with a western twist.

Continue the adventure today!”

The story is told in a series of first person narrative chapters. And there is a wide range in chapter length. The chapters alternate between Joshua and Darryl.

Our main characters are:

Darryl: 16 and a half years old. Raised on a farm. Does not enjoy the city. And Harry’s big sister. Devote Catholic. Deep faith. A brave strong young woman.

Harry: Darryl’s younger brother. Eager to learn, a farm boy at heart. A youngster of faith, and strong work ethic.

Joshua: He was raised unSPARKed, lived his whole life from the day he was born in a Habitat Vehicle. He was raised by his father and uncle. Both deceased. Can’t stand being in city.

The story is told in first person narrative from the three main characters points of view. The chapter allocation is:

Darryl 14

Harry 9

Joshua 7

This story picks up before the last one left off, but this time from Darryl’s perspective. The three of them are unSPARKed, with fifty or so juvenile t. Rex on the loose for the first time. And with them separated, josh injured and Darryl facing her own challenges things are pretty dire. Add to that not knowing where Jason is and if he is hunting for them or his freed Rex. And Josh in a bad way. They need Saint Desmond’s intercession like never before.

This is the first in sort a sub trilogy within the series. The next two volumes, A Different Kind of Camouflage and Soil and Leaf continue this story arc. But I honestly have no idea where this story is going next. The fate of Father Benedict, Josh, Darryl and Harry are all up in the air. We can only hope the next volumes drop sooner rather than later. What a cliff hanger this story ends on. A higher drop and more at stake than any so far in the series.

This is an excellent read in a masterfully written series. But be warned you will be desperate for the next volume. It is a great book by a gifted and talented author.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2022 Catholic Reading Plan!