Latest Read: The Bane

Here are the basics ...
The Bane (The Eden Trilogy, #1) by Keary Taylor
Publication date: March 5, 2013
Publisher: Keary Taylor Books
Category: Young Adult - Dystopian/Sci-Fi
Source: Netgalley (Thanks!)

Summary: Before the Evolution there was TorBane: technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter. It had the ability to grow new organs and limbs. Until it evolved out of control and spread. The machine took over, the soul vanished, and the Bane were born. The Bane won't stop until every last person has been infected and mankind is on the brink of extinction. Eve knows the stories of the Evolution, the time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. Fighting to keep one of the last remaining human colonies alive, Eve finds herself torn between her dedication to the colony, and the discovery of love. There is Avian and West – one a soldier, one a keeper of secrets. And in the end, Eve will make a choice that will change the future of mankind. (Adapted goodreads.com)

My thoughts…

The good: When I hear a book is described as being "The Terminator  meets The Walking Dead with a heart-twisting romance", that's setting the bar pretty high. And I think The Bane, in many ways, did meet my expectations. For one thing, there is a lot of backstory here and I'm so glad the author took the time to explain the world she's created. We find out that years ago scientists tried to help people by creating chips that could regenerate human tissue or organs. Have a bad liver? No more waiting for donors. Get this chip implanted and you're as good as new. But the chips mutated over time and soon they turned into a virus that infected not only the person with implants but also anyone they came into contact with. The infected people, known as The Bane, became entirely cybernetic and aggressive. Almost like robot zombies who were taking over the world. It was a really interesting concept and I thought the author did a great job of giving the reader information little by little without slowing down the pace of the story. And the pace of this story is fast but realistic in that there are a couple understandable "lulls" in plot (which made sense to me).

Eve is the protagonist and there are a lot of unexpected surprises with her character. She's strong and a little aloof but mostly she's just a girl who literally doesn't remember life before the world fell to pieces and living day by day. Which includes protecting the group of people she lives with, in a colony they refer to as Eden. I loved her interactions with the different people of her colony and seeing what they all meant to her. I think what I admired most was her determination to protect everyone, even it meant putting herself at danger. She's one tough chick! But unfortunately this didn't make her insusceptible to the "love triangle" ...

(Some) reservations: Two guys are immediately introduced. Avian, the guy she's known her entire life and West, the new stranger in her camp that she feels both attraction and distrust for. The love triangle is introduced almost as immediately as the guys which I found a little.. overwhelming? Maybe that's not the right word. But I'm trying to focus on learning about Eve and this dystopian world she's living in. Then suddenly Avian and West are kissing her and declaring feelings. I barely know you all! It was way too soon to be thrown into intense romances. I wish the book had eased into it a little slower. Because then throughout the book, we get to see Eve spend time with each guy and figure out what it means to be in love (while being a badass and kicking Bane butt). And I really enjoyed that.

Do I recommend?:  If you like dystopian and science fiction, I think this was a great start to the Eden Trilogy. The Bane ended on a fairly conclusive note (yay for no cliffhangers that make me want to scream in frustration!) so I'm curious to see where the author takes her story next.

Happy reading!