Krista Reviews: Kate Ormand’s – “Dark Days”
The future world has been divided into sectors–each the same as the other. Surrounded by thick steel fences, there is no way in and no way out. Yet a cyborg army penetrates each sector, picking off its citizens one by one, until no one is left. Behind the sectors’ thick walls, the citizens wait to die. Few will be chosen to survive what’s coming; the rest will be left behind to suffer. A new world has been created, and its rulers are incredibly selective on who will become a citizen. They want only those with important roles in society to help create a more perfect future.
Sixteen-year-old Sia lives in one of the sectors as part of a family that is far too ordinary to be picked to live. According to the digital clock that towers high above her sector, she has only fifteen days to live. Sia has seen the reports and knows a horrific death is in store for her, but she is determined to make the most of her final days. Sia refuses to mourn her short life, instead promising herself that she’ll stay strong, despite being suffocated by her depressed mother and her frightened best friend. Just when Sia feels more alone than ever, she meets Mace, a mysterious boy. There is something that draws Sia to him, despite his dangerousness, and together, they join a group of rebels and embark on an epic journey to destroy the new world and its machines, and to put an end to the slaughter of innocent people.
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published June 3rd 2014 by Sky Pony Press
First comes the wall and news of the new world, then comes the horrific news videos from destroyed towns. Soon the clock begins to tick down; if you have not been chosen by now, you will die.
It comes to no one’s surprise when the clock begins to count down the days. They have seen the broadcasts of the other sectors that have been destroyed. Some, like Sia’s mother, become obsessed with watching the news, fearing the future. Sia’s father practically disappears, rarely coming home and telling her he is working. Sia has her best friend, until her family wants her to spend more time in the house as the riots are going to start and they don’t want to see her harmed.
What she sees are some people being chosen and taken to the new world, while others just count the days until destruction. There is no way out because of the walls, and no use fighting because no one has ever survived. Sia does not want to sit and watch everything crumble around her. She gets the opportunity to share this feeling when a new boy appears and gives her a new view of the situation. Sia does not want to take things lying down. She wants to fight.
Sia is a courageous character, doing what no one else has done. Why not spend her last days taking action, instead of regretting doing nothing. The pace of the story is pretty fast and there are many events that take place in a short amount of time. The world building is imaginative, fun, and very sci-fi. People die, friends are made, lost connections regained, and possible love found in the darkest of times.
This is another adventurous survival story that found its way on my radar, and I do recommend it. I really enjoyed the world building, how the story came together, and the endless possibilities in what can happen next.
