Tuesday, March 29, 2011

POD by Stephen Wallenfels


I thought the cover of this book spoke volumes, so I picked it up for that reason alone before reading some fairly decent reviews of it on Amazon.com--so I'd decided I'd better open it up.
The sci-fi teen genre (post-apocalyptic fun) is HUGE right now, and series like the "Dead and Gone" or books like "Compound" literally run of the shelves. I had a feeling POD might be one of those books, and I think my initial inclination may well be very right.
The story centers around two teens, Megs and Josh, who both have very different experiences. Josh is stuck inside his home with his dad, while Megs is literally fighting for survival in a parking lot garage; sleeping in various cars and trucks whilst trying to avoid killers and looters. Josh's voice can be whiny and as a character can be difficult to sympathize with--as his situation worsens his personality starts to develop in to a bit more likable one. Megs really has the more exciting story of the two and hers is one of total hands on survival and doesn't have time to whine or moan like Josh (who still has his dad to take care of him, and therefore, comes across bratty and unappreciative).
The story vacillates between the two teens and their outrageous existence now that the PODS have taken over. Oh, and PODS are literally black orbs in the sky that seems to annihilate anything in their path. A bright light crashes down and "whoosh" people and animals disappear. Literally, everyone is stuck inside their homes and as the lights go out and the water stops flowing, the drama really starts to set in.
This book is fairly fast-paced and quite heart-pounding. Teens over 12 will enjoy it, I think. While the writing isn't overly descriptive; the concept is interesting and the blood and gore just enough to keep the average reader not only interested--but wanting more.

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