Stung by Bethany Wiggins Series: Stung #1
Published by Walker Childrens (4.2.2013)
Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Format: eARC, 304 pages
Source: NetGalley
Buy on Amazon
There is no cure for being stung.
Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered—her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right hand—a black oval with five marks on either side—that she doesn’t remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. She’s right.
Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded while a select few live protected inside a fortress-like wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark.
Now Fiona has awakened branded, alone—and on the wrong side of the wall.
My thoughts
I am in a world of winter being burned beneath a summer sun.
Stung was fabulous! This was a great example of humans playing God and getting burned for it. And, if you didn’t know by now, I loooove those kind of stories! Stung was a high action, high stakes, fast paced edge-of-your-seat read. Once you step into the pages, you’ll lose yourself in the world that Wiggins has created!
This book was so original I couldn’t help but love it! There’s so many dystopian books out there that they all tend to blend together, and not very many stand out from the rest. I’ve read about plenty of viruses and plagues, but never before have I read about a bee flu. The idea of it all was crazy convincing! In a desperate attempt to save the bees, scientists genetically modified them to be stronger…but of course, it backfired: The bees carried a deadly flu. So, they engineered a cure. That backfired, making their children volatile and murderous. They were forced to kill off almost everyone and everything just to destroy the bees. It was pulled off so well it’s kinda scary to think that something like that could actually happen! Just because you have the power to play God doesn’t mean you should. Be careful what you create, eh?
Starting out was a bit confusing because you didn’t have any clue what was happening. You know just as much as Fiona does – which is to say, next to nothing. Which really puts you in her shoes, because how horrible would it be to wake up with no memory of how you got where you are, no knowledge of why your family is missing or why your world has been decimated? Pretty darn horrible, I think. Being written in first person, it really helped to get across the frustration and desperation of that mental block.
Fiona (aka Fo) was a good lead. I didn’t connect with her like I hoped in the beginning, but I’ll admit she earned my grudging respect at her ability to stay strong through all the crap that was happening. And this:
“Remember in third grade? You hit me in the face with your backpack when we were walking home from school?”
A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. “Yeah, I remember you called me Fotard and said playing the piano was stupid. So I stomped on your foot then hit you.”
He smiles. “Your mom made you write an apology letter to me, but you were too scared to deliver it, so you had Jonah bring it to my house. It said something like, ‘I’m sorry I hit you, but if you don’t stop teasing me about piano, I’ll hit you again.'”
Baha. I think this was where I started actually liking Fo. Because I like girls who can stand up for themselves. :)
The romance was sweet, although the L word felt a bit rushed. But I liked Bowen a lot. When every one else treated Fo like crap for being a Ten, he was the only one who treated her like a person. I kind of loved him for that, because the unfairness of how Fo was treated like less than an animal infuriated me. Bowen didn’t look down on her because of her mark, even though she was supposed to be dangerous.
I loved the idea of this book more than anything else, and I definitely want to see more of this world. I will be keeping tabs on Bethany’s future work!
I will not die without fighting for a life I am not yet done living.
“I would rather die a thousand times at your hands than see you captured. Even if you eat my heart. Because you already own it.”
Plot: 4.5/5
Writing style: 4.5/5
Originality: 5+/5
Characters: 3.5/5
World building: 4.5/5
Pace: 5/5
Cover: 4.5/5
Overall rating: 4.5 starfish
1. Where did you get the idea for Stung?
2. Who was your favorite character to develop?
3. What was your favorite scene to write?
4. Are you in the process of writing any more novels?
5. Do you have a favorite author, or one that inspires you?
6. What is your favorite book?
Randomness!
This book sounds so good! I completely agree with what you said about how you love books where humans get their comeuppance for messing with what they shouldn’t. Stung sounds exactly like a book I would enjoy. Great review!
Thanks Nancy! You should definitely give it a try :)
This sounds like a great book, I was highly interested just base on the cover. Cannot wait to read the book.
Yaya! Awesome tour stop Jessi!! I love your review, and Bethany so fun to talk to! GREAT interview Thanks so for being on the tour darling :)
<3333 Inky
Thanks for being a FABULOUS host! <333
Sounds like a wicked read!
Awesome review! Thank you so much for being on the blog tour.
Aw thanks so much, Bethany! It was my pleasure :)