Cured by Bethany Wiggins
Series: Stung #2
Published by Walker Childrens (3.4.2014)
Genres: Dystopian, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Format: eARC, 320 pages
Source: NetGalley
Now that Fiona Tarsis and her twin brother, Jonah, are no longer beasts, they set out to find their mother, with the help of Bowen and a former neighbor, Jacqui. Heading for a safe settlement rumored to be in Wyoming, they plan to spread the cure along the way--until they are attacked by raiders. Luckily, they find a new ally in Kevin, who saves them and leads them to safety in his underground shelter. But the more they get to know Kevin, the more they suspect he has ties to the raiders. He also seems to know too many details about Jacqui and her family—details that could endanger them all. For the raiders will do anything they can to destroy the cure that would bring an end to their way of life. Bethany Wiggins’s reimagining of our world after an environmental catastrophe won’t fail to stun readers.
My thoughts
I loved Stung. LOVED it. The world was amazing, the idea of it was unique and intriguing, and the beasts were scary. I rated it 4.5 stars. Somewhere between Stung and Cured, the magic was lost.
Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it. But, there was none of the epic world building that I adored so much in the first book. There was little to no talk about the bees or the virus, and the beasts only made an appearance once or twice. This book was really more of a story about a girl finding her way in the world, coping with living life as a boy (because women are viewed as precious property and their only purpose is procreation, so rape is a high risk), and falling in love. This book is a romance. I’m just going to say that right now. There was much more focus on that than there was the world, or, you know, the cure. (It’s not like the book is titled ‘Cured’ or anything, that would just be silly.)
I did
not like the romance. It happened too fast, and was cheesy (Okay, granted, there
was kind of a reason
View Spoiler »because Kevin already knew Jaqui long before she knew who he was « Hide Spoiler, but still – knowing what you know about the world’s views on women, why would you be kissing someone you don’t even know? And talking about living with him for the rest of your life? Seriously?!). There was too much lovey dovey crap (yes, that’s a technical term) for me! I had to skim the kissing scenes because they were too irritating. (Who wants to make out when you’re in a hurry to escape with your life? You’ve got to be kidding me!) I just couldn’t connect with Kevin and Jaqui’s relationship, so I didn’t enjoy the romance one bit.
I also wasn’t too thrilled about the change in MC’s. I liked Fiona in Stung because she was a badass. It’s not that Jaqui was weak, she just…annoyed me. She was kind of childish, and sometimes I felt like she really was the 12-year-old she was pretending to be. I didn’t really connect with her at all.
It was also predictable.
View Spoiler »I knew immediately that Kevin was a Siren, and when he “betrayed” Jaqui, it was obvious it was just a cover. I also got the vibe the moment I met the leader of the Raiders that he wasn’t actually a bad guy…so finding out that it was actually Dean wasn’t a surprise like it should have been. « Hide Spoiler When things got dangerous, there was never any feeling of danger. When they were all “OMGSH I’m gonna die! He’s gonna die! We’re all gonna die!!” I was just like:
STFU, you’re fine.
The ending did improve because we finally got some action; but all in all, it just felt the same as every other dystopian book I’ve read in the past.
Plot: 3/5
Premise: 4/5
Writing style: 3.5/5
Originality: 3/5
Characters: 2/5
World-building: 3.5/5
Pace: 3.5/5
Feels: 1/5
Cover: 4.5/5
Overall rating: 3/5
Click cover for my review
Ugh. I hate it when I series I’m loving takes a turn in a direction I don’t like. I thought Stung looked really interesting when it came out, so it’s a bit sad the sequel wasn’t as enjoyable for you.
Aww sorry this one wasn’t as good as Stung! I definitely don’t like the idea of the I didn’t know that the POVs changed with this one, but I can see why, although I’m sorry that Jaqui’s character wasn’t as strong as Fiona’s. I definitely don’t like the concept behind the new romance or the predictability of the plot, so it looks like I may be skipping this one since I wasn’t a HUGE fan of Stung, either. Fantastic review, though, Jessi! <33
I liked Stung but had problems with the romance in it, so knowing that this has an even larger focus on the romance doesn’t encourage me. I’m still planning on giving it a try, but I’m glad I won’t be going in blind. Thanks for the review!
uh oh…. :( I loved the first one as well! But now you have me all kinda of worried! I will still read it. Cause I need to know what happens! But I will be wary.. Thanks for your honesty!
I love the book stung. The only reason Fiona fell in love so quickly with Bowen. Was because she had no one else. The ones she loved are gone ! I loved the romance in the story Bowen saved her life without him she would be dead ! I haven’t seen cured yet but they need to make a movie
I have to disagree with you. I loved Cured as much as I loved Stung. Spending time with Fiona, Jonah, and Bowen again was wonderful. Meeting the new narrator, Jaqui/Jack was interesting, especially since I had met her before and always wondered if she and her family had survived…and questioned why they had not invited Fiona in when they originally saw her.
I loved the flashbacks of memory and the continued development of all characters.
Kudos to Bethany Wiggins for another winning novel.