REVIEW: Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

Orleans

by Sherri L. Smith

Synopsis from Goodreads:

After a string of devastating hurricanes and a severe outbreak of Delta Fever, the Gulf Coast has been quarantined. Years later, residents of the Outer States are under the assumption that life in the Delta is all but extinct… but in reality, a new primitive society has been born.

Fen de la Guerre is living with the O-Positive blood tribe in the Delta when they are ambushed. Left with her tribe leader’s newborn, Fen is determined to get the baby to a better life over the wall before her blood becomes tainted. Fen meets Daniel, a scientist from the Outer States who has snuck into the Delta illegally. Brought together by chance, kept together by danger, Fen and Daniel navigate the wasteland of Orleans. In the end, they are each other’s last hope for survival.

What I thought:

 First off, as an O-Neg, the whole concept of this book was terrifying to me!

 Let's talk about the story and writing though.

This book is written from Fen and Daniel's point of view,

and when we're listening to the world through Fen's voice, it's a very distinct voice,

and much like reading a Mark Twain book, it's at first a little jarring.

It didn't take me long to get into the groove of it, though, and once I got going, I couldn't stop.

I sat down and read this book start to finish in one sitting.

Fen's story is heart-breaking, heroic, inspirational and terrifying.

At every turn you find yourself hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

Fen's ethnic background is incredibly different from mine,

but I had no problem relating to this character, because she's not really dealing with

common problems a typical American teen would have to deal with.

She's so far removed from the world I know,

the world any of us really knows,

that I related to this character on a more visceral level.

Daniel, on the other hand, was someone I had an easier time relating to,

in terms of lifestyle. He stumbled into things in a way that was believable...

and I feel like if I were going to be a character int his book, it might be him,

but without being so incredibly lucky.

This book is an interesting dystopian written in a strong, unique voice, with an interesting plot.