Book Review: The Wounded by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

The Wounded by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

Clean Teen Publishing © 2014

Kindle Edition

Dystopian

Reviewed by Leah

The Wounded on Amazon

How can you love someone and hate them so much at the same time?  The answer: read a book.  A more specific answer: read this series of books.  Lauren Nicolle Taylor, you're on my Watch List, for better or worse.

Summary:

Rosa didn't get what she came for.  With the sole purpose of returning to Pau Brazil being the rescue of her mother and infant sibling, what she came away with was a battered body and a lucky find in her friend, Rash.  Then there is the not-so-welcome revelation that her father is the Spider they were sent to rescue, and his loyalty has been to the Survivors much longer than Rosa's been alive.

Feeling overwhelmed and slightly heartbroken, all Rosa wants to do is return to Joseph and her son.  To be safe at home, and plan for the next phase of this warfare.

But the next phase hit them first.

When the Spider collectors return from their mission, it is to find their lives empty and deserted.  The others are gone.  Possessions left behind.  And the healing machine destroyed.

Knowing where the only safe hiding place is, they set off immediately for the Hole--a giant, radioactive remnant of a distant war.  There, Rosa is relieved to find both of her boys safe and sound.  But others are missing and her family is hanging on by tattered threads.

The once strong and determined Survivors are now the Wounded.  With each reminder of loved ones lost, they are unwilling, as of yet, to pick themselves up.  Instead, they are ready to rest, lick their wounds, and drown in their misery.  Which leads them to the Monkey City … and those people that Apella knew actually existed there all along.

It is not enough to wallow, however.  And when tragedy strikes in a way to pierce the heart of every living creature, Rosa is simply done.  Reciting their sworn oath, Rosa reminds them all what it means to be a Survivor.  And she's determined to take the fight back to the Woodlands.


Initial Thoughts:

By the time I finished this book, I couldn't even remember where this one began versus where the last one ended.  Thankfully, the publisher provided summary allowed my memory to distinctly separate the two fragments and I am once more able to give a somewhat-coherent review.

Which makes me grateful to the author.  It means that each of these books flow so well together, that it reads more like one book than three.  Bravo to Ms. Taylor!

(Also, I'm feeling kind-of shell-shocked by the ending.  Again.  Are you happy with yourself?)


Characters:

I don't need to get into how much I love Rosa for every one of these reviews.  But since I'm here…

Just kidding.  I love Rosa.  We'll leave it at that.

Joseph is his own typical, lovable self in this as well.  So, again, no real need.

Now … Apella and Alexei…  I hated you both, once upon a time.  To the point where I happily would have throttled you both with my bare hands.  But now…  Not so much.  Especially you, Apella.  You are gracious and self-sacrificing in a way that is very genuine.  It does not seem contrived in any way.  And after all you've done for Rosa and Joseph…  You have my forgiveness, as well as my gratitude for being such a heartbreakingly complex character throughout the entire series.

Rash, you do comedic relief like no other.  Especially when it is truly needed.  Thank you for making us all just a little less tense.

Again, thank you to a wonderful cast of characters for making this book so worth investing my time into.

Oh, and Este: HAHAHAHAHAHA!  You deserved that and so much more.


Plot & Setting:

Wonderful visionary skills abound here.  The world building continues to be sharp and tangible with each new setting.  And there were quite a few new places to explore in this novel.  Between creepy tunnels to charred highways, it was a mental movie-watching experience.  One I absolutely adored.

Again, no formulaic plot arc to this--just how I like it.  There are beginnings.  There are climaxes.  There are resolutions.  (Plural.)  And then there's that bloody cliffhanger.  (Aren't authors grand?)

Also, as much as I love this series, I do feel the need to stress that is character-carried and less plot-oriented.  This is about things happening and how they are reacted to.  So the emphasis is never really on the plot in itself.  (Just so you're all fully aware of what you agree to when you decide to allow this author and her characters to emotionally mangle you.)


Writing Style:

I absolutely love Ms. Taylor's writing style.  Since this is first person perspective, you get to see Rosa in all of her full, dysfunctional catastrophes.  And you get to feel the same frustrations and bear the same dark weight upon your shoulders as she is forced to carry.  It's a very tangible style and I'm glad to experience it.


Overall Opinion:

Definitely recommended.  The entire series.  I'm incredibly invested in this series and would love to have others to geek out to with this.  So I think more of my friends need to read this.  (Ahem.  Hint, hint.  Nudge, nudge.)

Not My Responsibility

So I'm here again.  Not to review anything, exactly.  Rather, more or less, to educate people (or incense my many rabid followers, hardy har har) about what exactly a review is for.

Now, as I've said before, I love GoodReads.  I even adore and aspire to be as critical as some of the most reviled GoodReads "bullies" out there.  (And yes, even I admit that they tend to jump down someone's throat right quick when they comment things the major band don't agree with.  Yet, with some of the Trolls they've been through, not exactly sure I'd be very lenient either.)

This, of course, does not mean I encourage bullying or even would want to be as aggressive in the threads of my reviews as they have been.  In fact, my very worst reviews have never been written (see previous post: Bad Reviews).  All of which is beside the point when I give you the very straight fact:

I have every right to write the most vitriol, disgusting review on the planet … with no basis for it.

I do have that right.  I retain that right.  And to say that my review is meant for anything other than my own reminiscences later on is absolutely ludicrous.

My review is not for the creator's benefit.

My review isn't even for other consumers.

It is especially not meant as an instruction manual or a vanity script.

The only purpose of my review is to remind me what I thought of a product after experiencing it.  Either so I know to keep tabs on a wonderful author, or steer clear of one that whines like a spoiled child not yet taught to hold its tongue while the adults are speaking.

I suppose now you may be wondering why I am ranting about this … again.  (See: Opinions Reside Here)  Well, I was traversing that wonderful verse called GoodReads and came across a response that struck me as odd, rude, and utterly false.  Without naming any names, here is what the comment consisted of:

"I have no comment on your judgment regarding this book; whether you like it or not is irrelevant.  However, a review should provide useful information about a novel and a basis for determining its worth.  Your review is nothing more than a foul-mouthed rant which gives the reader neither.  Try using the intelligence you claim to possess in your next review"

I was first struck by that opening sentence.  My first thought: Excuse me?  Bitch say wha-?  How ignorant is this person that they think that whether or not a reviewer likes the product is irrelevant?  In a consumer-based society, whether or not you actually like something is all that matters!  And what possible consumer wants to look at a review and basically read another summary?  Because that's all this commenter believes to be acceptable as a review apparently.

Secondly, a review should provide the honest thoughts of the reviewer.  Anything else (quotes, memes, praise and criticism) is all extra padding.  A review could be three paragraphs, three pages, or a single sentence.  That still makes it a valid review.  Anyone who doesn't understand that has no business even reading them.

Lastly, if a foul-mouthed rant is called for, then by all means: unload the fucking barrel.

This person, like many others I've happened upon across the GRs universe, seems to be under the delusion that reviewers are under some form of obligation.  That it is our responsibility to give only clear, concise reviews that briefly highlight what the book is about, and whether or not we add our personal stamp of approval.

Some people are under the impression that it is a reviewer's responsibility to critique the works of others and give only constructive criticism in our reviews.

Many think we owe it to the public to leave only watered down versions of our passionate responses to these works within the public eye.  (Omitting, of course, all those "foul" words which so sting their delicate senses.)

Well, please allow me to remove the veil covering those sensitive eyes:

It's not my responsibility.

I am under no obligation, whatsoever, to write a review that merely offers constructive criticism.

It's not my intent to make my reviews G-rated so that those with their panties in a bunch may rest a little easier.

And it is certainly no help to anyone to simply restate a summary.  It quite defeats the purpose of a review, wouldn't you say?

Nothing in that comment can be considered accurate.  Why?  Because it is not our job as reviewers to do anything for the publishing industry, or even our fellow consumers.

It is not our responsibility to point out authors' triumphant points or their failures.  But we do.

It is not our responsibility to write reviews that are filled with direct quotes, criticize plot choices, mention errors in editing, or applaud astounding characters.  But we do.

It is not our responsibility to create reviews meant to be engaging and witty, or even filled with distaste and foul language.  But we do.

This thing that we do as reviewers … it is not a job.  It is not an obligation.  It is not our responsibility.

It is a choice.  Something that we decide to do whenever we bloody well feel like it.  And the results will be our honest thoughts and opinions.  Whether or not others wish to hear them.

So to say that a review is only meant for a certain reason … is complete rubbish.

There is only one reason to write a review: to remember how we felt about the subject.  To document our experience and to one day go back and look again at all the lives we have lived, be they full of greatness or sorrow.

Whether we can do that in a single sentence, a couple of paragraphs, or even a few pages … that's for us to decide.

But it is certainly not our responsibility.