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vesperbell's review against another edition
4.0
I received my copy of this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
I’m pretty sure I inhaled this book, it took me under a day to read; there is not one dull or sluggish moment and the pace stays consistent throughout.
Survival Colony 9 is set in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged from war and global warming. It is set further in the future than we usually see, where leftover resources are completely used up, where animals have become extinct, beetles seeming to be the only species left besides scattered groups of humans who are constantly on the move to stay alive. A changed environment is not the only thing that the human colonies have to contend with however, as an alien race dubbed the Skladi descended to Earth and now hunt on the remaining humans. Not wanting to give anything away, the Skaldi are a terrifying threat, leaving you unable to trust anyone, even the people closest to you. They arrive quickly, silently, and leave nothing behind.
Our journey through this world is through a young boy called Querry, suffering from memory loss and attempting to find his place within Colony 9. Tensions are high within the colony, with leadership a point on contention amongst the group due to frequent Skaldi attacks that seem to be more strategic than those they faced in the past.
This is a very human story, with scatterings of almost heartbreaking humour when you realise that customs which are second nature to us, like clapping in applause, are unnatural to these people, lost to previous generations. They hold on to trinkets of the past, such as a tattered pair of ballet shoes, or the handle of a coffee mug, but these items have lost all meaning.
Whilst there are a few predictable turns of the plot, there are many more unexpected turns which keep you reading to discover the answers you seek. The ending of the book could easily make Survival Colony 9 a standalone novel, though I’m hoping that a sequel may happen in the future! There seems to be a lot of room for expansion and further conflict, and you can’t help but wonder how the other human colonies are coping in other parts of the world. We learn about previous attempts for human survival that failed, but perhaps there are other strategies that have succeeded elsewhere?
I’m pretty sure I inhaled this book, it took me under a day to read; there is not one dull or sluggish moment and the pace stays consistent throughout.
Survival Colony 9 is set in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged from war and global warming. It is set further in the future than we usually see, where leftover resources are completely used up, where animals have become extinct, beetles seeming to be the only species left besides scattered groups of humans who are constantly on the move to stay alive. A changed environment is not the only thing that the human colonies have to contend with however, as an alien race dubbed the Skladi descended to Earth and now hunt on the remaining humans. Not wanting to give anything away, the Skaldi are a terrifying threat, leaving you unable to trust anyone, even the people closest to you. They arrive quickly, silently, and leave nothing behind.
Our journey through this world is through a young boy called Querry, suffering from memory loss and attempting to find his place within Colony 9. Tensions are high within the colony, with leadership a point on contention amongst the group due to frequent Skaldi attacks that seem to be more strategic than those they faced in the past.
This is a very human story, with scatterings of almost heartbreaking humour when you realise that customs which are second nature to us, like clapping in applause, are unnatural to these people, lost to previous generations. They hold on to trinkets of the past, such as a tattered pair of ballet shoes, or the handle of a coffee mug, but these items have lost all meaning.
Whilst there are a few predictable turns of the plot, there are many more unexpected turns which keep you reading to discover the answers you seek. The ending of the book could easily make Survival Colony 9 a standalone novel, though I’m hoping that a sequel may happen in the future! There seems to be a lot of room for expansion and further conflict, and you can’t help but wonder how the other human colonies are coping in other parts of the world. We learn about previous attempts for human survival that failed, but perhaps there are other strategies that have succeeded elsewhere?
kamarie112's review against another edition
3.0
It was okay. There were things that didn't add up and seemed to just be thrown in there just for shits and giggles. The protagonist had no clue what was going on most of the time, and it was annoying. People in the book really needed a chill pill, and they killed the one character I was actually starting to like. Ugh.
The End
The End
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
2.0
"People don't change, Querry. We're the descendants of the madmen who destroyed the planet. Why should we be any different?"
This one was just weird
It had me pretty solid until about chapter 15. Then it just seemed...to go off in a direction that I couldn't quite understand or like.
Querry was easy to like. I did like getting to know the whole colony - even seeing the struggle with Yov and Wali. It was realistic even if I didn't like it.
The skaldi were equally fascinating and the eerie idea that we don't know what they actually look like - only that they can be everyone and no one.
but the final explanation and the final "hope" was just too off to me.
This one was just weird
It had me pretty solid until about chapter 15. Then it just seemed...to go off in a direction that I couldn't quite understand or like.
Querry was easy to like. I did like getting to know the whole colony - even seeing the struggle with Yov and Wali. It was realistic even if I didn't like it.
The skaldi were equally fascinating and the eerie idea that we don't know what they actually look like - only that they can be everyone and no one.
but the final explanation and the final "hope" was just too off to me.
andimontgomery's review against another edition
3.0
This was a bleak post-apocalyptic world, with strong imagery depicting a world I never want to see. The pacing and good, but I felt like I never got to know or care for the characters as I wanted.
danika004's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
krismoon's review against another edition
3.0
Bellin definitely stumbled onto a good story here. I wish it was told a bit better and the descriptions of the Skaldi were better (I had a really hard time picturing them). I also wanted to have some seeds of mystery planted in this book more explicitly, like what ARE the Skaldi really and where did they come from? But alas. I give the author the benefit of the doubt that that comes more in to play in the second book, but I'm not sure if I'll read it.
shelemonhelemon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
javamama38's review against another edition
5.0
I have to preface this by saying I'm usually a fan of happy endings with some romance and maybe a mythical figure thrown in for good measure. If someone recommends anything with a slightly dystopian bent, it's not usually going to be the read for me. Then comes Survival Colony 9 and Bellin's fresh prose and gritty setting. I was hooked. I was also, at times, terrified by those Skaldi. Still, the heart behind Querry's character kept me reading and wanting more!
Bottom line: A great debut. Read it with the lights on.
Bottom line: A great debut. Read it with the lights on.
kort1318's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. The world building was amazing to me. The characters were well developed and had enough mystery to them to keep me reading late into the night. There were some parts of this book that went rather slow for me, but for the most part this was fast paced. I would love to dive further into this world and find out why Querry is special. Great book overall ☺
eviebookish's review against another edition
4.0
Joshua is great at building tension and throwing unexpected plot twists at the reader. This is a truly original post-apocalyptic thriller. I enjoyed reading it a lot. It's a must read for fans of the genre for sure.