Scan barcode
lynseyisreading's review
4.0
Is it a Dystopian? Is it a Post-Apocalyptic? Is it a Zombie novel?
Answer: yes!
Whatever you do, don't dismiss FEARLESS as "just another YA dystopian" to be added to the ginormous pile currently littering the shelves, thanks largely to people like Veronica Roth and Suzanne Collins, with their massive successes and movie deals. Because although they are abundantly plentiful right now, many of them are only "okay", and some not even that. But I feel there are a few things that separate FEARLESS from the rest of the mush, and I'ma tell you what they are!
Thing one - it's set in the UK! Wahoo!
Call me biased about my own fair isle if you want, but I found it very refreshing and a real pleasure to be able to more easily imagine the basic scenery. But, that might not be a big selling point for most people reading this review, so for you guys I'll say it will be a chance for you to strengthen those imagination molecules a bit! Air them out, take them for a walk around the block and come and visit my side of the pond for a change! :)
Thing two - it's unpredictable and daring.
I was having wee flashbacks during parts of FEARLESS to a certain fantastic debut by another author you should know - Miss Susan Ee. Emma Pass, it seems, has a similar level of fearlessness (shnarf) when it comes to violence, gore and torturing her characters to within an inch of their sanity! Yay! I love a brave author. I love being shocked witless, and I love it when the stakes are so high I can't relax for a single second into thinking I can predict how the rest of the story will play out, because no one is safe under her pen. Don't you love it? Yah, me too!
Thing three - Cass!
As a main character, Cass was pretty fantastic. She is single-minded and steadfast throughout in her mission to retrieve her brother, and nothing - not growing romantic feelings or any other kind of testing loyalties - will stand in the way of her achieving that end. He is all that matters to her, the only family she has left, and I admired the heck out of her for that tenacity. Jori should count himself extremely lucky to have a big sis' like her!
Thing four - Myo!
Possibly my favourite thing about this book was the characterisation for Myo. He's a character that's introduced early on under a shroud of mystery, and getting to know him, particularly how different his life has been from Cass's on the island, and how he learned to cope, was completely compelling. As a potential love interest character, he is about as far from the stereotype for a YA "hero" as you can get. There is no alphanesss here, and he doesn't rely on a flawless hot bod to draw readers in, but that doesn't mean his character lacks strength. Or not to me, anyway. Strength can look different to different people, I suppose, but a survivor is a survivor no matter which way you cut it, and that sums up Myo's character perfectly. I loved him!
I haven't talked synopsis much - or, you know, at all - and it would be hard to do so without spoilers anyway, but I don't think I need to. The blurb tells you all you need to know about the scientifically screwed-over soldiers called the Fearless to get you started, and the rest I think you should experience for yourself.
A highly recommended 4 Stars! ★★★★
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Answer: yes!
Whatever you do, don't dismiss FEARLESS as "just another YA dystopian" to be added to the ginormous pile currently littering the shelves, thanks largely to people like Veronica Roth and Suzanne Collins, with their massive successes and movie deals. Because although they are abundantly plentiful right now, many of them are only "okay", and some not even that. But I feel there are a few things that separate FEARLESS from the rest of the mush, and I'ma tell you what they are!
Thing one - it's set in the UK! Wahoo!
Call me biased about my own fair isle if you want, but I found it very refreshing and a real pleasure to be able to more easily imagine the basic scenery. But, that might not be a big selling point for most people reading this review, so for you guys I'll say it will be a chance for you to strengthen those imagination molecules a bit! Air them out, take them for a walk around the block and come and visit my side of the pond for a change! :)
Thing two - it's unpredictable and daring.
I was having wee flashbacks during parts of FEARLESS to a certain fantastic debut by another author you should know - Miss Susan Ee. Emma Pass, it seems, has a similar level of fearlessness (shnarf) when it comes to violence, gore and torturing her characters to within an inch of their sanity! Yay! I love a brave author. I love being shocked witless, and I love it when the stakes are so high I can't relax for a single second into thinking I can predict how the rest of the story will play out, because no one is safe under her pen. Don't you love it? Yah, me too!
Thing three - Cass!
As a main character, Cass was pretty fantastic. She is single-minded and steadfast throughout in her mission to retrieve her brother, and nothing - not growing romantic feelings or any other kind of testing loyalties - will stand in the way of her achieving that end. He is all that matters to her, the only family she has left, and I admired the heck out of her for that tenacity. Jori should count himself extremely lucky to have a big sis' like her!
Thing four - Myo!
Possibly my favourite thing about this book was the characterisation for Myo. He's a character that's introduced early on under a shroud of mystery, and getting to know him, particularly how different his life has been from Cass's on the island, and how he learned to cope, was completely compelling. As a potential love interest character, he is about as far from the stereotype for a YA "hero" as you can get. There is no alphanesss here, and he doesn't rely on a flawless hot bod to draw readers in, but that doesn't mean his character lacks strength. Or not to me, anyway. Strength can look different to different people, I suppose, but a survivor is a survivor no matter which way you cut it, and that sums up Myo's character perfectly. I loved him!
I haven't talked synopsis much - or, you know, at all - and it would be hard to do so without spoilers anyway, but I don't think I need to. The blurb tells you all you need to know about the scientifically screwed-over soldiers called the Fearless to get you started, and the rest I think you should experience for yourself.
A highly recommended 4 Stars! ★★★★
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
laureenreads's review
4.0
I... I only meant to read the first page. Then the first chapter. Then the first section. Next thing I knew it was way past my bedtime and I had devoured this book in one sitting. So good.
I wasn't a huge fan of how much jumping from character to character we see, but, for the most part, it went well. I probably wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't all in first person! Either way, it was a compelling story that wouldn't let me go.
Read this if you like zombies, and YA dystopian novels with a hint of romance and a lot of familial love.
I wasn't a huge fan of how much jumping from character to character we see, but, for the most part, it went well. I probably wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't all in first person! Either way, it was a compelling story that wouldn't let me go.
Read this if you like zombies, and YA dystopian novels with a hint of romance and a lot of familial love.
katykelly's review
4.0
Emma Pass's debut was great - from the strong cover, to a strong (in name and character) female protagonist, to a strong dystopian setting and story.
Her second book is another stand-alone story, not in a future dystopia but set, like 28 Days Later and The Walking Dead, today. I mention those TV shows because it has similarities - not zombies, but a worldwide catastrophe starts when a chemical formula designed to help soldiers suffering PTSD symptoms is instead used to create an all-encompassing army of Fearless - people who feel no fear, no remorse, no empathy. The same fallout ensues as if they were zombies.
Cass is 10 when the Fearless swarm. Her family are caught up and changed forever, her brother being born as they desperately make their way to a sanctuary. The story then picks up 7 years later, with Cass and her brother Jori living on a isolated island community, where one day a Fearless infiltrates and Jori is kidnapped.
I have nothing but praise to offer on the writing style. It's fast moving, engaging and will definitely spark the interest of teenage readers. There's a love triangle between Cass and two young men that moves at a good pace - Sol has been in love with Cass since they were children, Myo is the mysterious stranger who promises to help her find her stolen brother (though Sol for me isn't as strongly written as Myo).
I think fans of Emma won't be disappointed with her second. And those new to her will enjoy this, if the subject is something that they like: apocalyptic YA fiction.
For me, Jori is underused, it would have been nice to hear from him more, he's more a plot device to get Cass off the island than a fully-fledged character. And Sol acts in ways I didn't find believable, especially towards the end, he is meant to be intensely in love with Cass and also rather violent but this aspect doesn't play out much in scenes, in his interaction with other people, until one final act.
I did enjoy this, but must say I prefer ACID - I love the world it created, one I could picture quite vividly and found original. Cass isn't as strong a heroine as Jenna was, but is still one you're prepared to follow. Even to Meadowhall Shopping Centre, which, as a local, I loved seeing make an appearance (being a fellow Derbyshire library assistant, as is the author). A great setting for an apocalypse, just as George A. Romero discovered.
It's one to recommend to teenage readers who like dystopia/apocalypse stories.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy.
Her second book is another stand-alone story, not in a future dystopia but set, like 28 Days Later and The Walking Dead, today. I mention those TV shows because it has similarities - not zombies, but a worldwide catastrophe starts when a chemical formula designed to help soldiers suffering PTSD symptoms is instead used to create an all-encompassing army of Fearless - people who feel no fear, no remorse, no empathy. The same fallout ensues as if they were zombies.
Cass is 10 when the Fearless swarm. Her family are caught up and changed forever, her brother being born as they desperately make their way to a sanctuary. The story then picks up 7 years later, with Cass and her brother Jori living on a isolated island community, where one day a Fearless infiltrates and Jori is kidnapped.
I have nothing but praise to offer on the writing style. It's fast moving, engaging and will definitely spark the interest of teenage readers. There's a love triangle between Cass and two young men that moves at a good pace - Sol has been in love with Cass since they were children, Myo is the mysterious stranger who promises to help her find her stolen brother (though Sol for me isn't as strongly written as Myo).
I think fans of Emma won't be disappointed with her second. And those new to her will enjoy this, if the subject is something that they like: apocalyptic YA fiction.
For me, Jori is underused, it would have been nice to hear from him more, he's more a plot device to get Cass off the island than a fully-fledged character. And Sol acts in ways I didn't find believable, especially towards the end, he is meant to be intensely in love with Cass and also rather violent but this aspect doesn't play out much in scenes, in his interaction with other people, until one final act.
I did enjoy this, but must say I prefer ACID - I love the world it created, one I could picture quite vividly and found original. Cass isn't as strong a heroine as Jenna was, but is still one you're prepared to follow. Even to Meadowhall Shopping Centre, which, as a local, I loved seeing make an appearance (being a fellow Derbyshire library assistant, as is the author). A great setting for an apocalypse, just as George A. Romero discovered.
It's one to recommend to teenage readers who like dystopia/apocalypse stories.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy.
hon_no_mushi's review
3.0
(I won a copy of this book from Emma Pass' solo giveaway during YASH 2015.)
Actual rating- 3.5
The whole book had a "The Hunger Games"/"World War Z" hybrid feel to it. The characters were all right, but my favorite was Lochie, the wolfhound. :)
As a stand-alone novel, the ending was a bit of a cliffhanger. I hope we get a sequel someday!
Actual rating- 3.5
The whole book had a "The Hunger Games"/"World War Z" hybrid feel to it. The characters were all right, but my favorite was Lochie, the wolfhound. :)
As a stand-alone novel, the ending was a bit of a cliffhanger. I hope we get a sequel someday!
nilaaa17's review against another edition
3.0
I loved this book. It gets more intriguing the deeper I go into it that u just don’t want to put it down.
Reasons it only got four stars
1. Not my style of book
2. The parts where most of the action takes place is a bit too fast and I think more detail could have been added
3. Some parts were a bit boring
Reasons it only got four stars
1. Not my style of book
2. The parts where most of the action takes place is a bit too fast and I think more detail could have been added
3. Some parts were a bit boring
owls_rainbow's review against another edition
4.0
More reviews on http://bulletproof-scarecrow.blogspot.co.uk/
Owned or Library?
Library
The Cover
A good representation of what the characters are facing. The girl is a little too clean but I love that she's wearing combat boots, much more practical for fighting.
Synopsis
The Fearless by Emma Pass is about what happens when scientists create a drug to reduce PTSD in soldiers, it develops an unexpected side effect: the soldiers feel no fear, no love, no empathy. Cass's family is torn apart by the events and now 7 years later she must find her brother who has been kidnapped by one of the fearless.
Characters
Cass is very single-minded. She's strong, smart, loyal and reliable. Sometimes she's too loyal and her upbringing has made her a tad naive, she doesn't question things enough.
Sol is a manipulative asshole and the very picture of male entitlement.
Myo is very likable but he needs to grow a spine and be a bit more reasonable. Of course Cass hates the Fearless, they killed her dad and took her brother!
Jori is a sweet kid, we don't really see him enough to get to know him.
World Building
I liked the fact that it was set in England, it's always nice to find countryside descriptions that are familiar. I found it interesting that it was set in the present, it felt like a Dystopian book from the future like Divergent. There was a nice variety of characters but some felt under-developed. Myo's crew were interesting but the constant hints and half-sentences were annoying and even when we got an explanation it seemed a bit incomplete and under-explained.
Conclusion
A really interesting fast-paced books with a great slow-built, real relationship. One I'd probably buy.
Rating 4/5
Owned or Library?
Library
The Cover
A good representation of what the characters are facing. The girl is a little too clean but I love that she's wearing combat boots, much more practical for fighting.
Synopsis
The Fearless by Emma Pass is about what happens when scientists create a drug to reduce PTSD in soldiers, it develops an unexpected side effect: the soldiers feel no fear, no love, no empathy. Cass's family is torn apart by the events and now 7 years later she must find her brother who has been kidnapped by one of the fearless.
Characters
Cass is very single-minded. She's strong, smart, loyal and reliable. Sometimes she's too loyal and her upbringing has made her a tad naive, she doesn't question things enough.
Sol is a manipulative asshole and the very picture of male entitlement.
Myo is very likable but he needs to grow a spine and be a bit more reasonable. Of course Cass hates the Fearless, they killed her dad and took her brother!
Jori is a sweet kid, we don't really see him enough to get to know him.
World Building
I liked the fact that it was set in England, it's always nice to find countryside descriptions that are familiar. I found it interesting that it was set in the present, it felt like a Dystopian book from the future like Divergent. There was a nice variety of characters but some felt under-developed. Myo's crew were interesting but the constant hints and half-sentences were annoying and even when we got an explanation it seemed a bit incomplete and under-explained.
Conclusion
A really interesting fast-paced books with a great slow-built, real relationship. One I'd probably buy.
Rating 4/5
nananna's review against another edition
4.0
Kinda scary considering the massive number of people getting Covid shots in our country! What if…………………….
joyousreads132's review
3.0
The Side Effects of the Cure
In an effort to aid war-weary soldiers afflicted with PTSD, scientists have developed a serum to curtail, and eliminate this psychological disorder. But like every other miracle drug that’s ever been invented, the cure brought on a different kind of disease. The soldiers lost their abilities to feel. They became stronger; they healed faster. They became harder to kill. When the serum was sold to the highest bidder, the drug was reinvented; ushering a new breed of soldiers who lost all sense of right and wrong. Everyone became their enemy. Like a rabid pack of zombies, they invaded countries and bludgeoned the population into submission.
Hope Island
A small pocket of survivors managed to have a semblance of life in Hope Island. They have their own government and security. They live on goods bartered or traded by salvagers from the mainland. But all that security crumbled when a boy snuck in one night under the pretence of getting help for his friend’s baby.
Cass’s brother, and the only family she has, was taken by Fearless. The trespasser claimed he could help her find him, if she could help him get back to the mainland. Cass didn’t have any choice, because once you leave Hope Island, you can never go back. And since no one would help her get her brother back, he’s the only ally she could turn to.
The Goods
This book is pretty much everything you would expect from a dystopian thriller. It has a frenetic beginning where you’ll witness the beginning of the end of civilization. Then it hurtles on its steady pace right through the end. The world building is almost non-existent. I think it’s one of those things when a reader already knows what they’re in for even before they crack the spine. It’s there on the cover, and in the synopsis. In other words, the author left everything to the reader’s imagination. She didn’t have to hold my hand, or tell me how I should feel. Because her characters were very affective – except for the romance bit (more on that later).
Cass, for the most part, was a character full of moxie. When the world ended, she witnessed her dad get killed by the Fearless. Her mother was pregnant at the time. Unable to handle losing her husband, and the state of the world as she knew it, Cass’ mother killed herself. Ever since then, she was left playing the mother to her younger brother. He was all that was left of her world. She was fierce and courageous.
The Not-So
The only thing that didn’t work for me here is the romance. It wasn’t a case of instant love, but more the relationship didn’t progress in a realistic fashion. There was no basis for the attraction, no foundation. I supposed there wasn’t a spark between them either.
I was under the impression that this was a stand alone. But after that ending, it would be cruel not to continue. There’s so much to look forward to after this book, and I, for one, am really hoping a companion is already in the works.
In an effort to aid war-weary soldiers afflicted with PTSD, scientists have developed a serum to curtail, and eliminate this psychological disorder. But like every other miracle drug that’s ever been invented, the cure brought on a different kind of disease. The soldiers lost their abilities to feel. They became stronger; they healed faster. They became harder to kill. When the serum was sold to the highest bidder, the drug was reinvented; ushering a new breed of soldiers who lost all sense of right and wrong. Everyone became their enemy. Like a rabid pack of zombies, they invaded countries and bludgeoned the population into submission.
Hope Island
A small pocket of survivors managed to have a semblance of life in Hope Island. They have their own government and security. They live on goods bartered or traded by salvagers from the mainland. But all that security crumbled when a boy snuck in one night under the pretence of getting help for his friend’s baby.
Cass’s brother, and the only family she has, was taken by Fearless. The trespasser claimed he could help her find him, if she could help him get back to the mainland. Cass didn’t have any choice, because once you leave Hope Island, you can never go back. And since no one would help her get her brother back, he’s the only ally she could turn to.
The Goods
This book is pretty much everything you would expect from a dystopian thriller. It has a frenetic beginning where you’ll witness the beginning of the end of civilization. Then it hurtles on its steady pace right through the end. The world building is almost non-existent. I think it’s one of those things when a reader already knows what they’re in for even before they crack the spine. It’s there on the cover, and in the synopsis. In other words, the author left everything to the reader’s imagination. She didn’t have to hold my hand, or tell me how I should feel. Because her characters were very affective – except for the romance bit (more on that later).
Cass, for the most part, was a character full of moxie. When the world ended, she witnessed her dad get killed by the Fearless. Her mother was pregnant at the time. Unable to handle losing her husband, and the state of the world as she knew it, Cass’ mother killed herself. Ever since then, she was left playing the mother to her younger brother. He was all that was left of her world. She was fierce and courageous.
The Not-So
The only thing that didn’t work for me here is the romance. It wasn’t a case of instant love, but more the relationship didn’t progress in a realistic fashion. There was no basis for the attraction, no foundation. I supposed there wasn’t a spark between them either.
I was under the impression that this was a stand alone. But after that ending, it would be cruel not to continue. There’s so much to look forward to after this book, and I, for one, am really hoping a companion is already in the works.