Uncovering the truth could cost them their lives.
Since entering the Safe Lands, Mason has focused on two things: finding a way to free his village from captivity, and finding a cure for the disease that ravages many within the walls of the Safe Lands. After immune-suppressive drugs go missing in the clinic, Mason discovers his coworker, Ciddah, may know more about the Safe Lands than imagined … and may have an agenda of her own. At the same time, Mason’s brother Levi is focused on a way to free the remaining Glenrock captives, while Mason’s younger brother Omar decides to take the rebellion against the Safe Lands into his own hands as a vigilante.
Soon all three brothers are being watched closely—and when Mason stumbles onto a shocking secret about the Safe Lands meds, his investigation just might get those closest to him liberated.
—
This book came out in January. Due to my busy schedule (and laziness), I didn’t pick it up until this past weekend. I wasn’t really in the mood for a dystopian story, but I agreed to read the book, so I picked it up as soon as I had time.
When will I ever learn?
You don’t have to be in the mood or even interested in the topic to enjoy a Jill Williamson book. Her writing style, character development, and story lines are so well crafted that every book pulls you in. Outcasts is no different.
It’s been a long time since I read the first book in the series, but I didn’t want to delay reading this book by re-reading the first. Though there are a lot of names in these books, Williamson does such a good job creating unique characters that all I needed to do was read the back copy of book one to pick up book two. It took a few pages to remember everything, but there’s a perfect balance of forward motion and plot recap, so I was able to jump back into the story.
Williamson’s mastery of story telling pulled me right in, dropping me back in the middle of Levi, Omar, and Mason’s lives, making me care about three teenage boys in a futuristic wasteland (and forget that this is technically a young adult novel). The story did drag a bit at the end – there were literally dozens of character names, many of them minor – but by then I was so invested in the story that I rushed through to find out what would happen. I can’t remember the last time I read a book that so completely hooked me that I stayed up past my bedtime to finish the novel (it was probably Williamson’s last book), but I couldn’t put down Outcasts until I finished it.
If you’re even remotely interested in science fiction, you need to read The Safe Lands by Jill Williamson. In all of my reading and reviewing, she’s the most consistent novelist I’ve found. Her stories never disappoint.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Leave A Comment