Book Review | Viral Nation by Shaunta Grimes

Viral Nation is the first dystopian book I have enjoyed in a long time.

Book Description

After a virus claimed nearly the entire global population, the world changed. The United States splintered into fifty walled cities where the surviving citizens clustered to start over. The Company, which ended the plague by bringing a life-saving vaccine back from the future, controls everything. They ration the scant food and supplies through a lottery system, mandate daily doses of virus suppressant, and even monitor future timelines to stop crimes before they can be committed.

Brilliant but autistic, sixteen-year-old Clover Donovan has always dreamed of studying at the Waverly-Stead Academy. Her brother and caretaker, West, has done everything in his power to make her dream a reality. But Clover’s refusal to part with her beloved service dog denies her entry into the school. Instead, she is drafted into the Time Mariners, a team of Company operatives who travel through time to gather news about the future.

When one of Clover’s missions reveals that West’s life is in danger, the Donovans are shattered. To change West’s fate, they’ll have to take on the mysterious Company. But as its secrets are revealed, they realize that the Company’s rule may not be as benevolent as it seems. In saving her brother, Clover will face a more powerful force than she ever imagined… and will team up with a band of fellow misfits and outsiders to incite a revolution that will change their destinies forever.

Viral Nation opens with a virus wiping out most of the world's population. I love a good apocalyptic virus so I was captured by Viral Nation right away. A suppressant for the virus was discovered when the main characters were very young so the focus is much more on the power held by the company who controls the suppressant than on the virus itself.

The main character (Clover) has autism which instantly sets her apart from all of the other YA characters I have ever encountered. Most of the characters were quite likeable, and since Viral Nation is the first book in a series, I get the impression we will learn a lot more about the "Freaks for Freedom" as the series progresses. Clover also has a service dog that assists her with her autism. I loved that. Even more so, I loved that Shaunta Grimes did not use the dog to toy with my emotions.

I'm excited that there is time travel in this series, but it doesn't work well for me yet. If I think about it too hard, I get a headache, but I was able to let go and just go with the flow most of time. In fact, I found Viral Nation pretty hard to put down.

As with most YA series books, I wish I would have gotten more of a complete story out of Viral Nation. That is starting to be a pretty huge gripe with me, but nevertheless, I am anxiously awaiting the next book and will definitely be carrying on with the series.

7/10: Recommended Read

Review copy provided by author via publisher

Viral Nation Blog Tour | Inside the Walled City of Reno

I'm so excited to be part of the Viral Nation Blog Tour today! Guys, I'm reading Viral Nation right now and loving it! In Viral Nation, each state has a walled city that houses all of the state's survivors. Shaunta Grimes has written for us a peek inside the walled city of Reno.

Inside the Walled City of Reno

The Walled City of Reno is an awful lot like the current city of Reno, at least on the surface. It's beautiful, with parks and trees and lovely old houses. It has the downtown casinos, even the Biggest Little City sign, still. Clover Donovan spends her free time at the same library where I spend mine. The Truckee River still runs through it. It gets snow in the winter and sun in the summer. People still go to the University of Nevada campus to learn. They go to the Circus Circus casino to gamble.

Yes, the Walled City of Reno is familiar—but it's also very different. The Circus Circus is called the Bazaar, and people aren't gambling their money. They're gambling in the hopes of winning things they need. The UNR campus has been taken over by the Waverly-Stead Academy. The library is the only place you can get online, and it's the center for community education. Clover learns to set bones and raise bees there. Some of the houses have been torn down, to make room for gardens. There isn't enough food, and there aren't enough people to fill the houses anyway.

Everyone in the Walled City of Reno has a job. Every job is important. Every little cog turns and the city rolls on. It's a much more important city in the new America. Instead of just being a little mountain town, it's the Company's headquarters. The Company keeps the Virus at bay, and that makes them the strongest entity on Earth.

After sixteen years, though, the cracks in the utopia are starting to show. Cracks big enough for a bunch of kids who call themselves the Freaks to see through.

About the Author:

Shaunta Grimes has worked as a substitute teacher, a newspaper reporter, a drug court counselor, and a vintage clothing seller. No matter which direction she strays, however, she always comes back to storytelling. She lives in Reno with her family, where she writes, teaches, and perpetually studies at the University of Nevada. Viral Nation is her debut traditionally-published novel.

How to Connect with Shaunta:

Email: shauntagrimes@gmail.com
Twitter: @shauntagrimes
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Shaunta-Grimes/616126965080762
Blog: www.shauntagrimes.com
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/yEc11

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About Viral Nation:

Synopsis:

After a virus claimed nearly the entire global population, the world changed. The United States splintered into fifty walled cities where the surviving citizens clustered to start over. The Company, which ended the plague by bringing a life-saving vaccine back from the future, controls everything. They ration the scant food and supplies through a lottery system, mandate daily doses of virus suppressant, and even monitor future timelines to stop crimes before they can be committed.

Brilliant but autistic, sixteen-year-old Clover Donovan has always dreamed of studying at the Waverly-Stead Academy. Her brother and caretaker, West, has done everything in his power to make her dream a reality. But Clover’s refusal to part with her beloved service dog denies her entry into the school. Instead, she is drafted into the Time Mariners, a team of Company operatives who travel through time to gather news about the future.

When one of Clover’s missions reveals that West’s life is in danger, the Donovans are shattered. To change West’s fate, they’ll have to take on the mysterious Company. But as its secrets are revealed, they realize that the Company’s rule may not be as benevolent as it seems. In saving her brother, Clover will face a more powerful force than she ever imagined and will team up with a band of fellow misfits and outsiders to incite a revolution that will change their destinies forever.

Book Details:

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Release Date: July 2, 2013
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-0425265130
First in a series.

Two chapter excerpt available on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15985355-viral-nation

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Thank you so much for stopping by today, Shaunta! You guys can find Viral Nation at Goodreads and Amazon. The full Viral Nation tour schedule can be found on Shaunta's blog here. She has also included some really nice points on how to support your favorite authors.

Waiting on Wednesday | Viral Nation by Shaunta Grimes

This post is being shared as part of Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday.

This week I am pining for Viral Nation by Shaunta Grimes. Expected publication: July 2nd 2013 by Berkley Trade.

After a virus claimed nearly the entire global population, the world changed. The United States splintered into fifty walled cities where the surviving citizens clustered to start over. The Company, which ended the plague by bringing a life-saving vaccine back from the future, controls everything. They ration the scant food and supplies through a lottery system, mandate daily doses of virus suppressant, and even monitor future timelines to stop crimes before they can be committed.

Brilliant but autistic, sixteen-year-old Clover Donovan has always dreamed of studying at the Waverly-Stead Academy. Her brother and caretaker, West, has done everything in his power to make her dream a reality. But Clover’s refusal to part with her beloved service dog denies her entry into the school. Instead, she is drafted into the Time Mariners, a team of Company operatives who travel through time to gather news about the future.

When one of Clover’s missions reveals that West’s life is in danger, the Donovans are shattered. To change West’s fate, they’ll have to take on the mysterious Company. But as its secrets are revealed, they realize that the Company’s rule may not be as benevolent as it seems. In saving her brother, Clover will face a more powerful force than she ever imagined… and will team up with a band of fellow misfits and outsiders to incite a revolution that will change their destinies forever.

I love the premise of bringing a vaccine back from the future. If a virus completely decimated the globe, it seems plausible that The Company would take total control after bringing back the vaccine. Viral Nation could be an awesome read. (And a dog!)

Are you dying to read any books that aren't out yet? What books are you pining for this week? Let me know in the comments (or leave me a link!).