Review: Stung by Bethany Wiggins

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Rating: ★★★★
Author: Bethany Wiggins
Title: Stung
Genre: Dystopian, Horror, Post-Apocalyptic
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Walker Children's
Copy Provided By: Edelweiss
Expected Publication: April 2, 2013

 There is no cure for being stung.

Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered—her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right hand—a black oval with five marks on either side—that she doesn’t remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. She’s right.

Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded while a select few live protected inside a fortress-like wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark.

Now Fiona has awakened branded, alone—and on the wrong side of the wall



Review:


When the bees of the world started dying off the Government scrambled to find a solution. They created a super bee of sorts meant to survive through the hardest conditions.  Unfortunately they didn't realize until it was to late that the bees also were the cause of the super flu sweeping the globe. A vaccine was created and those children lucky enough to receive it were protected, safe, survivors.

Flash forward 5 years...  The tattoo on the back of the hand once a source of comfort now is a brand for those who must be feared, avoided and worst of all killed. Alone in the world and on the run Fiona must put her trust in one sworn to hunt her kind before its to late. 

I really enjoyed Stung it was different than I was expecting but in a good way. However, it did take the book awhile to find its footing. I felt the pacing was a bit slow and unorganized in the beginning. We get zero back story on what's going on and that felt a bit jarring. I like to think this was intentional as a way to sympathize with Fiona vs just poor writing. 
  
One of my biggest complaints concerning Stung has to be the lack of action during the beginning/middle of the book. I'm not going to lie, I found it a bit lackluster overall. I definitely struggled at times staying entertained during those scenes. Not enough to put the book down mind you but enough to let the mind wander. In my defense, You can only see a person in cuffs sitting around and hiding so much before it gets tiresome. Of course it did help move along the romantic elements of the story so that's a plus. It will be interesting to see in the second book whether things mature even more between Fiona and Bowen. Earth still needs repopulating after all.

Once it becomes obvious what is going on and more back story revealed, I found Stung to be quite an enjoyable read. I was even surprised by some of the twists towards the end concerning Arriss and Fiona's brother Johnah. 

Overall, I did like Stung. I liked the world, the writing was decent and I actually really liked the characters in the end. Would I recommend this book? Yep, its definitely worth the read although I will warn that there is a pretty obvious cliffhanger. Let's just say, The series still needs a villain after all. Which is why I will be rating Stung by Bethany Wiggin ★★★★.

Comments

  1. I'll be starting this book soon. I can't wait. I can't believe it ends on a cliffhanger though. I hate those. LMAO You always have to wait forever and a day to find out what happens next.

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    Replies
    1. It wraps up OK then you flip the page and bam obvious cliffhanger.

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  2. I've been wondering about this one! I hadn't seen a review yet so I had no idea if I should give it a go or not. It sounds a lil slow at the start which is a bummer but it's good to know in advance though. Sounds like it's good once it gets going. Cliffhangers! Eeek!

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    Replies
    1. The cliffhanger didn't bug me as much as some other little things. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it if you do read it!!

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  3. Bees, huh? That's interesting. Sort of zombie--ish feel to it.
    Added it to my TBR pile. Thanks for posting about this book!
    -Martha @ theshortone08.blogspot.com

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  4. Great review. I've been curious about this one, and it doesn't sound like the right fit for me. Thanks!!

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  5. I'm only half-way through this, but so far I'd call it fast-paced. I guess it's a matter of taste or perspective or something. :) Loving it, even though zombie-like creatures are generally not my favorite. Thanks for your review.

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    Replies
    1. I'm not sure really how to describe the creatures. In many ways they feel lupine-ish but in others I get a Zombie or vampire vibe. Can't wait to hear your final thoughts!

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  6. Ohh. I've been putting off starting this one, just because I hadn't read any prior reviews, but now I'm actually looking forward to it.. Although, the cliffhanger doesn't sound very appealing...

    great review!!

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