by Kate Ormand
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Release Date: June 3rd 2014
The future world has been divided into sectors--each the same as the other. Surrounded by thick steel fences, there is no way in and no way out. Yet a cyborg army penetrates each sector, picking off its citizens one by one, until no one is left. Behind the sectors' thick walls, the citizens wait to die. Few will be chosen to survive what's coming; the rest will be left behind to suffer. A new world has been created, and its rulers are incredibly selective on who will become a citizen. They want only those with important roles in society to help create a more perfect future.
Sixteen-year-old Sia lives in one of the sectors as part of a family that is far too ordinary to be picked to live. According to the digital clock that towers high above her sector, she has only fifteen days to live. Sia has seen the reports and knows a horrific death is in store for her, but she is determined to make the most of her final days. Sia refuses to mourn her short life, instead promising herself that she'll stay strong, despite being suffocated by her depressed mother and her frightened best friend. Just when Sia feels more alone than ever, she meets Mace, a mysterious boy. There is something that draws Sia to him, despite his dangerousness, and together, they join a group of rebels and embark on an epic journey to destroy the new world and its machines, and to put an end to the slaughter of innocent people.
Sia is both smart and naive. She handles her impending death surprisingly maturely. She doesn't lash out and attack others, she makes a plan how she wants her final days to go instead. It’s a different way of taking control of the situation. She also can be silly and naive. She has a foolish plan where I was like, really do you not see the flaws in this, but she is 16 of course she doesn't see the flaws. That’s what I like best about her. No matter how mature she is, she is still only 16. We also see her change from someone who has accepted her fate to someone who is going to fight for what she believes in.
I liked that Sia’ s dad, Len, plays a big role in her life and in the book. Mace and Sia’s romance was okay, I wasn’t in desperate need of a romance for this book so it was more of a side item to me. I liked that there were other characters as well like Finn and Lily. I actually liked Finn a little better than Mace and he made more sense to me. Being that he had known Sia from back when they were in school.
Dark Days is interesting to me because it’s kind of like if Hitler got a hold of a dystopic world what would he do. The concept of the society presented here is that they have created sectors originally to protect people. Now they want to slim down the population in order to conserve resources (which it’s not even clear if they need to) and create a superior race by selecting families that are deemed useful. They have something to offer society. What is not clear to people in the sectors is how they decide who lives and who dies. I also like how the book makes me think. The way things are presented gives you that lead. What makes the difference between the people who rise up and the people who just accept. Sia actually ponders this herself and so I knew Kate and are were on the same wavelength. If you were in this world and people were slaughtered because they are deemed “useless” while you live the good life how would you feel about that. Could you really just ignore it. Why do people love and follow Damien, is it because he is charismatic and is that all it takes to sway such a large group of people. Or is there fear laced in that if you don’t worship this man, what will happen to you or your children. I really liked the questions the story ask you.
I was pretty much hooked through the whole book. There was a place it slowed for me towards the end, maybe days 4 and 3...I was kind of ready for what the book had been leading up to. There was also a part that I didn’t understand why it was in there. Sia actually kind of annoyed me and I wanted to scream at her. I worried it was going to wreck her character for me but it really was just a bump in the road. It picked up again quickly and I liked how the ending tied things up enough but still left some things open that could warrant a sequel or allow you to ponder it after.
SIA
Chelsea Gilligan
I feel like she can pull of the bad ass style of Sia.
LEN (SIA's DAD)
MACE
LEN (SIA's DAD)
Harrison Ford
A bit younger of course because he's probably past dad age but I just couldn't think of someone who would battle machines better. Who doesn't want Indiana Jones as their dad.
MACE
Riley Smith
So he doesn't have dark hair or eyes but a little dye can accomplish that. It took me a while for Mace. I need someone a little rough with tattoos. Some guys just don't look like tattoo guys.
FINN
Raviv Ullman
I was trying to find a kind face. Where Mace is rough, I think of Finn as being strong but kind.
LILY
LILY
Amanda Seyfried
I just felt like I could picture her as a musician
KATE ORMAND is a YA writer represented by Isabel Atherton at Creative Authors Ltd. She lives in the UK with her family, her partner, and a cocker spaniel called Freddie. She recently graduated from university with a first class BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art Painting. It was during this course that Kate discovered her love of reading YA books, prompting her to try a new creative angle and experiment with writing. Kate is also a member of an online group of published writers and illustrators called Author Allsorts. And she writes children’s picture books under the name Kate Louise.
You can see more about Kate and her writing by visiting her website (www.kateormand.wordpress.com) or on Twitter (@kateormand).
