Ruins (Partials Sequence, #3)

by Dan Wells

The only hope for humanity isn't human. But she's fighting to stop a war that could destroy them all...

Kira is fighting to prevent a final war between Partials and humans in the gripping final installment of the teen sci-fi blockbuster Partials series.

Humans and Partials alike are on the brink of destruction, and their only hope is to work together. But there is no avoiding it - the final war to decide the fate of both species is at hand, and every faction seems determined to tear the others apart.

Both sides hold in their possession a weapon that could destroy the other. Kira has fought her way through madness and ruin, but the greatest horror lies in a place she had never dared to consider: herself. She has one chance to save both species and the world. But it might be at the cost of her life...

• ISBN10: 0062071106
• ISBN13: 9780062071101
• Publish Date: 11 March 2014
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: Balzer and Bray
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 464
• Language: English

Reviews

[alisoninbookland]

Ruins (and to a certain extent Partials and Fragments) really captured how problems aren’t just black and white. This was never really just Humans versus Partials. Yes, there were Humans who just wanted to save their skins. Yes, there were Partials who just wanted to save their skins. There were also people who thought the two species could live together. Then there was the big question: are you really willing to exterminate the other group even though that will mean your death? I liked all the exploration of that gray area.

All of those perspectives were really nicely examined because of all the POVs going on. It did make things a bit confusing but you did get a clear picture of everyone’s investments. I wouldn’t say it made everyone entirely likeable but it certainly made everyone understandable.

I thought Ruins did a good job of finishing off the world building and answering questions. All the POVs were a bit all over the place but things started to come together. From what I could tell, all the loose ends were tied up.

Can we talk about the romance for a second? I thought it was well done in this book. Kira’s got two love interests but they never interfere with what needs to be done. She knows how to prioritize. May I present my favorite quote from the book?

"She would worry about Samm and Marcus when she wasn’t running for her life."

That’s how romance needs to be done in YA (or at least in sci-fi/fantasy when huge things are at stake). Once things were ‘solved’, she then wrestled with the idea of picking one boy over the other. That was incredibly refreshing to read about.

The bottom line? It was a good wrap up to a very interesting sci-fi series.

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[Angie]

I really enjoyed Ruins, but not as a finale. It just kind of ends without a full resolution. It's not the kind of open ending where you can easily imagine what may come next for the characters. Everything is left wide open, and more could have been unfolded, or even an epilogue that takes place a short way into the future. I was really invested in Kira's struggle and I wanted her to save the world! Did she? I have no clue. Maybe.

Ruins is where all of the characters who have been scattered across the country finally come back together and share what they've learned. They combine their knowledge, try to understand it all, and come up with a way to put it to good use. The biggest issue being curing humans from RM and the partials from expiration. I had my suspicions that it was something that simple, but then Kira confirms it with science. Then it becomes a race against the clock and a matter of anyone believing her and putting it into practice.

There are a few new complications and several more characters added in Ruins. While I did enjoy all of this on its own, it was a bit much for a finale. Nothing got its page worth, since this was the end. I really would have liked at least one more book so each of these things could be explored fully. We finally got to see what the real Partials failsafe was suppose to be, but that's really all it was: a reveal. It didn't do much, since everything was already wrapping up. Then there's a mysterious monster warning people that winter is coming! This was the addition I was most interesting in, because more science! Alas, there are no details. Finally, there's the Blood Man, who was super creepy and weird, but I figured him out!

As for the end of Ruins, I was left hanging! I wanted to know more! The final villain is removed, and that was that. There's no follow up at all. Are humans and Partials going to work and live together? How long will the cure for both of them take to kick in? What about the Partials' virus? Will the New York survivors and the Denver survivors merge? Is there anyone else out there? Were there some humans or Partials who decided to keep fighting? Is the cure permanent? What is going on here?!

Clearly I had a lot of questions upon finishing Ruins, which sucks. I suppose it could also be a good thing, since I was invested enough to care about the answers to these questions. But it still sucks that I'll never know!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Partial is the first novel, in a new series by Dan Wells, acclaimed author of I Am Not a Serial Killer. In this YA, post-apocalyptic dystopia the year is 2076. It has been eleven years since the uprising of the Partials; a group of engineered organic beings who released a virus known as RM. This virus wiped out most of humanity and left the few remaining unable to produce living offspring.

Wells took me on a fast paced, breathtaking ride and left me wanting more. The world-building in this novel is fantastic, unique, and believable. Wells painted a world that I could see, and his attention to detail had me riveted. The plot is engaging, and not a page was wasted in the development, and movement of this story. I became completely engrossed, and the rest of my world faded away. The remaining humans are living in or around, Long Island, NY. They are frantically trying to find a cure for RM to stop their dwindling numbers. The community is governed by a small senate that passes laws to ensure the continued existence of mankind. One such law is the Hope Act. It states that every female must become pregnant at the age of eighteen. These women give birth over and over again. For eleven years they have studied and tested but no child has survived. This Act caused friction within the community, and some left; becoming a group known as the Voice. Violent outbreaks, and theft have become a source of tension between the two. The Partials haven’t been seen in eleven years, but both sides fear an attack.

Protagonist Kira is a sixteen year old medic in training. Wells has created a strong, fearless, and bright heroine. I immediately connected and saw her as a believable leader. Despite her age, Kira is wise beyond her years, and wants to find a cure for RM. Wells gives us a female character who can think for herself regardless of her friends opinions. Kira believes that the cure is connected with the source of the infection, and wants to study a Partial. Despite being forbidden to do so, she, and a team of her friends head out in search of one. The tale that unfolds is stunning, mind-boggling and one of the best I have read. I truly cannot wait to get my hands on book two.

I want to thank netGalley and HarperCollins for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.