“When the majority of the world has been wiped out, you don’t kill what’s left.”
I’ve read many apocalyptic, end-of-the-world books (Station Eleven, The Stands, etc.), but I haven’t read any from the YA genre (The 5th Wave is aliens and doesn’t count). I wasn’t sure what this book was going to bring to the table because I like to go in blind, but I have to say it was impressive. It also is my first official David Arnold book!
My only real critiques were the initial slow pace to the book from the start to the middle and the fact that I simply wanted more. I wanted Arnold to better explore the actual period where the Fly’s are rampant and destroying the Earth for the first time. We get little mentions of it because all of our main characters were too young to remember or not even born. I guess you could say it’s poetic to have the people born into this world be the POV’s, but I was itching for more information to be honest.
Overall, I believe this book hit me harder due to what we’ve been experiencing for almost a year now- COVID 19. Most humans and creatures have died in this book, and while this is definitely more extreme than our situation, it brings in a lot of what-if’s. It’s frank and dark and plain crazy at times, but to watch these people try to survive against all odds is also very comforting because they still have hope and their drive to live. The Flys have not taken everything.
Moreover, The Electric Kingdom is FOR SURE the sort of book that needs a reread. I think, whenever I get the chance to, my rating will increase because now I have all the answers. Now I understand Nico’s experiences and decisions better than she ever could. Instead of being confused about all these elements at the start, I’ll comprehend everything immediately. It’s going to be a completely new experience. Anyway, the artistry of Arnold’s idea is evident by the end, and it is incredible. It’s very meta when you think about it. Not to mention, Arnold’s quote game was on point during the entirety of the book, so I’ve dog eared and highlighted MANY passages.
Let it be known this isn’t an easy book to read in our current climate, but it is a powerful one if you decide to pick it up.
I’ve read many apocalyptic, end-of-the-world books (Station Eleven, The Stands, etc.), but I haven’t read any from the YA genre (The 5th Wave is aliens and doesn’t count). I wasn’t sure what this book was going to bring to the table because I like to go in blind, but I have to say it was impressive. It also is my first official David Arnold book!
My only real critiques were the initial slow pace to the book from the start to the middle and the fact that I simply wanted more. I wanted Arnold to better explore the actual period where the Fly’s are rampant and destroying the Earth for the first time. We get little mentions of it because all of our main characters were too young to remember or not even born. I guess you could say it’s poetic to have the people born into this world be the POV’s, but I was itching for more information to be honest.
Overall, I believe this book hit me harder due to what we’ve been experiencing for almost a year now- COVID 19. Most humans and creatures have died in this book, and while this is definitely more extreme than our situation, it brings in a lot of what-if’s. It’s frank and dark and plain crazy at times, but to watch these people try to survive against all odds is also very comforting because they still have hope and their drive to live. The Flys have not taken everything.
Moreover, The Electric Kingdom is FOR SURE the sort of book that needs a reread. I think, whenever I get the chance to, my rating will increase because now I have all the answers. Now I understand Nico’s experiences and decisions better than she ever could. Instead of being confused about all these elements at the start, I’ll comprehend everything immediately. It’s going to be a completely new experience. Anyway, the artistry of Arnold’s idea is evident by the end, and it is incredible. It’s very meta when you think about it. Not to mention, Arnold’s quote game was on point during the entirety of the book, so I’ve dog eared and highlighted MANY passages.
Let it be known this isn’t an easy book to read in our current climate, but it is a powerful one if you decide to pick it up.