Enclave Audiobook Review

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE  

In Deuce's world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember. As a Huntress, her purpose is clear--to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning. Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first she thinks he's crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don't always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she's never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace. As Deuce's perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy... but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she's ever known.

OK, first let's get something out of the way. Deuce. Her name is Deuce. And it's pronounced the way a crude person may use when describing his fecal matter. I swear, every time someone said Deuce's name I chuckled.

I cannot decide if this is the best name ever thought up, or the worst. Anyways, onto the review.

After hearing some mixed things about Enclave, I went into it cautious and not quite sure what to expect. Apparently I should've listened to my instincts in this case, because this book was just not for me.

It is not that Enclave has giant horrendous flaws. It's not that I hated it. It's just that's so shockingly average that I didn't feel anything towards it. Enclave follows the basic formula of basic dystopian YA hitting the shelves today with some zombies thrown in to make up for the lackluster world that I never could picture clearly or really bought, despite some serious info-dumping.

The characters can fight, I'll give them that. I'll also say that Aguirre's fight scenes seemed to be where her writing shone. But in the end I felt no connection to this story or these characters, and I don't think I'm interested in reading the sequel.

Emily Bauer narrated the audiobook, and she's okay. She's definitely not the worst narrator I've ever heard, but her voice does get kind of squeaky sometimes, and she has a tendency to shout whenever things get physically or mentally intense for Deuce. 

Plot: Average.

Characters: Average.

Writing: Average.

Ending: Interesting, actually. I'm not sure how that will play out in book two.

Content: A bit edgy, but nothing shocking.

Overall:

Not for me.

Plenty of people have loved this. But I just...didn't. Maybe it was the book, or the narrator, or maybe it was me. I guess I'll never know.

I received this for review from the publicist. Thanks! And sorry this review took forever.
Jessica