Orleans Review

336 pages
Release date: March 7th, 2013

After a string of devastating hurricanes and a severe outbreak of Delta Fever, the Gulf Coast has been quarantined. Years later, residents of the Outer States are under the assumption that life in the Delta is all but extinct… but in reality, a new primitive society has been born. Fen de la Guerre is living with the O-Positive blood tribe in the Delta when they are ambushed. Left with her tribe leader’s newborn, Fen is determined to get the baby to a better life over the wall before her blood becomes tainted. Fen meets Daniel, a scientist from the Outer States who has snuck into the Delta illegally. Brought together by chance, kept together by danger, Fen and Daniel navigate the wasteland of Orleans. In the end, they are each other’s last hope for survival.

Review (ARC):
While the story was definitely well thought out and different, I couldn't find myself connecting to the novel itself. Not to say this isn't a good book but it definitely wasn't for me. Fen is a strong main character who has had to survive in Orleans, which has reverted to a pretty much primitive way of living. I liked the fact that Fen was resilient and extremely resourceful especially when it came to trying to save her tribe leader's baby. Daniel, on the other hand knows nothing about Orleans and goes there expecting something completely different from what he actually encounters. Fen and Daniel each depend on the other for something different and find that relying on each other might be the only way to survive. There is absolutely no romance in this novel so don't expect anything to develop because it won't. The journey through Orleans is one full of danger and adventure, which is pretty exciting at times. I would recommend this novel to those who like dystopian fiction and don't mind a romance-less story.