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Pale
The Lazarus Serum can bring you back from the dead - but when you come back you've changed - you're a Pale, an outcast. It's the last thing Jed wants, but an accident changes everything and Jed's forced to discover the true cost of living forever.
Paperback, 72 pages
Published
September 10th 2012
by Stoke Books
(first published January 1st 2012)
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Righty-ho, today I'll be looking at a short story, containing elements of horror, science fiction, and a society beset by prejudice. And of course, reanimation of the dead. Because why not. This little novella is called Pale by Chris Wooding, and it sounded pretty good when I went to download the ARC.
In this world, people can be brought back from the dead. Many years ago, the Lazarus Serum was developed. However, for reasons unknown, it only works on certain blood-types, and if injected successf...more
In this world, people can be brought back from the dead. Many years ago, the Lazarus Serum was developed. However, for reasons unknown, it only works on certain blood-types, and if injected successf...more
This is a book written in very simple prose, I believe aimed at teens who are struggling with reading. It's a short story, and has a somewhat interesting premise. However, possibly in the interest of keeping it short, there is a lot that is not explored thoroughly enough for my tastes. It opens with the main character, Jed, and his best friend beating up a kid known as a "Pale". Pale is the derogatory nickname given to the "Returned", or people who died and were brought back to life with the Laz...more
1 like · like · see review
I received this eBook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I battled between a 1-star and a 3. I landed on 3 for the premise.
This short book is about a world in which a serum has been developed to bring people back from the dead [only recently deceased/non-brutal deaths]. To qualify, you must have a specific blood type. The downside is, that once you are brought back, you are scum of the society. They are banished from the city and made to live in a slum neighborhood called "The Grave...more
I battled between a 1-star and a 3. I landed on 3 for the premise.
This short book is about a world in which a serum has been developed to bring people back from the dead [only recently deceased/non-brutal deaths]. To qualify, you must have a specific blood type. The downside is, that once you are brought back, you are scum of the society. They are banished from the city and made to live in a slum neighborhood called "The Grave...more
It's funny that I would read this now, as it has to do with the living dead and well, given my current shuffling gait and the moans with which I wander in search of brains..I mean food...I get hungry when I'm sick. Food. Not brains. I don't eat brains...
Anyway, as a quick review, "Pale" is a High-Low book (something I am DELIGHTED by as there aren't enough books written at a low reading level for teens to enjoy. Especially in topics that they're interested in. So for anyone liking dystopic or zo...more
Anyway, as a quick review, "Pale" is a High-Low book (something I am DELIGHTED by as there aren't enough books written at a low reading level for teens to enjoy. Especially in topics that they're interested in. So for anyone liking dystopic or zo...more
Pale is an intense, action-filled novella, specifically designed for teen readers who either read below grade level or who are reluctant to read at all. It succeeds on all fronts. (Other reviewers have said that they felt the book was too short. However as a parent of a reluctant reader, I feel it is a great length. It's long enough to get the story across, but not so long that the reader may feel intimidated by all those pages.)
Jed is as a bully; someone who hates "pales" and wants only to beat...more
Jed is as a bully; someone who hates "pales" and wants only to beat...more
I received this title from NetGalley and was intrigued by their header that the book was written for an older audience but written at a level for much younger readers. The book is probably written at a third or fourth grade level, but the content is intended for teenagers. The basis of the novella is that certain blood types are able to be brought back to life by an injection commonly called the Lazarus Serum. The people brought back are physically different: their skin becomes pale as does thei...more
This novella is a quick and easy read that doesn't take a lot to process. As it states in the description, Pale is a story about a zombie-state-inducing serum called the Lazarus; but really, you could replace the word "Pale" with "gay," "chav," "nerd," or "slut," take away the science-fiction factor, and you'll have a story to pretty much the same effect. Pale is less of a story about zombies and more of one about discrimination, bullying, and what true friendship is.
That being said, it also du...more
That being said, it also du...more
I read this in about half an hour sitting in the pub waiting for my boyfriend to turn up from work (I was very early).
Interesting and very easy read. The main protagonist though, Jed, is fairly unlikeable throughout the short story/novella. The story opens up with he and his friends beating up a 'Pale' - someone who is dead but not dead dead. Not necessarily a zombie or vampire either though, the Lazurus Serum allows those with the correct blood type to be brought back from the dead provided it...more
Interesting and very easy read. The main protagonist though, Jed, is fairly unlikeable throughout the short story/novella. The story opens up with he and his friends beating up a 'Pale' - someone who is dead but not dead dead. Not necessarily a zombie or vampire either though, the Lazurus Serum allows those with the correct blood type to be brought back from the dead provided it...more
1 like · like · see review
Aug 26, 2012
Pamela
added it
PALE is a quick read: an interesting read. I got a few pages into it and thought, damn this is a book that my English teacher back in middle-school would have loved to have us read and discuss. There's just this great premise and all these wonderful opportunities to ask-and-answer 'what would you do in that circumstance' questions.
>>discussion of plot elements follows -- I don't believe they constitute a spoiler but be cautious>>
In PALE technology gets ahead of social mores. You see,...more
>>discussion of plot elements follows -- I don't believe they constitute a spoiler but be cautious>>
In PALE technology gets ahead of social mores. You see,...more
My Thoughts
Jed is a boy that has it all. He is popular, has the perfect girlfriend, and is comes from money. All is right in his world until he makes a decision that will change his life forever.
It seems that Jed has the right type to become a pale. Pales are people who when given the Lazarus Serum shortly after death, have the power to reanimate.
The world that these now colorless undead find themselves is a hostile one indeed, and this new underclass is the target of the day.
When Jed is killed...more
Jed is a boy that has it all. He is popular, has the perfect girlfriend, and is comes from money. All is right in his world until he makes a decision that will change his life forever.
It seems that Jed has the right type to become a pale. Pales are people who when given the Lazarus Serum shortly after death, have the power to reanimate.
The world that these now colorless undead find themselves is a hostile one indeed, and this new underclass is the target of the day.
When Jed is killed...more
There are three types of people in the world: those who can be raised from the dead, those who cannot be raised from the dead and those who have already been raised from the dead. People who have been raised from the dead loose the pigmentation which is why they are called Pale’s. They are given the Lazarus Serum soon after death; they don’t need to breath and their heart doesn’t beat.
Jed and his friends don’t like Pale’s. They go out of their way to pick on and beat up any Pales that cross the...more
Jed and his friends don’t like Pale’s. They go out of their way to pick on and beat up any Pales that cross the...more
A High-Low Book for Students in High School
This title is offered by Stoke Books and was written specially for readers in high school who need lower leveled books. I feel this story will give readers much to talk about.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Stoke Books for the complimentary review copy of this title.
Teachers and librarians looking for a story that may interest readers in higher grades should take a peek at Pale. Things I liked about this book - the storyline contains lots to talk about...more
This title is offered by Stoke Books and was written specially for readers in high school who need lower leveled books. I feel this story will give readers much to talk about.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Stoke Books for the complimentary review copy of this title.
Teachers and librarians looking for a story that may interest readers in higher grades should take a peek at Pale. Things I liked about this book - the storyline contains lots to talk about...more
*I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Jed seems to have it all, loyal friends, girlfriend of 2 years and a hot shot lawyer father. That all changes when he pushes his girlfriend out of the path of a car.
Jed wakes up after the accident not sure what is going on, that is until his mom hands him a mirror and he learns that he is now a Pale. his girlfriend made the decision to have him injected with what is known as the Lazarus Serum; which can bring you back to "l...more
Jed seems to have it all, loyal friends, girlfriend of 2 years and a hot shot lawyer father. That all changes when he pushes his girlfriend out of the path of a car.
Jed wakes up after the accident not sure what is going on, that is until his mom hands him a mirror and he learns that he is now a Pale. his girlfriend made the decision to have him injected with what is known as the Lazarus Serum; which can bring you back to "l...more
Jed hates all Pales. Pales are those people who are brought back from the dead by the Lazurus Serum. Pales live in the run-down part of town and are ostracized by society. Jed would never want to be turned into a Pale—he would rather be dead. But one day, an accident changes Jed’s world, and he isn’t given the choice.
My Thoughts: This was a really cool short story (around 70 pages). I loved how Wooding took the idea of prejudice and added a futuristic twist. It would be a really handy way to int...more
My Thoughts: This was a really cool short story (around 70 pages). I loved how Wooding took the idea of prejudice and added a futuristic twist. It would be a really handy way to int...more
Now, this is different. I don't know what to name the genre since it's not completely dystopian. There are not many elements of Dystopian novels in this one, I am confused. Aside from that, this book was pretty good.
The book revolves around a world where there is a medication that brings you back from the dead. But the medication is not for everyone, you should have the right blood type and you should be given the medication when you die right away, or it won't work.
There are many other requ...more
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Pale by Chris Wooding is a novella about Jed, a bully, who antagonizes the Pales-- people who have taken the Lazarus Serum after dying and have been resurrected into someone who vaguely looks like the person they were before but now have pale skin, eyes, and hair. Jed has it all-- a best friend who is a huger bully than he is, a beautiful girlfriend, and popularity. Then in one moment all of that changes.
This book was written f...more
Pale by Chris Wooding is a novella about Jed, a bully, who antagonizes the Pales-- people who have taken the Lazarus Serum after dying and have been resurrected into someone who vaguely looks like the person they were before but now have pale skin, eyes, and hair. Jed has it all-- a best friend who is a huger bully than he is, a beautiful girlfriend, and popularity. Then in one moment all of that changes.
This book was written f...more
Jul 31, 2012
Adalira Morningstar
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
read-in-2012,
juvenile-fiction,
arc,
netgalley,
death-and-grief,
crime-and-murder,
fantasy,
dystopia,
ya-male-pov
This review will also appear on Read Between the Lines.
I got a copy of this one as an ARC through NetGalley.
Jed seems to have it all. He's got a loyal group of friends, a hot girlfriend and a powerful lawyer father, but that all changes when he shoves his girlfriend out of the path of a moving car. His girlfriend makes a split second decision to have him injected with something known as Lazarus Serum. The Serum will bring him back to life, but will also make him one of The Returned. The Returne...more
I got a copy of this one as an ARC through NetGalley.
Jed seems to have it all. He's got a loyal group of friends, a hot girlfriend and a powerful lawyer father, but that all changes when he shoves his girlfriend out of the path of a moving car. His girlfriend makes a split second decision to have him injected with something known as Lazarus Serum. The Serum will bring him back to life, but will also make him one of The Returned. The Returne...more
http://www.wethrowrocksatcars.blogspo...
Pale is essentially a story about karma.
"Pales" are people who died but were given a serum to bring them back to life, but it changes them physically and they are out cast by society. This is a short tale about how people deal with them, and what it's like to become one.
Pale had the potential to be a great story about society's inability to deal with things that are different, but unfortunately it did not live up to that potential. The story (I say story...more
Pale is essentially a story about karma.
"Pales" are people who died but were given a serum to bring them back to life, but it changes them physically and they are out cast by society. This is a short tale about how people deal with them, and what it's like to become one.
Pale had the potential to be a great story about society's inability to deal with things that are different, but unfortunately it did not live up to that potential. The story (I say story...more
-For Itching for Books: http://itchingforbooks.blogspot.com/2...
First of all, I had no idea this author wrote so many novels. That's cool. And the genres in which he writes in are some of my favorite so that's a plus as well.
Now, with that aside, let's talk about the awesomeness of this great but short lived story.
Pale was interesting from beginning to end, no matter how quick. I know I'm stressing on its lightness but that's only because it was so entertaining that it should have gone on long...more
First of all, I had no idea this author wrote so many novels. That's cool. And the genres in which he writes in are some of my favorite so that's a plus as well.
Now, with that aside, let's talk about the awesomeness of this great but short lived story.
Pale was interesting from beginning to end, no matter how quick. I know I'm stressing on its lightness but that's only because it was so entertaining that it should have gone on long...more
Pale is a cautionary tale of what happens when the persecutor becomes the persecuted. In this short story, there is a technology called The Lazarus Serum that brings people back from the dead. Mainly it can only be used in emergency cases right after someone has died. When these people come back, of course, they're spurned as outcasts and are referred to in a derogatory sense as "Pales". The main character, a boy named Jed, is one of the people who are disgusted by the Pales until he's in a fata...more
I’m pretty sure that from now on, I should be more careful before choosing the next books I’m going to read. I was eager to start reading Pale, expecting, of course, a novel. And when I began reading, I discovered a novella instead ^_^ Even so, reading Pale was a real pleasure and I don’t regret a second the time I spent. Especially that I only needed about an hour to finish it.. The only thing I feel sorry about is the fact that such an interesting idea was presented somehow superficial, in onl...more
In the Chris Wooding's world, when people die, or they're hurt so badly, they get Lazarus Serum. This Serum can bring them back to life. But just in they're "freshly" dead. Serum can't bring to life people, who are dead for a long time. But when you get Lazarus Serum, you're going to change into a Pale. A Pale is a person, who got a white skin, white hair, even white and terrifying eyes. Pales needn't breath, and their heart doesn't beat. People are saying, that Pales, can live forever.
But every...more
But every...more
In this young-reader's dystopian novel, the cost of immortality is abuse, seclusion, and oppression. "Pales," or those who are given the Lazarus Serum and are resurrected soon after death, stand out because of their colorless skin and eyes. When Jed dies suddenly and is given the Serum without his consent, his perspective on these lesser members of society changes. With a plot that's really more about bullying and abuse than immortality, this short book is simple enough for lower-grades and quic...more
*****YOU CAN READ THIS REVIEW AND MORE ON Corralling Books ******
What would you feel like to come back to life, after you've died? That's what this book, Pale, by Chris Wooding is about. It tells the tale of Jed, who has recently died and come back to life using the Lazarus Serum. It was a really interesting idea for me to read, with Wooding's take on the living dead.
This story can be rather controversial, with the idea of someone coming back to life. I feel that Wooding has done a good job of...more
What would you feel like to come back to life, after you've died? That's what this book, Pale, by Chris Wooding is about. It tells the tale of Jed, who has recently died and come back to life using the Lazarus Serum. It was a really interesting idea for me to read, with Wooding's take on the living dead.
This story can be rather controversial, with the idea of someone coming back to life. I feel that Wooding has done a good job of...more
I haven't read any of Wooding's other books so I had nothing to compare this one to. I always find it interesting when the reviews of a particular book are all over the map, some readers really liked it, others hated it and several thought it was okay. Since I went into this knowing who it's intended audience was, I believe my perpective may be different from someone just picking this up off the shelf.
I was a reluctant middle grade reader and often felt left out when others spoke about ending...more
I was a reluctant middle grade reader and often felt left out when others spoke about ending...more
I read this in an hour which I think is awesome. The book is only 72 pages but feels like a full novel. Note that this is not a SHORT STORY people need to research what a short story is before they say something. This is a NOVELLA. I hated the main character, but in a good way. He was supposed to come off as a mean kid and his friends were worse. To me, this story was very unique and I enjoyed it. It was interesting to see the Pales treated like most Gay and Black citizens are treated, segregati...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I was really excited to read Pale. It seemed to promise an interesting zombie/dystopian-type premise, which I thought could be cool. Sadly, however, I hadn’t quite realized that Pale was, in fact, a novella, elsewise I probably wouldn’t have requested it from NetGalley.
Don’t get me wrong, Pale was still cool, and I think the topic has promise. Wooding’s prose and plot construction were very good. I’d probably be willing to read something else he’s written, if I could find the time.
The fact remai...more
Don’t get me wrong, Pale was still cool, and I think the topic has promise. Wooding’s prose and plot construction were very good. I’d probably be willing to read something else he’s written, if I could find the time.
The fact remai...more
Pale is one of those books you read in a sit. You probably won’t take more than half an hour to read it because it catches you from the first word. Well written with great characters and a great outcome.
An original story that felt short at the end, with everything a YA novel need, friendship, romance, bad guys and an interesting background. The idea of a serum that allows you to return from death and live forever is a great.
The main character, Jed, is a teenager who sees himself in the worst po...more
An original story that felt short at the end, with everything a YA novel need, friendship, romance, bad guys and an interesting background. The idea of a serum that allows you to return from death and live forever is a great.
The main character, Jed, is a teenager who sees himself in the worst po...more
I loved Pale! I loved the cover! Mostly I loved the message this short novella carried within its pages.
Pales are dead people who have been injected with the Lazarus Serum and brought back to life. They are different in appearance. One of the side effects of the serum is that they wake up totally devoid of any color, hence the name Pale. The fact that they are the dead and look like the dead pretty much gives everyone else reasons enough to isolate them.
We explore racism, prejudice thoughts and...more
Pales are dead people who have been injected with the Lazarus Serum and brought back to life. They are different in appearance. One of the side effects of the serum is that they wake up totally devoid of any color, hence the name Pale. The fact that they are the dead and look like the dead pretty much gives everyone else reasons enough to isolate them.
We explore racism, prejudice thoughts and...more
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Chris Wooding grew up in a small town in Leicestershire, where not much of anything happened. So he started to write novels. He was sixteen when he completed his first. He had an agent by eighteen. By nineteen he had signed his first book deal. When he left university he began to write full-time, and he has been doing it professionally all his adult life.
Now thirty-two, Chris has written sixteen b...more
More about Chris Wooding...
Now thirty-two, Chris has written sixteen b...more
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Sep 21, 2012 07:07am
Nov 08, 2012 03:38am