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The Only Ones

by Aaron Starmer (Goodreads Author)

3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 · rating details · 238 ratings · 99 reviews

Like the other children who have journeyed to the village of Xibalba, Martin Maple faces an awful truth. He was forgotten. When everyone else in the world disappeared one afternoon, these children were the only ones left behind. There's Darla, who drives a monster truck; Felix, who used string and wood to rebuild the internet; Lane, who crafts elaborate contraptions for li...more

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published September 13th 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

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Jun 02, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, fantasy-sci-fi, juvie-shelf, mystery, teen-shelf

Martin and his father are the only inhabitants of the island, except for the few summer people who visit each year. They spend their time fishing, gardening and working on the machine. Martin doesn't know what the machine does, only that his father says it's their only hope. One day Martin's father announces he's leaving to search for the last piece of the machine and will return by his 11th birthday. His birthday comes and goes and his father does not return. By the time his 13th birthday is ap...more

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May 08, 2012 Claire B. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4th-quarter-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 06, 2012 Kelly Butcher rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-twenty-twelve

Ok. I slept on this book and I still don't understand it. I can't wrap my head around how that machine worked. I am going to give it to one of the most intellectual students over the weekend and make him read it. He will love it- LOVE it, I know. Then, he can explain it to me on Monday and I will stop scratching my head.

Other than my complete lack of understanding of the theory of relativity...

This is a great coming of age story- it is not often we get a boy main character who we watch grow up...more

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Oct 15, 2011 Craig rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

This book is engaging from the opening page until the very end. I especially loved Starmer's ability to bring such vivid life to Xibalba and its inhabitants.

Parents would need to be very careful if letting a kid read this, as there is some gore and heavy subject matter. I'm not a parent, nor do I believe in shying away from difficult material, but some people are/ do (as is their right).

A lot of the plot requires suspension of disbelief -- ironically, one of the core tenets of the experience of...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Nick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-fantasy

I liked most of this book until I realized what a mind-bender the resolution was turning out to be, at which point I began to be annoyed. Like with certain time-travel stories, the resolution hinges on a cause-and-effect loop. That's dangerous, and in this case it didn't feel like the author had figured out the implications consistently. Among other things, the initial community of survivors has too limited a skill set to actually survive, as described, and by the end it is getting better, but n...more I liked most of this book until I realized what a mind-bender the resolution was turning out to be, at which point I began to be annoyed. Like with certain time-travel stories, the resolution hinges on a cause-and-effect loop. That's dangerous, and in this case it didn't feel like the author had figured out the implications consistently. Among other things, the initial community of survivors has too limited a skill set to actually survive, as described, and by the end it is getting better, but not in a way that sounds like it will work.
The basic premise is that almost everyone in the world disappears one day, leaving behind a very small number of kids, all roughly middle-school-aged, 11-14. At no point is that narrow age range explained, and it matters a lot, later. Martin, the central character, had been raised on an isolated island by a crackpot father. Others had their own back stories, equally odd. Each of these kids is good at something, but not necessarily something that will help them survive. Also, a couple of them are...um...insane?
Okay, so let's set aside the practical parts. Does it work as fantasy? Sort of. I was engrossed enough to read straight through, but found the results to be good, rather than great. The final explanation given of why certain kids ended up surviving the disappearance just didn't work, and some of the elements have to be accepted as "because the author said so," which is not a good thing.
The Machine, which is a key plot element, began to annoy me, as did the main character's attitudes about it. As the story progresses, there's also an element of guilt, because someone CAUSED the disappearance. The author glosses over this, but that pretty much wrecked the world, maybe permanently. By the end, you realize that the causal loop is even loopier than most
I liked the characters much more than the story. They were distinctive and quirky and fun to read about. They just wouldn't have survived, as a group. It felt like I was reading a middle school remake of Gilligan's Island, but with a more serious goal.
So, I liked it the writing and the characters, but not the overall result, if that makes sense. The main character, Martin, was hard to care about, because he had been raised so much in isolation that he didn't even react in ways that the reader could view as human, in many cases. It felt like he was mimicking human behavior, rather than living it. The side characters were great, though, and I found myself identifying with them far more than with Martin.(less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Sharon Looby rated it 3 of 5 stars

This ibook is part science fiction, part dystopian. . It had many twists and turns and just when you thought you had the story figured out , it would take A completely different turn. While I wasn't hungering for the next page as I am with some books, I found it to be a good read. This book features a moment in time when everyone disappears except for kids and these kids that are left behind all seem to find their way to Xibalba. Each kid has some sort of talent, some good, some bad. Martin Mapl...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bekah, anna, supernatural, youngadult

I've waited a few days to write my review of The Only Ones in part to give myself a little bit of time to digest it. I'm still not sure I completely understand the ending, but I think I can review the book as a whole. The titular only ones are a group of children who are suddenly the only people left on earth. The main character, Martin, has been raised on an island by a reclusive father and has spent his entire life helping his dad build a machine that will supposedly bring back Martin's mother...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: j, sci-fi, ya, not-graphic

Well, that came together quite nicely.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there are two types of readers: those who like a straightforward story firmly based in the rules of standard plotting and those who enjoy feeling off-balance as they puzzle through strange pieces of information parceled out in bits. I don’t just mean the challenge of solving a mystery or the surprise of a twist ending, but of having no real idea just what the book is about or where it’s going, of having to figure out the very...more Well, that came together quite nicely.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there are two types of readers: those who like a straightforward story firmly based in the rules of standard plotting and those who enjoy feeling off-balance as they puzzle through strange pieces of information parceled out in bits. I don’t just mean the challenge of solving a mystery or the surprise of a twist ending, but of having no real idea just what the book is about or where it’s going, of having to figure out the very rules of reality in an unknown, possibly fantastical setting, of not knowing whether you can trust anything an unreliable narrator says, of swimming in ambiguity and uncertainty and the unknown. If I’m succeeding with this review, you should have an idea which camp you fall into by now based on whether you’re intrigued to know what I’m doing or frustrated at having to read a book review that has yet to mention the book.

And you’ve probably guessed that this book is most likely going to frustrate the one group and delight the other.

We don’t know why, but Martin’s dad has raised Martin in isolation, the two of them living alone on an island, having no contact whatsoever with the few outsiders they occasionally see in the distance. We don’t know why, but, just before Martin’s eleventh birthday, everyone in the world disappears--although we don’t really see the extent of the disappearance until two years later, when Martin finally decides to venture forth from his island to explore the mainland. We don’t know why, but Martin finally wanders into a village of forty other youths his age who have spent the past couple of years trying to rebuild some kind of civilization and community. They are a strange group with strange dynamics, dynamics so delicate that the arrival of someone new for the first time in over a year can throw everything off kilter quite easily. Martin doesn’t know much about the world or interacting with others, and neither do we since this isn’t a world any of us knows.

But it was fun following Martin as things unfolded and finally getting to make sense of what was going on. This, as the cover blurb by James Dashner says, is a unique and captivating journey.(less)

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Nov 26, 2012 Hollowspine rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Only Ones is an apocalyptic tale centered around Martin Maple, a boy who was raised in relative isolation by his father on an island. Before, The Day, Martin and his father spent all their time working on a device. Martin is never told what the device is supposed to do and before his father can tell him his father disappears.

After no one else returns to the island Martin goes in search of them. He soon finds that the world has been abandoned, but finds his way to Xibalba a society of other...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Shanshad Whelan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, science-fiction, fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A really gripping read. I did not want to put this one down before I finished the book and given how busy my life is, that's not easy! This is sort of a Lord of the Flies scenario in some ways. Only a handful of kids are left when the entire rest of the world appears to have vanished all at once. Where have they all gone? And why did these kids get left behind?

Martin Maple is the one who may have the answers . . . but only if he can solve the riddle in time and persuade the others to help him co...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Blue rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

Like most of speculative fiction out there today, you need a good idea. The Only Ones certainly has that. There is a good idea, a situation that baffles everyone, and signals that anything and everything is possible. Once this is set up, the rest can go down however the author wants. So what matters to me becomes the language, the dialog, the "believability" of the everyday interactions of the characters. Starmer's characters are well done, his dialog is stylized enough to keep the plot going bu...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 27, 2012 Lupine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: elementary-school, tween

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 19, 2012 Anastasia Tuckness rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: c2011, ya, science-fiction, future-staff-pick, guy-reads, tween, apl-ys-picks

Fascinating premise involving time travel and causation. Takes a while to get going, but kids who enjoy books like The Mysterious Benedict Society, where you can just settle in and take your time and enjoy the ride, will probably like this. The characters are interesting too. Definitely a thinker's book.

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Sep 05, 2011 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I got an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher. I loved the synopsis of the book and was excited to read it. It was an excellent middle grade post-apocalyptic read full of mystery.

Martin Maple lives with his dad on a small island. Him and his dad work on building a machine when it is not summer; when it is summer they deal with the various tourists that show up. That is until one day Martin's dad sails away and is never seen again...and the tourists stop coming. After living a co...more I got an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher. I loved the synopsis of the book and was excited to read it. It was an excellent middle grade post-apocalyptic read full of mystery.

Martin Maple lives with his dad on a small island. Him and his dad work on building a machine when it is not summer; when it is summer they deal with the various tourists that show up. That is until one day Martin's dad sails away and is never seen again...and the tourists stop coming. After living a couple of years all by himself on the island Martin decides to go inland where he finds an abandoned earth and the town of Xibalba. Xibalba is run by a bunch of pre-teen kids. All the kids are exceptionally good at something and none of them really miss the rest of humanity. It will be up to Martin to point them towards a higher cause and to help them discover what really happened on Earth and what if it could be fixed?

This was a wonderful book. At first you don't even know it is about the world ending as we know it. Martin is so secluded he doesn't know the difference between humanity being there and not being there. It's an interesting concept and well done in this book.

The town of Xibalba is also an interesting concept. The idea of only children (pre-teens) being left to run things isn't a new one. But the idea that each child left behind is a genius in one particular area is interesting. Add to this the fact that each of the children is interested in their special area so exclusively that a lack of a world and other humans doesn't affect them all that much and the story is even more interesting.

I loved some of the mystery of the history of Xibalba and how Martin had to hunt deeply to piece together all the little clues that he was finding. This story is more of a mystery than anything else. There is some magic and some science fiction, but that takes a back seat to the mystery itself.

The book was very engaging and well written. The mystery behind what happened to Earth really propels the story forward.

Even though I enjoyed that story a lot, there were a few things that I had some issues with as well. First of all Martin lived on the island for over a year all by himself? How did he get food and fresh water? It was something that was glossed over for Martin, but then when you get to Xibalba this issue is dealt with in detail. I would have liked at least a passing comment on how Martin survived all that time. Secondly the characters are never all that engaging; they are okay and some of them are interesting but I never really felt all that involved with them or drawn to them.

The final issue is the ending of the book. When everything is explained about what happened to Earth and how it will be fixed, well, it was kind of confusing and convoluted. I kind of understood what happened, but I had some trouble really picturing it and wished that it had been explained with more clarity.

The book ended well and seems very contained. I would be interested in reading more about Martin, but given the ending I doubt there will be more stories featuring him.

Overall a very good middle grade read. There is a little magic and a little science fiction here, but at its heart this story is a mystery and a very good one. The idea of a town run by children geniuses is intriguing and interesting. The book was generally well-written and engaging. I had some trouble with the inconsistencies around survival issues and none of the characters really captured my heart, but overall it's a great read. This would be a wonderful read to introduce kids to the idea of post-apocalyptic fiction in a way that is subtle and not too scary. Fans of well written mysteries with a little magic and sci-fi should look here. Fans of post-apocalyptic fiction with a more subtle touch to it and a lot of mystery should also give this book a read.(less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Allie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s

I feel a little guilty giving this book only three stars because I enjoyed my time reading the book immensely, but hear me out. The basis of the plot of The Only Ones is as follows: our main character, Martin Maple, is a strange little boy with a suuuuuper weird dad who lives on an island (never explicitly named, but I am assuming off the coast of Maine, seeing as there is a lot of cold-water fishing, etc.) that is mostly uninhabited, except for the people who come visit in the summer months (ap...more I feel a little guilty giving this book only three stars because I enjoyed my time reading the book immensely, but hear me out. The basis of the plot of The Only Ones is as follows: our main character, Martin Maple, is a strange little boy with a suuuuuper weird dad who lives on an island (never explicitly named, but I am assuming off the coast of Maine, seeing as there is a lot of cold-water fishing, etc.) that is mostly uninhabited, except for the people who come visit in the summer months (aptly named the Summer People). So Martin and his dad live on this little island building a weird, weird, WEIRD machine. Martin doesn't go to school, never uses the internet, and only has one book....all he knows/learns of the world comes from his father. Who, one day, leaves the island and never returns. Two years pass, and Martin decides to peace up outta that joint and see what the rest of the world is like. What he finds is that he is one of approximately 42 children left on earth. There is no one else.

This is where our story REALLY starts (and where my summary will end, because I highly recommend that you all read this book....if only to meet Darla, my favorite character in the story). Starmer does a great job creating a world where children are, well, the only ones. The characters were pretty neat, the setting was really well described....my issue came within the last 50 pages of the book. Obviously, the one burning question on everyone's minds, children and reader alike, is...WHERE TEH OTHER PEOPLE AT? Seriously. Where are they? So at the end of the book, as our resolution is quickly formulating, I'm getting more and more excited as we are learning about the reasons for the disappearance of all the other people. Then....wait for it....wait for it...it is explained and I. DON'T. get. it. I mean, okay, I understand the words on the page but I felt like it didn't make sense. Maybe I was just tired. Maybe I should have, as I taught my primary students, "back up and re-read" the confusing parts. I chose to complain about it instead. :) But ferreal....The Only One is a real quality book. Not as cookie cutter as the other post-apocalyptic books I've read--and even though it is a middle grade book, it still covers some pretty heavy topics. I want someone else to read this so I can talk to them about it! :) (less)

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Jan 05, 2012 Kathleen rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Middle School Age kids

Shelves: junior-library-guild

I really enjoyed this. Sort of a fantasy/sci-fi flavor. Martin Maple is a young boy and lives with his father on an island. Martin doesn't go to school or really have much of a job, and his father forbids him to speak with any of the vacationers to the island. Martin does one day befriend a kid his age named George, but is very discreet about it, and their relationship is based on stories - stories george tells him about the outside world, stories that george brings Martin in book form. Martin a...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Whitney Whiting rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Martin is a young boy who, by no fault of his own, is left completely alone to try to understand the world. He reads everything he can get his hands on, and then ventures out into the real world, only to discover that he is far more alone than he thought.
He juggles meeting new and very different people, solving a problem that hasn't been defined and leading a group of teens that have settled into a "Lord of the Flies" situation that Martin is most definately not prepared for.

I dither between t...more

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Apr 23, 2012 David quick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really interesting and strange. Read it.

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Jan 07, 2012 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was a unique gem among a ton of "end of the world/left behind" young adult fiction. It had twists and turns that were impossible to predict. A thought provoking book. It may take younger readers out of their comfort zone, but the protagonist is so likable that readers will feel compelled to continue reading to find out what happens. I thought the end felt a little rushed and not as finely crafted as the rest of the book, however a very recommendable book to young adult readers. A good...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Katrina rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Middle school boys who have already read everything in this genre.

Shelves: boy-read, fantasy, juvenille, teen, sci-fi

This is a REALLY weird book. Like a combination of Lord of the Flies and The Maze Runner, only more confusing if that's possible. Ok, not confusing per say but events happen so suddenly with long periods of nothing in between that it jolts the reader around too much to make this a truly engaging book. James Dashner described this book as "captivating" but I just couldn't get sucked in like that. I did want to know the ending, so I guess it has that going for it and it is definitely unique, but t...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who enjoy post-apocalyptic fiction

This review originally appeared here at Easy Reading and Damn Hard Writing.

Martin Maple knows a terrible truth. He and the rest of the children who live in the commune that they have called Xibalba were not only left, but Forgotten. All of the adults in the world disappeared on one fateful Day, and the children are now alone. But according to the animal-whispering “prophet” Nigel, Martin has the capacity to bring them back—and he just might be right.

I really, really enjoyed this book. It was ver...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Megan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

I liked the premise, once I had finished and realized what the premise was, but overall, I did not find this book to be a particularly enjoyable read. The characters felt shallow–I knew some basic characteristics about all of them, but nothing really about what they felt or thought. I disliked almost all of them, and found it confusing when the narrative made it clear that I was meant to be sympathizing with some of them. Points that I felt were interesting (like the tame animals for instance) w...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Angel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, childrens-books

This was a great adventure story!

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Apr 26, 2012 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mash, ya, f

Going in, I was expecting a certain amount of weirdness. After all, the quotation on the cover says that it is “unique” and “captivating”. I was, I suppose, anticipating something along the lines of Garth Nix’s Mister Monday.

Therefore, I think you’ll understand me when I complain that it wasn’t weird enough. Those expectations, the slightly dreamlike atmosphere, and the italicized chapter openers all combined to convince me that there’d be, at the end, a bizarre revelation and a wonderfully exci...more Going in, I was expecting a certain amount of weirdness. After all, the quotation on the cover says that it is “unique” and “captivating”. I was, I suppose, anticipating something along the lines of Garth Nix’s Mister Monday.

Therefore, I think you’ll understand me when I complain that it wasn’t weird enough. Those expectations, the slightly dreamlike atmosphere, and the italicized chapter openers all combined to convince me that there’d be, at the end, a bizarre revelation and a wonderfully exciting dénouement. Not so. The Only Ones plodded along and then fizzled out at the end. It was interesting, sort of, but not as interesting as what I’d thought up in my own mind.

Take the first chapter opener. This isn’t a spoiler, because if you pick up the book it’s the first thing you’ll read after the title on the cover. There’s a kid with a machine. There’s a bunch of frightened village adults. There’s an expert (on what?) who they’re afraid of. The expert brings his own security with him everywhere he goes. Also, there’s another kid (a weakling) who is somehow related to the kid with the machine (they traveled together?). It sounded like he’d escaped the adults’ clutches. Good for him!

At first, I thought that the kid with the machine was terrorizing the town. I felt certain that either he was doing it accidentally, or else the townspeople deserved it. Both options sounded exciting. But then it seemed like the adults wanted to parlay with the machine-owning kid. Perhaps he was traveling, and the townspeople had unsuccessfully tried to steal the machine from him? What was this machine? Where had the kid come from? Who was this mysterious expert, and what kind of security was he bringing with him, anyway? Why were the adults so afraid of Martin Maple?

Most of my above conclusions were flat-out wrong. The reality was much more petty and prosaic. The only reason I gave it three stars instead of two is because it was quick and easy to read.
(less)

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Aug 12, 2012 Mark rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, fantasy, middle-grade

Marvin Maple, a mysterious boy who grows up on an isolated island away from normal society, leaves in search of his father when he fails to return home for several years. Once outside, he finds that most of the population has disappeared and, with a ragtag group of kids left behind, the group uncovers a way to bring them all back.

The word "fable" is used in the Goodreads description and I think that's the perfect description for the tone of the book. Although it allegedly takes place in present...more Marvin Maple, a mysterious boy who grows up on an isolated island away from normal society, leaves in search of his father when he fails to return home for several years. Once outside, he finds that most of the population has disappeared and, with a ragtag group of kids left behind, the group uncovers a way to bring them all back.

The word "fable" is used in the Goodreads description and I think that's the perfect description for the tone of the book. Although it allegedly takes place in present day, with references to the internet, monster trucks, carnivals, etc. nothing really feels present in our time. Marvin's entire background on the island, born of "sea bubbles" and working on a mysterious machine in which he has no idea what its for, starts off the narrative giving this vibe of a different world and never strays from it. Ultimately, I think this is one of the things that disappointed me in the book.

That's not to say that the fantasy other-wordly feel is done poorly. The town of Xibalba and all of its inhabitants immediately take on this larger than life prophetic vibe where it feels that they are all there for a reason. That fate has brought all these characters together and meant for them to use their very specific talents to solve the mystery of what happened. I just felt like the story that I wanted and the story that was told were two very different ones. What I wanted to see was how a young of group adults would deal with a world where they were suddenly the only ones left. What they would do in the empty cities and towns to pass the time in a world void of responsibilities.

What this book is is a fantasy fable set in a nondescript setting filled with characters who, besides one or two, feel very basic and more like figures for things rather than fully fleshed out characters. And the ending, without giving anything away, felt very disappointing, leaving me with more questions than answers.

Overall, as the score would indicate, I didn't really enjoy this book. That's not to say that it's not written well or without merit. There's just much more fantasy here than the concept would seemingly indicate. (less)

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Jan 15, 2012 Allison (The Allure of Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: other-ya-fantasy, 2011, dystopian

The characters in The Only Ones by Aaron Starmer have to face things that would scare the crap out of anyone. What would you do if everyone around you suddenly disappeared? I don’t mean just the people you know. I mean everyone. Martin Maple has always lived a mostly solitary life – so it takes him awhile to fully understand the significance of being completely alone. When he begins his travels to the only place left in the world with living people, he has no idea what is coming.

Before I go any...more The characters in The Only Ones by Aaron Starmer have to face things that would scare the crap out of anyone. What would you do if everyone around you suddenly disappeared? I don’t mean just the people you know. I mean everyone. Martin Maple has always lived a mostly solitary life – so it takes him awhile to fully understand the significance of being completely alone. When he begins his travels to the only place left in the world with living people, he has no idea what is coming.

Before I go any further, I just have to say one thing. Internet made with wood and string. You guys! How incredibly awesome is that? A kid in The Only Ones makes a form of the internet with wood tablets connected by string. I almost swooned with the creativity of it all. Very cool.

The Only Ones takes on the form of post-apocalyptic fable. Sometimes I felt a lack of connection to the characters. I never lost interest in the plot – but the characters added more quirkiness and creativity to the story than actual people to root for. Normally I would find this a deal breaker – but Aaron Starmer has created something really special here, y’all. Despite the fact that I never fell for Martin or any of the people in his life, I completely fell for The Only Ones.

Despite the faults, I found it to be a celebration of reading. Definitely a book to pick up for every book lover! Check out the description of Martin Marple discovering reading for the first time:

It became an addiction. At first he took one book a night…but after a couple of weeks, he was demanding three or four. All day he would sit on the rock outcropping and read about pirates and doctors and magicians and lots of people who kissed and lots of people who killed and lots of people whose lives changed in an instant. As far as Martin was concerned, all the books were classics, because they were all full of such surprises. They distracted him from life.

Seriously. The cleverness, originality and imagination of Aaron Starmer staggers me. The Only Ones might be odd. It might be hard to completely process it all. But it is an incredible story.

I highly recommend that you take this journey with Martin (and his mysterious machine)!(less)

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Mar 26, 2012 Tessa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: speculative, yyay

even though I found much of the ideas and descriptions and character traits to be refreshing - it's a post-"apocalyptic" survival novel where no one really has to worry about surviving because there are only a couple people left on the planet and they have a monster truck to gather supplies -- I never got totally engaged in the story. And the only reason that I could think of (besides personal preference) was the style of dialogue. It was a little off to my ear. And the ending explained everythi...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Landon rated it 5 of 5 stars

I came across this book first by browsing through the goodreads giveaways a while back. I didn't win, but it remained on my "to read" list. When I was in the library last, it was displayed on one of the tables and I remembered the cover and snagged it up with the rest of the books. I am so glad that I did. A book that definitely has some "Lord of the Flies" like moments as we follow the story of a few children who are left alone in the world. The book is very intriguing and to me was definitely...more

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May 14, 2013 Snorkle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ala-2011, arc, juvenile, read-2011, willing-to-swap, own, review-on-blog

Very bizarre. I loved the cover. It was haunting and intense. The initial reading of the premise from the back cover got me excited because it sounded like it was right up my alley. (Hello lost society and mysterious machines), but the story didn't live up to its potential. I was a little bit confused throughout the story because I couldn't figure out where it was going. But I was patient and willing to believe everything would be wrapped up in the end. I mean, it could have just been one of tho...more

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