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The Forsaken

(The Forsaken #1)

Lisa M. Stasse (Goodreads Author)

3.67 · Rating details · 6,533 ratings · 952 reviews

As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violenc ...more

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Hardcover, 375 pages

Published July 10th 2012 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

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· 6,533 ratings · 952 reviews

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Mar 30, 2012 Itzel rated it it was ok

Recommended to Itzel by: Goodreads

My reaction to reading the summary of this book.

Niga Higa - hell yeah Pictures, Images and Photos

My reaction to finishing this novel.

First and foremost, Alenna needs to set her priorities straight.

One moment, she's saying that she won't fall in love with hot boy Liam and focus on surviving, then the next moment, she's drooling over him, and his muscles. No, just no. And another thing that further fueled the fuel with this book was the instant love. I swear on the third meeting between these boring characters they both fall in love.

The he ...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Emily May rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, 2012, dystopia-utopia

Well, what can I say about The Forsaken? Very little that I haven't already said about almost every other dystopian book I've read in the last couple of years. I'll say yet again what I nearly always say when reviewing dystopian or urban fantasy novels: if you deliberately come back time after time because you like having more of the same, then you may find this easier to love. If you're sick of a few unexplained mentions of the word "control" and sparse world-building, this isn't going to b ...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Crini rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2012

Most awesome dust cover EVER!

...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Ellyce rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-in-2012, young-adult, dystopian

The Forsaken is a book that I was really looking forward to, as it had a gorgeous cover and an equally intriguing premise. With the dystopian genre as the new à la mode, it's difficult to find a series that can truly set itself apart from the rest. The bar has been set pretty high, and it's not easy to come up with something that is truly gripping. The only series that I've really enjoyed following The Hunger Games have been Divergent and Lunar Chronicles, and even those are lacking in some of t ...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Nafiza rated it really liked it

Shelves: favourites, read-2012, signed

I don’t often read Dystopocalyptic novels willingly but when Lisa approached me for a review and I read the synopsis, I found myself intrigued. I am glad I took a chance because as it turns out, The Forsaken is one of the best Dystopians I have read ever.

What makes The Forsaken so interesting (and riveting) to me are various things which I am going to discuss in the next few paragraphs. (A thesis statement of sorts? Hah.).

Superficially, The Forsaken does not differ in any major way from the rath I don’t often read Dystopocalyptic novels willingly but when Lisa approached me for a review and I read the synopsis, I found myself intrigued. I am glad I took a chance because as it turns out, The Forsaken is one of the best Dystopians I have read ever.

What makes The Forsaken so interesting (and riveting) to me are various things which I am going to discuss in the next few paragraphs. (A thesis statement of sorts? Hah.).

Superficially, The Forsaken does not differ in any major way from the rather formulaic dystopian novels that have flooded the genre after the phenomenal success of The Hunger Games trilogy. There is a totalitarian government, more like a dictatorship, that successfully rules over a country, a new manifestation of North America. There are strident rules holding the general population in place with horrific consequences should one deviate away from the expected. There is a girl who doesn’t fit into the mould cast for her and there is a boy. So see, the ingredients have all been assembled. The Forsaken separates itself from the rest of the genre in the way the novel is executed.

Imagine the setting as the arena in which The Hunger Games take place because that is how it reads. While I would have liked more details about how the world turned out the way it did, I felt that Stasse did a superb job world-building and developing life on the Wheel, the island where teens with rebellious genes are exiled. There is this grittiness (and I know this word has been used before but I think in this instance, it really is warranted) to this world that I appreciated. You know how you see heroines covered in muck and grease and soot from exploding buildings etc but still managing to look beautiful? Yeah, none of that here. It is quietly realistic with the edges tingling with relevant hysteria.

Alenna is an interesting character. At first I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get along with her because all she seemed to want to do was fit in, be obedient and left alone to live her life. However, Stasse quite literally throws Alenna out of the environment she is familiar with and challenges her to survive that. Alenna is unprepared when she first opens her eyes on the island, not knowing why she has been sentenced to a place like this when she has not been entertaining any rebellious thoughts whatsoever. By the end of the novel, she is almost a different person with the lessons and losses she has learned and endured along her journey. What really surprised me was how boldly Stasse makes some really unconventional and brave decisions for her main character, foisting a role upon her that ensures Alenna has to act on her own, using her own mind with her own sense of right and wrong. Usually, there is a backup, someone to provide support or at least a warm back to lean on. Nothing like that here. And I liked that because this twist allowed Alenna to prove herself.

There is a mean girl trope in this one that intriguingly enough gets developed into an odd friendship giving a twist to the expectations of the reader. I really liked how the relationship between the two girls develops and I may have found it much more compelling than the primary romance narrative.

The novel was unpredictable with twists and turns at every juncture. The plot is refreshing and innovative and has the added element of being unpredictable. The novel is, I admit, more plot oriented than concerned with character development but I think in a genre like this, it is to be expected because anything else would slow the pace of the narrative and a slow pace can be fatal to a dystopian novel. While I wanted more from the ending than it gave me, I can accept it as a satisfactory end to the first installment in what promises to be a gripping and, as the synopsis promises, thought provoking trilogy.

Do I recommend it to you? You bet I do. As long as you aren’t expecting mushy love/romance oriented narratives and are ready for a candid and realistic look at the world if an apocalypse comes to pass, then you will enjoy this as much as I did. ...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Jesse (JesseTheReader) rated it liked it

I really really really enjoyed this book. Video review coming soon. ;)

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Jul 16, 2012 TheBookSmugglers rated it did not like it

Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers

It is the future, and the world is a very different place. Because of the crumbling economy and political tensions, the United States, Mexico, and Canada have combined to form the United Northern Alliance (the U.N.A.), under the not-so-benevolent leadership of Prime Minister Roland Haka - a four-star general who came to power and created the UNA following the civil unrest due to economic unrest and food shortages. In the new supernation, travel is banned, ...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Lisbeth Avery {Domus Libri} rated it it was ok

Shelves: could-have-been-better, makes-no-sense, disappointed, high-expectations, i-wish-i-could-have-loved-you, one-star, let-me-love-you

This book had so much lost potential that it's almost sad. The plot promises to be the next Lord of the Flies, it promises hints of The Hunger Games and The Giver. Sadly, it does not live up to huge expectations. It doesn't even begin to touch any of my smaller ones (such as a passable plot, good world building, and likable characters).

The Forsaken is an odd sort of read. It's a exciting boring novel - which doesn't make any sense I'm sure but once read, what I mean is quite clear. The Forsaken ...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Cassi aka Snow White Haggard rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc-tour, read-in-2012

The Forsaken has a great dystopian idea, a prison island where those who fail a behavior test are sent. That has some of the essential ingredients for a great dystopian : 1. Controlling government 2. Disenfrantized citizenship 3. Lack of control over own life. And the book starts strongly, with the main character going through the test then waking up dazed and confused in the middle of the jungle.

Sound greats right? Unfortunately from there the book just goes wrong. Quickly Alenna, moves into a The Forsaken has a great dystopian idea, a prison island where those who fail a behavior test are sent. That has some of the essential ingredients for a great dystopian : 1. Controlling government 2. Disenfrantized citizenship 3. Lack of control over own life. And the book starts strongly, with the main character going through the test then waking up dazed and confused in the middle of the jungle.

Sound greats right? Unfortunately from there the book just goes wrong. Quickly Alenna, moves into a village where she discovers the "normal" teenagers are doing battle with the "drones," a group of teenagers devoted to someone they call the Monk. Immediately, Alenna is accepted into the core group, involved in important plans, told how pretty she is and flirted with. Totally believable right?

The romance in this novel makes absolutely no sense. It has zero development. The two characters feel a "connection" and then start kissing, even though Alenna has no experiene with boys. Later they discover they knew each other as babies and apparently that's suppose to explain away the insta-love. "Oh I met you when I was one. Falling for you in less than a day makes sense now!" No, it doesn't. Still Insta-love.

None of the friendships or relationships account for the fact they live on island filled with battles and death. There is no accounting for the distrust or inability to build stable relationships that their living situation should cause. Any pyschological effects of living on a prison island where people die daily are glossed over. One guy has nightmares and is mean to prisoners, so apparently that covers all the deep pyschological damage these teenagers should experience.

However that is not even my biggest complaint about this novel. The biggest problem is the best-friend character Gayda. She is so obnoxious and simplified. This character is like INTERNET CAPS LOCK only on a prison island. She's constantly shouting, short-fused with everyone. But she's not a villain, just a sidekick to the main character. She gets angry about Alenna stealing the boy she likes (shocker), their best friend Rika not bidding them farewell (because she was HELPING SICK PEOPLE) and pretty much anything that doesn't go her way.

Alenna, on the other hand, believes everything you tell her. When she first wakes up on the island, there's another prisoner named David. Without any real build-up, she trusts everything he says. Then when she joins the villagers, she trusts them. She never once questions what is happening around her. She just follows along, joining on their "Operation Tiger Strike," even though she is in no way qualified for a military mission. (Luckily they didn't actually have a plan, despite weeks of "planning" and debating).

Overall this book is just sloppy. Sometimes authors have great ideas. Dystopian prison island, yeah! Then they have no idea where to go with that idea. They have a beginning (which was strong) and an end in mind, then they meander through meaningless nonsense to connect the two. The characters are underdeveloped, the world building and science weak, the romance hastily thrown together and the end result is very disappointing.

The only really positive thing I can say, is that the cover is absolutely beautiful. It's graphically interesting and actually connects to the story. Excellent design work, unfortunately gracing a shoddy story.

I received an ARC copy of this book through Southern Book Blogger ARC tours. ...more

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Mar 04, 2014 Jilly rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopia, y-a

This is one of those books that I've had for a while but wasn't excited about, so I put off reading it. But, wow! It was weirdly good. That's right, weirdly good is a thing.

First, it has the whole "Lost" feeling to it with these kids on the island and you are never quite sure what is really going on. There's weird crap happening all around them, and some crazy cult tribe trying to kill them, on top of things plucking them from the sky. It's a little much!

Oh Crap! This isn't looking too good!

...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Shannon rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, 2013, sci-fi, apocalyptic-or-post-apocalyptic, dystopian

Not so far in the future, a global economic meltdown results in devastating and wide-ranging consequences. When sixteen-year-old Alenna Shawcross was only five years old, the three countries of North America - Canada, the USA and Mexico - merged to form the United Northern Alliance, led by self-appointed Prime Minister Roland Harka, a charismatic army general, and set about trying to subjugate the rest of the world with the might of its armies and technology, to secure food supplies among other ...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Leah G rated it it was ok

Shelves: reviewes

Eh. Good writer, who wrote the wrong book. It's a mashup of Hunger Games, Uglies, and basically every other dystopia I can't think of offhand. I won't summarize the plot, the official summary is a perfect description.

If Stasse ever writes anything else I'd love to read it. She's got talent, definitely. Great, fast-paced fighting and lots of plot twists...which are alas totally predictable to anyone who's ever heard of the term "Big Brother." Also people constantly die- except the ones that it wo ...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Morgan rated it did not like it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. When I first found this book and look at it's awesome cover and read the really promising summary, I was really excited - fist-pumping kind of excited.

And then I read it.
Or... tried to, at least.

Really, I'm upset with how much this book disappointed me. I was looking forward to it so much! It seemed like it was going to be a really good read. Maybe not the most original concept, but still promising. The excerpt seemed good enough, too.
I went into this book expecting a really good story and jus When I first found this book and look at it's awesome cover and read the really promising summary, I was really excited - fist-pumping kind of excited.

And then I read it.
Or... tried to, at least.

Really, I'm upset with how much this book disappointed me. I was looking forward to it so much! It seemed like it was going to be a really good read. Maybe not the most original concept, but still promising. The excerpt seemed good enough, too.
I went into this book expecting a really good story and just found myself... well, disappointed.

Why I Didn't Like It (At All):
- The characters. All of the characters. Truthfully, I didn't find a single character who seemed well developed enough for me to even consider liking. None of their personalities were definite or unique, they all seemed to be suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder and a range of diseases that caused them to go from perfectly amiable to straight-up psychotic within a matter of sentences! This especially applies to the ever-bipolar Gadya. She alone had enough personality changes within the matter of chapters to get her installed as a full-time patient in fifty different insane asylums! That's how much personal care I think she would need in order to be, well... sane. And what bothers me even more about this point is that not once do any of the characters seem to point out her radical mood swings! I mean, really. That chick needs to get a grip. She's like a time bomb that keeps going off and then refueling and then going off again. It's a vicious cycle, my friends. Also, Alenna just... bothered me. A lot. She was pretty bipolar to, come to think of it... just not in such a violent way as Gadya. There's not much more I can say about her, as she was probably one of the most boring main characters I've ever read. There was nothing to her. She had no depth and rarely though anything of any importance to anyone.

- The lovey-dovey shtuffs. The romance was completely unnecessary, in my opinion. Frankly, I think the book would have been significantly better without it. I feel like the book slowly declined from the beginning to the end all due to the romance between Liam and Alenna. First few pages were good... then she saw Liam on the screen and, Woah, guys, instant connection. No. Freaking. Way. Then she didn't really think about him again until the GPPS... and then she was on the island and suddenly couldn't stop thinking about him. Shocker. Then she finally meets him... and is warned by Gadya that he's no good... even though that fact is never proven at all... in the entire book... actually, he seemed pretty alright to me... aside from the fact that he pretty much attacked Alenna's face after knowing her for, like... three days. And then Alenna's like... ew, no! What are you doing? I told Gadya I wouldn't be with you! And then she forgives him... and then can't stop thinking of him. Gurl, you messed up. He just face-raped you! And then there's angst (but not really) and she kisses him, the moron. After saying, "Dude, no. We're friends." And then they end up being in love... and they've known one another for a month at the most. Just... ugh. It was so forced and unnecessary and I realize that I'm just ranting uncontrollably but.... I just don't understand how this book was published. I just don't.

- The plot that wasn't really a plot... but was just kind of... there... So, I think the main plot of this book was supposed to be Alenna and the group going to the Gray Zone... which happened... but didn't seem like it was that important of a thing to them. I can't really explain this. Gimme a sec. So, the group sets off for the Gray Zone, which is something that they planned to do at about the middle of the book, but this is kind of the main plot. The problem is... the plot is overshadowed by... everything. Everything meaning the romance, the poorly developed characters, the choppy dialogue, etc., etc. I have no doubt that with a lot more work this book could have been really good, which makes me upset. The writing and story-building was just so sloppy that it ruined what could have been a good read... with a hell of a lot of editing... and revising... and rewriting.

I'm not going to go into much more because I feel like I've ranted enough... and I can tell my thoughts are getting really incomplete, so I'm going to wrap this up.

I was deeply disappointed by this book. What could have been a great story was ruined by too many factors to make it acceptable. This is really one of the first books that I've wholeheartedly wanted to give one star to, which is upsetting because, as I keep saying, it could have been good.
All-in-all, this book was a waste of my time...
Feel free to give it a go yourself, and if you like it, well, maybe you just saw more in it than I did. If you hate it, I warned you. ...more

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May 10, 2012 Heather *champagne & sweatpants but in a goth way* rated it it was ok

Shelves: dystopian, good-cover, no, ya, series, sf, 2012

I was drawn to this book because of the cover. It's understated yet almost off-putting, and more traditionally "sci-fi" than other YA of the same genre. For that reason, I was expecting so much more of this book. Unfortunately, the cover might as well have been a girl wearing a pretty dress.

The idea was interesting, of course. Naturally there are Lord of the Flies comparisons, but this book struck me as a combination of LOST and The Host (towards the end), oddly enough. However, the world didn't I was drawn to this book because of the cover. It's understated yet almost off-putting, and more traditionally "sci-fi" than other YA of the same genre. For that reason, I was expecting so much more of this book. Unfortunately, the cover might as well have been a girl wearing a pretty dress.

The idea was interesting, of course. Naturally there are Lord of the Flies comparisons, but this book struck me as a combination of LOST and The Host (towards the end), oddly enough. However, the world didn't have anywhere near the development of any of the previously mentioned works. I had to read about the creation of the UNA a couple times just to make sure I hadn't missed anything because the information given was so sparse. I don't think a book necessarily has to give me a complete backstory on whatever happened to change the world, but a hint here and there is nice.

Now, the characters. To me, Alenna was a total blank slate who just reacted to whatever was going on around her. Her "personality" was shaped by events rather than existing on its own. I didn't understand her loyalty to Gadya, despite Gadya having saved her life. First of all, that was Gadya's job, to scout around every day and save people. She said so, after all. Secondly, Gadya was a total bitch. She was always yelling (there was a lot of yelling in this book, actually, rather than just saying). Alenna should have stood up for herself at SOME point. I mean, I'm all for girls sticking together, but just because one of them says a boy is off-limits doesn't mean the other has to submit unquestioningly.

Speaking of the off-limits boy, Liam was a total bore as well. He wasn't even around for much of the book, which made the romance that much more unbelievable. I think if you're going to include romance in a story, whether or not it's the main focus, you should at least try to make it sizzle. Or sweet. Or something other than just two people who meet and kiss and say they love each other a few days later.

Anyway, from the Monk's identity to Alenna and Gadya's discovery in the gray zone to the possible spies, I was totally underwhelmed. This is one where I definitely won't be reading the sequel. ...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Nancy rated it really liked it

This book ranks high on the young adult dystopians. The book is non-stop action and surprising. I expected none of what transpired. It is also surprisingly violent, although not detailed.

What I liked:
1. The story first and foremost. It is something interesting and compelled me forward.
2. The friendship between the girls. As the story develops, the complicated relationship of girls plays out as there is a common hottie boy.
3. The uncomplicated romance. Yes, there is a triangle and it causes some ...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Thomas rated it liked it

AUGUST 2015 - BOOKTUBETHON DAY 1:
★ 3.5 STARS ★

“I realise for the first time what being sent to the island really means – the total annihilation of hope.”

Such an intriguing & gripping read -- really enjoyed this one.

The premise and story were so exciting & tense, keeping me on the edge of my seat as the secrets were revealed. The island was very cool too!

This book had one of the best twists I've read in a long time! -- I was caught completely off guard, left speechless.

The reason this lost ...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Heather rated it it was amazing

In the past, I've noted that dystopians are not my favorite genre, but that doesn't keep me from trying them from time to time and I have found many that I love. I have recently started changing my mind with the influx of really different traditionally and indie published dystopians. This one rocked! It read a bit like a horror story to me it was just so unimaginable what was happening. From beginning to end the inhabitants or should I say the outcasts on the island are constantly barraged by so In the past, I've noted that dystopians are not my favorite genre, but that doesn't keep me from trying them from time to time and I have found many that I love. I have recently started changing my mind with the influx of really different traditionally and indie published dystopians. This one rocked! It read a bit like a horror story to me it was just so unimaginable what was happening. From beginning to end the inhabitants or should I say the outcasts on the island are constantly barraged by some threat. There is not a moment's peace where they can let their guard down and relax.

Alenna starts as a normal girl,as normal as can be, traumatized by her parents capture by the government when she was ten. She follows the rules and is a good little orphan. But you can tell by the questions in her head that she's probably not as quiet as she should be. However, there aren't any mind readers so she should be safe. The girls at the orphanage joke about taking the GPPT tests saying they are all safe because it would look bad if the government run orphanage had been harboring an "unanchored soul", the name they give people who fail the test. Less than 24 hours later, Alenna is running for her life not sure if the boy she's running with is safe or not and if she should go with the painted face people or the girl waving the gun, sure there is some mistake that she got dropped on The Wheel.

Truth is hard to come by on the island. Information is given only on a need to know basis and only if you're trusted.But one thing everyone has in common, they all felt like outsiders and invisible at home. Here, they aren't. Alenna makes friends fast with the girl that saved her when she first arrived Gadya, and a cook named Rika. The three girls share as much laughter as you can when your village is under constant attack by the "Monk's drones" who use fireworks to burn down their huts and weapons, of course, to kill.
And, Alenna falls for a boy that she saw on camera at the museum they visited the day before the tests were adminstered. He was the last thing she thought of before her test was administered. All before she was dropped here, a boy she's worried about quite a bit. But Liam is off limits according to Gadya, he's hers even if they are broken up and even if Liam likes Alenna. It's not quite insta love, but when you have a life span of about a year, I allow for a little immediate attraction, plus add the constant threat of dying, it probably adds to the intensity of feelings.

I liked that Gadya, Alenna and Rika were such good friends. Rika was a kind hearted person and helped Alenna hold onto what was important, the human part of herself. Gadya kept her realistic, that you had to fight for everything, never believe what you saw and never trust anything, always question. Alenna was a good blend of the two. Liam, of course, was a bit of a sore spot between Gadya and Alenna, but just as Gadya becomes okay with it things change drastically.

David is another main character though our time is limited with him. Yet when he's on the page, he takes center stage. He is the boy that sacrificed himself for Alenna when they were first being chased by the Monk's followers, the drones, so that she and Gadya could get away. He's later captured during a raid on her village, but he just wants to find haven in her village. He has information for her, but her village doesn't trust him, even if she will vouch for him. Every time he appears, Alenna is sure of his loyalty but allows the others mistrust of him to seep in until she questions herself. David seems to perform almost superhuman feats sometimes to prove his loyalty.

What a discovery mission finds at the end of their journey is horrifying. I can't say what, but it is definitely something out of a Stephen King novel. The government has no heart in it, at all. If I hadn't been sure of that fact when they dropped hapless teenagers on a desolate island to fend for themselves, I was sure at the end of the novel. The last hundred pages is a terror filled race to more terror, but there is a bit of closure at the end of book one. No big cliffhangers. Lots of questions left to be answered.

To say I was glued to the pages would be an understatement. I'm not sure I've ever read a book of this length in such a short amount of time. It is action packed, the plot moves at a breakneck pace. I did read the ARC at 375 pages. That's what the book information says on Goodreads. Anyone that likes a good dystopian should love this one. It's different and though I knew some things would work out, I didn't know how and that's what I liked so much about this novel. I couldn't have guessed at what was going on or why.

The book is recommended for teens 12 and up. I don't remember anything I'd caution readers about except violence. I received an ARC from the publisher for review. I was in no way compensated for my review. This is my opinion of the book and not a literary review.
...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Mitchii rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian-post-apocalyptic, young-adult, science-fiction, arc-or-galley-review-copies, 2012-reads

Nothing beats the feeling of satisfaction after reading the book you expected to be awesome. I’ve been eyeing this baby for a while and lo and behold it was on galley grab. I didn’t know it was within my reach (this early). I was so ecstatic to read it. An island full of teenagers who have violent tendencies? *Raises her hand, me wants it!*

If Glimpse has a test to identify people with mental illness, the GPPT (government personality profile test) will determine kids with potential aggressive beh Nothing beats the feeling of satisfaction after reading the book you expected to be awesome. I’ve been eyeing this baby for a while and lo and behold it was on galley grab. I didn’t know it was within my reach (this early). I was so ecstatic to read it. An island full of teenagers who have violent tendencies? *Raises her hand, me wants it!*

If Glimpse has a test to identify people with mental illness, the GPPT (government personality profile test) will determine kids with potential aggressive behaviors. Everyone from UNA (formerly was Mexico, the U.S., and Canada) take this test. Alenna the main girl of the story, took this test but after it was administered to her she blacked out and she woken up in an island. She didn’t pass the test and she was officially an unanchored soul. She was shipped to Prison Island Alpha. Escaping is one thing, but surviving the island is another story.

I originally thought of Battle Royale, since I assumed teenagers are the only inhabitants of the island. And they were all there because of the same reason (they are capable of violence) I thought it’s going to be brutal. But it’s not, in some way I was really glad about it. Not that I don’t like some action, I was glad that there’s more to it; there’s a real reason (view spoiler) why they were all dumped there. I also didn’t expect that there were going to be some sort of groups running the island. They called the island the wheel, as in like the color wheel. Some parts of the island are ruled by a guy called Monk (a guy in a mask who turned out to be real shocker when I found out who he really was) and the group where Alenna decided to affiliate to, the blue sector. There also called gray zones, which was described as a dangerous sector. The entire concept of the island which was split into sectors reminded me of Sabaody Archipelago (but hazardous) the sectors are like groves. I’m still impressed with idea despite it wasn’t really that original for me. I liked that there’s some sort of organization and not just simply surviving the wilderness with kids running amok. Scratching off my initial idea of battle royale-esque.

Of course, it will not be complete without the romance. I’m not the biggest fan of insta-love so when Alenna saw Liam for the first time through a video and she instantly had a strange pull to him, I was struggling to keep my eyes from rolling. But the sudden affection was explained at the later part of the story (though not really a solid reason, but it was acceptable) that they have connection way before they met in the island. And even if I’m not that fond of how Alenna and Liam developed romantically, I still like their chemistry. Besides, Liam is not hard to like.

Alenna has a lot more to improve. Her survival here was due to the other characters that have superior skills than her. I know she was a newbie to the team, haven’t adapted fully to their environment. But David was also like her, but his chosen tactic was clever. I hope she grow a pair. I don’t dislike her, she got guts but I hope it’ll be back-up by actions. Maybe next time.

Towards the end there were lots fascinating and surprising stuff revealed. Lots of things happened to Alenna and the others, though some of it felt tad contrive. But the end result was still impressive, I can sense where the plot is heading to, and couldn’t wait to find out if I’m right. ;)

**Thanks Simon & Schuster Galley Grab for the eARC.** ...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Justin rated it really liked it

Dystopians have become extremely popular in YA recently. And the problem with the popularity comes trying to find a way to take a well saturated genre such as Dystopian and try to write something completely unique for it. It almost feels like an impossible feat, because almost every time you will be able to draw some similarity to other Dystopian books. This is where The Forsaken comes in, it is without a doubt a great book. But you will find you see yourself drawing comparisons to many differen Dystopians have become extremely popular in YA recently. And the problem with the popularity comes trying to find a way to take a well saturated genre such as Dystopian and try to write something completely unique for it. It almost feels like an impossible feat, because almost every time you will be able to draw some similarity to other Dystopian books. This is where The Forsaken comes in, it is without a doubt a great book. But you will find you see yourself drawing comparisons to many different trending ideas in YA Dystopian books when you read it. Is that a negative thing? Not at all. A lot of these base ideas are fantastic, what really makes the books good is the authors ability to look at those ideas and be able to adapt their own version or outlook on it all. Lisa was able to accomplish that, with some fantastic writing skills to back it up.

The Forsaken is a pretty crazy book, as I mentioned it above it does draw on some very popular ideas out there now but Lisa gives it all her own flare. I really enjoyed the concept of the book, and the back story. I felt like a little more information could of been given, especially regarding the pills and other things which you will learn about when you read the book. But I got a feeling we will learn more about the back story in book two which is titled The Uprising (As of this moment).

I can't tell you how many books I have read that involve children being separated from their parents by force. Alenna is one of those children, at the time she really didn't understand what was going on but as she grows up literally in the first few chapters, she has come to terms with her new life and is actually a really strong and admirable character which is awesome. Then you have Liam, he and Alenna share somewhat of a special relationship throughout the book which is much more than just some romantic fling. They go through a lot, and really have to be there for each other and others that are with them throughout the book. The Forsaken is full of great characters, and of course the drones. Which I will have to leave you guessing about, no they aren't robots.

Overall I was really pleased with The Forsaken. If you come to terms with the fact that if used correctly, popular ideas can still have a fresh feeling to them then I think you would be able to enjoy this book. You can easily tell that Lisa was able to add her own spin on things, and turn The Forsaken into a great addition to the Dystopian genre. I am really excited to read the second book, and learn more about little things like Destiny Station and a few other things that come up later in the book. It's going to be pretty interesting to see where things go, and what the UNA has to say about the events that take place towards the end of the book. I doubt they will be to happy.

If you're a fan of Dystopian, then the question as to if you should read this book or not should be a no brainer. It has all the awesome elements you would expect to see, with a pretty thrilling story to go along with it. If you really haven't read much Dystopian, then I would also have to highly suggest that you check this book out. It will give you a good taste of what you should expect to see in the genre, while still having it's own unique voice. ...more

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Jul 20, 2012 MeMe Belikova First lady Ivashkov rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-2012-best-books-ever

PANEM IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE WHEEL! IM SURE ALL HUNGER GAMES FANS WILL LOVE THIS BOOK!

This book gets a A+ for ORIGINALITY!!!! Even though some may it was Hunger Games meets Lord of the flies, which DOES NOT stop this book from having GREAT potential! I really enjoyed all of the characters, they all played a significant part in the book and weren't just a waste of a character. Every one of them was put on the wheel for a purpose and all had essential skills that was needed to help each other ...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Adeeb rated it it was amazing

Review originally posted on http://bookville1.blogspot.com/2012/0...

First of all, I'd like to give a big thank you because I got provided with a review copy. Second, I just have to admire this cover greatly. This is perhaps the best cover out there. Very creative, and perfectly fits with the story. It's great to see a change from the girls dressed up on covers.

On to the review:

By now you might think: Enough of dystopia! It's everywhere. Soon there will be a "dystopian corner" just like there was ...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Isamlq rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc-galley

2.5/5

The Forsaken. It reads like a mish mash of Lord of the Flies and Maze Runner and some other stuff that I have read and liked more. A good deal of it bored me. Some of it read too convenient and not sinister enough.. or maybe too sinister as if trying too hard.

If I were to piece it apart, the individual bits could have been interesting ala Lord of Flies but instead of a plane crash landing and kids attempting to survive this one has a prison with factions whose loyalties and goals were not 2.5/5

The Forsaken. It reads like a mish mash of Lord of the Flies and Maze Runner and some other stuff that I have read and liked more. A good deal of it bored me. Some of it read too convenient and not sinister enough.. or maybe too sinister as if trying too hard.

If I were to piece it apart, the individual bits could have been interesting ala Lord of Flies but instead of a plane crash landing and kids attempting to survive this one has a prison with factions whose loyalties and goals were not that clearly defined. Take the blue sector, split them again and you find people all gung ho about fighting and defending, then another half wanting to keep to their current version of freedom, (but really ~~obviously~~ scared of rocking the boat.) I didn’t gravitate to either of side. I mean, middle ground people!

Or take the other other side: Monk? I like his drones that have devolved in this more savage, somehow mindless group. I confess, I did enjoy the descriptions of this bunch. All sharp toothed and cruel… but again, so what? The eventual discoveries tickled my fancy but not enough to get me excited. All that talk of gray zones and barriers and feelers had me imagining a sc-ifi something… but it all felt too laid out to me as if they were simply following crumbs thrown down for them to follow.

There’s a needless romance that I couldn’t follow too. If asked to choose between Liam and David, David was sounding more interesting to me. If we're talking history, there was one between David and Alena… Liam just sounded too beef cake-y, hot hunter type. Then of course Gadja with her blind let me at ‘em wildness, she could have been my favorite character except this independent woman was cut down by her tendency to be blinded by a jealousy that was, sadly, a tad too predictable. Argh! The Forsaken could have been good too… but at least it got better eventually~ in the last twenty percent to be exact when things got even more complicated with people joining up when you wouldn’t think them doing so, and with people showing who they were and what they could do.

Thank you Simon and Schuster G&G
2.5/5
...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Marie rated it really liked it

Shelves: worth-a-look

This was a very fast read with lots of action.

It was really good but I found the ending lacking and unsatisfying.
It wasn't that it was bad- this was not the case at all, it's just the ending was not as good as the rest of the book.

Alena saw her parents taken at 10 years old by the UNA. They tell her their gone and she's theirs now- the UNA's orphan.
When children reach 16 it is mandatory for them to take a test which- known to them decides if they will be rebels or not. They are designed to k ...more

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May 18, 2014 Melissa **Just Really Loves Musicals** rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2014

What a disappointment. I was looking forward to this book for so long. I even bought it in hardback because the cover is so pretty and I honestly thought I would love it. But I just didn't. If it wasn't for the pretty good plot, it would've been a 1 or 2 star for me. But I really did enjoy the story itself.

The main thing that annoyed me about this was the characters. Or, to be more precise, the ridiculous romance and love triangle. It was a serious case of insta-love, it it was so cheesy it lit ...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Sara rated it it was ok

Shelves: dystopia, young-adult-books, read-in-2013

Ugh. This book has a lovely cover. It is a shame that it is so completely meh in every other way. It took me way too long to read it, just because it was so...un-interesting. In every way. It wasn't TERRIBLE, I just didn't care.

The characters were super uninteresting and underdeveloped, the love story had no power behind it or desire, the world building was kind of downright awful (this all takes place 20 years from now? I just...no?), the writing was blah, and it was TOO LONG.

Overall, this wa ...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Meghan rated it it was ok

Shelves: science-fiction, romance, fantasy, read-2012, young-adult, books-ive-won

The whole concept of this book was completley awesome and I loved it, I just felt like it could have been done better. My main problem with this book was the characters. I didn't feel any sort of attachment towards any of them. When characters died or were taken or left behind, I didn't care. I didn't feel the emotional response I'm used to with books. I even felt detached from the main character, Alenna. I really wanted to love this book because the plot just sounded so great, but I only got a ...more

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Aug 29, 2016 S.J. Abbo rated it liked it

3.5 stars

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Feb 23, 2013 Alicia Batista (Addicted Readers) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, action, amazing, strong-female, a-must-read, you-ll-be-sorry-if-you-miss-this-bo, abuse, control-freak, young-adult, dystopia

WOW! This book has left me utterly SPEECHLESS!!! My mind is still racing with all the action and adventure in this book! It was truly ONE of the BEST Dystiopian books I have EVER read! And that's saying a lot because I have read so many great dystiopian books, but this one ranks up there near the top!

Where do I start to name the many ways why I love this book? It was an action-packed thrill ride from beginning to end! And NO, I'm not exaggerating one bit!! It truly was! From the minute Alenn

WOW! This book has left me utterly SPEECHLESS!!! My mind is still racing with all the action and adventure in this book! It was truly ONE of the BEST Dystiopian books I have EVER read! And that's saying a lot because I have read so many great dystiopian books, but this one ranks up there near the top!

Where do I start to name the many ways why I love this book? It was an action-packed thrill ride from beginning to end! And NO, I'm not exaggerating one bit!! It truly was! From the minute Alenna arrives on the wheel to the very end of the book were caught up in so much action, that I literally had to take breaks because my heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to explode! It was such a much fun to read this book! I LOVED IT!! I'm so glad I waited as long as I did to read this, because now, the second book is right around the corner, and I don't have to wait long to jump back into Alenna and Liam's adventure. And I heard the next book is just as good as the first one, if not better!

THE PLOT:

The United Northern Alliance the UNA for short has taken control of the government by brainwashing the citizens to believe that their is a threat within them! That the same people that are in the population are the same people bringing their world down, and they need to be stopped!! So they come up with the idea to detect early behavior problems in kids at the age of 16. They are given a test to determine if they have rebellious tendencies or as the government calls it Subversive Tendencies. And if they fail the test they are considered a threat either now or in the future, and are exiled and sent to the wheel, a mysterious island where they'll live their remaining days waiting too die. The life expectancy on island Alpha (The Wheel) is only eighteen years of age. That's only two years to live on the wheel!

The Wheel is a treacherous place where kids battle each other for territory and anything else they can claim. Their cruel, dangerous, and will kill you in a heart beat without thinking about it! Its not a place to mess around. But not all the kids on the wheel are like that. Their are two different groups of kids on the wheel. The Monk's Tribe called the Drones and the other Tribe from the blue sector. The other tribe doesn't have a name, but the drones call them The Heathens. So you can pretty much say you have the good "normal" kids that are from the blue sector, then you have the drones, the bad kids that are insane, that run 4 of the 6 sectors. The drones are brainwashed by their leader the Monk who claims he has spiritual powers and tells his tribe that the wheel is just a test and if they do what he says they'll get off the Wheel one day or find their reward in their afterlife. And some kids believe him an do what he says. The other kids that don't go to the blue sector with the semi-sane kids. If they can make it there without the drones capturing them and forcing them to join their tribe.

Alenna is one of the kids that failed the Government Personality Profile Test, GPPT for short, and is sent to the wheel, to pretty much wait for death to take her. She wakes up on the wheel and doesn't remember what happened to her or where she is, until it all starts coming back and she realizes she is at the last place she thought she would end up, the wheel! She immediately puts up a wall and trust one, and she's right too because these kids are dangerous. She has a run-in with one of the drones trying to claim her as one of them, and take her back to their leader the Monk. She is luckily rescued by one of the good kids from the blue sector, and is brought back to their village, and that's when Aleena's adventure starts!

She starts to form friendships with some of the kids from the blue sector, and quickly learns the ropes of how the wheel works. They are at a constant battle with the drones, and have their village attacked constantly. Their numbers are dwindling by the day, and they don't have enough kids to go to battle with the drones. So theirs only one other option if they want to survive the wheel, Escape...

So from there on Aleena and her group are traveling from their sector to the gray sector where their is talk of helicopters and a way off the island. But theirs just one problem! They have to go through enemy territory to get to the gray sector, the only sector that holds any hope of escape! So as you can see they have a constant battle in front of them if their going to make it to the gray sector and find a way of the island, alive!

It was truly an adrenaline ride that was action-packed, that kept me glued to the pages craving more! I can't wait until I can get back into this sickening, yet captivating world that Lisa Stasse created! She say an amazing imagination and surly shows it in this book!

Overall this book was everything I could of hoped for an more! It was full of action, adventure, friendship, betrayals, romance, and most of all, a fight for what they believed in! It just can't get any better then that! This book will forever hold a special place in my heart and bookshelf, and will go down as one of my favorite books of ALL TIME!!!

...more

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Apr 02, 2017 Krystle added it

Shelves: did-not-finish

Only read the first chapter but I knew right away I wasn't going to continue. The writing style is just not clicking with me. Maybe I'm over reading about dystopian worlds. The cover is so cool though. ...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Lili rated it liked it

3.5 stars

THE FORSAKEN can easily be described as a cross between THE HUNGER GAMES, LORD OF THE FLIES, and the television show Lost. Before I began reading, I looked up some interviews and guest posts provided by Lisa M. Stasse. She openly admits that Lost was one of her inspirations for the novel, so it came as no surprise to me when I realized that the television show was very prevalent within the novel and its world-building. For a novel that is so similar to so many things, it still manages t 3.5 stars

THE FORSAKEN can easily be described as a cross between THE HUNGER GAMES, LORD OF THE FLIES, and the television show Lost. Before I began reading, I looked up some interviews and guest posts provided by Lisa M. Stasse. She openly admits that Lost was one of her inspirations for the novel, so it came as no surprise to me when I realized that the television show was very prevalent within the novel and its world-building. For a novel that is so similar to so many things, it still manages to stick within your mind as a unique entity aside from the novels and television shows that it seems to remind you of and draw inspiration from.

The dystopian world that Stasse creates is unique. It pulls you in from the very beginning and keeps you reading. This is a story of survival that primarily takes place on an island, but she always manages to throw a new plot twist your way every chapter. Whether it is a true identity being revealed, or an unexpected and nearly forgotten connection resurfacing from the past, Stasse manages to keep you turning the pages with her wild imagination. While this dystopian is the usual futuristic world ruled by an oppressive leader, the motives behind those in charge are not something I have come across yet. When the truth about things is revealed, you sit back on your heels as shocked as the characters are. You eat everything up just like them. Stasse sets up the surprise revelations very well.

While the world-building and overall plot kept me moving, I had an extremely hard time connecting with the characters. Not just Alenna, but pretty much everyone. While I understood the reasoning behind making some of the characters act the way they did, I wasn’t comfortable with their emotions because, at times, they changed unexpectedly. As a reader, I feel like it is infinitely important to connect with the characters. You experience the story through them and their emotions. Descriptive emotion is key. Perhaps this is the reason why I had trouble connecting with Alenna. She’s a very simple character that thinks in simple thoughts because of Stasse’s writing style. She explains her actions and roughly how she feels, but we’re lacking the elaboration on why she feels that way, or just how happy or how hurt she is. It’s very simply… “I feel…” “I thought…” “I freeze…” etc. Here’s an example directly from the story on page 153:

“I take a swig of water. Then I pass the flask back to Liam. We sit there in silence for a moment.”

It was a very organized to me. No thoughts in between, just event and small happening/emotion/thought right after the previous small happening/emotion/thought. When I completed the novel, I was struck at how well the world was described, but not the emotions of the characters.

What I admired about this novel is that it shows the importance of relationships to survival. While we are not fighting for our lives like the kids on the Wheel, we need friends to maintain our sanity. They may drive us up a wall and get on our nerves, but we can’t survive without them. That is the biggest moral that I walked away from this story with when reading the interactions between Alenna and her hot-headed best friend, Gadya.

Aside from a sub-plot romance that seemed entirely unnecessary to the story because it wasn’t really executed properly, I was able to get into the story once I was able to become comfortable with the unique writing style used. While I had trouble with emotions, the creativity with the world-building and the plot of the story overrode anything I found to be negative and kept me going because it had my full attention until the very end. The events in the last quarter of the book had me struggling to turn the pages fast enough and when I was done, I found myself being severely disappointed at the fact that the second novel in the series isn’t out yet. Stasse’s wild imagination was evident throughout the entire novel, and while I am anticipating the sequel, I am aware that this series will not be for everyone. ...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
do you like Liam and Alenna?	8	40	Oct 01, 2017 09:31PM
Just a quick comparison question.	4	13	Jun 14, 2014 11:00AM
David	1	13	Jun 13, 2014 07:46AM
What's the Name o...: Solved: Kids sent to island. YA Dystopian [s]	3	45	Feb 25, 2014 06:30AM
Shut Up & Read: The Forsake by Lisa M. Stasse	25	30	Jul 04, 2013 02:48PM
anybody else love Aleniam? Or Lienna.	1	10	Feb 14, 2013 07:58PM
Cover "inspired"?	3	47	Dec 21, 2012 07:01PM