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The Urchin
Since the End came, leaving the United States a confused and desolate wasteland, what is left of society has been trying to pick up the pieces and put itself back together. Nick Miller is willing to do whatever it takes, and is flying a top-secret mission over the devastation when he is forced to make a crash landing. Luckily, he is rescued by the brooding, enigmatic Vance Amherst and his dubious crew of teenage boys, who are eking out an existence in the remains of their boarding school. But Nick quickly realizes that something is very wrong at Stanton Academy: the school has been turned into a fortress bristling with giant spikes; the boys, armed to the teeth with wooden stakes, exude a desperate, fearful discipline; the teaching staff is conspicuously absent. And night is falling…
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 31, 2012
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81 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 8, 2012
You know those books you finish and can't stop thinking about for days afterward? Yeah, The Urchin is one of them. With the story's shocking—yet somewhat-expected-but-I-quickly-brushed-aside-the-thought—ending, I had to sit and stew, to let my spinning mind calm before I could write a review. And my mind is still reeling.
The story is basic in terms of the Post-Apocalyptic genre: The country, maybe even the world, is riddled with known and unknown pandemics; people are stranded and suffering, just trying to get by; villains and protagonists—both, irreproachable because you can understand their reasoning considering the circumstances; coups and alliances, etc.
But Adrianne Ambrose's storytelling is the clincher. She captured the voices of multiple teenage boys, all of whom are different. I could feel each from the pages, as well as the relationships.
Vance, the incredibly smart, firm yet selfless, seventeen-year-old leader of a rag-tag team of young boys, is the rock of The Urchin—the book and the place. I think of him as the rational dreamer—doing what he must, when he must, while being moral. He drives not only the heart of these stranded boys but the story, along with his best friend, Johnny. Their present interaction mixing with pre-End flashbacks of their relationship, as well as Vance's with his brother, set a "Before" and "After" theme, in which memory and the spirit of someone becomes the glue and motivator for the characters and the readers.
I eventually found myself even liking Nick, the realistic outsider who fell from the sky and turned The Urchin upside down. Because of him, I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book when I first started it, but he grew as a person—and on me—while staying in character.
And that's the funny thing. As I read, I wasn't expecting to be over the moon about this book. I don't know when or how, but my love for it snuck up on me like a vampire—I mean, a thief—in the night. It's not action-packed, and there are some editing errors, but I was riveted. I'd recommend it to anyone, really. It's going on my "would-read-again" shelf.
Thank you to darcysmom for recommending it to me. One day, we'll have to do a Read-Along on Twitter.
Review also on The LUV'NV blog.
The story is basic in terms of the Post-Apocalyptic genre: The country, maybe even the world, is riddled with known and unknown pandemics; people are stranded and suffering, just trying to get by; villains and protagonists—both, irreproachable because you can understand their reasoning considering the circumstances; coups and alliances, etc.
But Adrianne Ambrose's storytelling is the clincher. She captured the voices of multiple teenage boys, all of whom are different. I could feel each from the pages, as well as the relationships.
Vance, the incredibly smart, firm yet selfless, seventeen-year-old leader of a rag-tag team of young boys, is the rock of The Urchin—the book and the place. I think of him as the rational dreamer—doing what he must, when he must, while being moral. He drives not only the heart of these stranded boys but the story, along with his best friend, Johnny. Their present interaction mixing with pre-End flashbacks of their relationship, as well as Vance's with his brother, set a "Before" and "After" theme, in which memory and the spirit of someone becomes the glue and motivator for the characters and the readers.
I eventually found myself even liking Nick, the realistic outsider who fell from the sky and turned The Urchin upside down. Because of him, I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book when I first started it, but he grew as a person—and on me—while staying in character.
And that's the funny thing. As I read, I wasn't expecting to be over the moon about this book. I don't know when or how, but my love for it snuck up on me like a vampire—I mean, a thief—in the night. It's not action-packed, and there are some editing errors, but I was riveted. I'd recommend it to anyone, really. It's going on my "would-read-again" shelf.
Thank you to darcysmom for recommending it to me. One day, we'll have to do a Read-Along on Twitter.
Review also on The LUV'NV blog.
September 22, 2012
Adrianne Ambrose gave me a copy of The Urchin which thrilled me to no end because she is one of my favorite up and coming authors! I adore that she creates characters that are smart and relatable, regardless of their age, sex, or circumstance.
The Urchin is a departure from her previous books - the darkness is palpable. I love the spare, dystopian world that the residents of The Urchin inhabit.
Within the first few sentences of The Urchin, the reader learns that there has been cataclysmic change - the world as we know it no longer exists. Nick, a pilot, is on his way to New Washington when he is forced to make an emergency landing in a barren, hostile wasteland that appears to be empty of human existence.
The tell-tale sound of squeaky bicycles alerts Nick that he is not alone. The rag-tag bunch of boys who find him take him back to The Urchin. The Urchin is one of the last standing builidings in the area. It is a school turned fortress, by necessity the last line of defense between the boys who survived The End and the enemies who lurk in darkness.
Once Nick is inside The Urchin we meet Vance, the defacto leader of the surviving boys of the Stanton Military Academy. Vance is the heart of the novel. He is The Urchin - it is his guidance and leadership that keeps the boys alive. It is his story that tugs at your heart. It is his strategy and decisions that keep you surprised.
If Vance is the heart of the story, Johnny is its soul. Johnny is charismatic, thoughtful, funny, and is able to lift everyone's spirits. Vance and Johnny are best friends. Together, they lead the survivors of The End. Unfortunately, Johnny was attacked on a scouting mission and became a vampire. While "vamping out" should have marked the end of their friendship, Vance and Johnny not only remain friends but continue to work together to keep the kids alive.
Vance and Johnny are compelling characters in the present. They gain depth and humanity in the generous flashbacks that occur throughout the story. Honestly, it is through the flashbacks that you fall a little in love with them and become invested in their continued survival.
It is the strength of their friendship that gives the story its most signifcant twist.
I loved this book! I read it in a single sitting - I was completely engaged from the first page to the last. This is definitely a book that I will come back to and read again.
The Urchin is a departure from her previous books - the darkness is palpable. I love the spare, dystopian world that the residents of The Urchin inhabit.
Within the first few sentences of The Urchin, the reader learns that there has been cataclysmic change - the world as we know it no longer exists. Nick, a pilot, is on his way to New Washington when he is forced to make an emergency landing in a barren, hostile wasteland that appears to be empty of human existence.
The tell-tale sound of squeaky bicycles alerts Nick that he is not alone. The rag-tag bunch of boys who find him take him back to The Urchin. The Urchin is one of the last standing builidings in the area. It is a school turned fortress, by necessity the last line of defense between the boys who survived The End and the enemies who lurk in darkness.
Once Nick is inside The Urchin we meet Vance, the defacto leader of the surviving boys of the Stanton Military Academy. Vance is the heart of the novel. He is The Urchin - it is his guidance and leadership that keeps the boys alive. It is his story that tugs at your heart. It is his strategy and decisions that keep you surprised.
If Vance is the heart of the story, Johnny is its soul. Johnny is charismatic, thoughtful, funny, and is able to lift everyone's spirits. Vance and Johnny are best friends. Together, they lead the survivors of The End. Unfortunately, Johnny was attacked on a scouting mission and became a vampire. While "vamping out" should have marked the end of their friendship, Vance and Johnny not only remain friends but continue to work together to keep the kids alive.
Vance and Johnny are compelling characters in the present. They gain depth and humanity in the generous flashbacks that occur throughout the story. Honestly, it is through the flashbacks that you fall a little in love with them and become invested in their continued survival.
It is the strength of their friendship that gives the story its most signifcant twist.
I loved this book! I read it in a single sitting - I was completely engaged from the first page to the last. This is definitely a book that I will come back to and read again.
March 3, 2013
Excellent story and characters, very solid writing, but needs good editing
An opening note: I received a copy of this book from Ms. Ambrose as part of the Goodreads Lovers of Paranormal Group's Read2Review program. Through this program, authors offer free copies of their book in exchange for *honest* reviews from those who agree to read the book. This is my honest review of The Urchin.
I was very intrigued by this book just from reading the synopsis, and when I looked at some comments from the LoP group members who'd read the book before, I knew I wanted to give it a shot. I love dystopian reads, and although I'm a bit weary of vampires, I got the impression from others' comments that these were not "sparkly" vampires (and they're not). I was pretty sure I would like this read, and, for the most part, I was not disappointed.
I think that Ms. Ambrose's writing is pretty tight, and it didn't feel at all like I was reading something that was thrown together without much thought (as unfortunately some indie/self-pubbed books are). It seems clear to me that the author has either studied writing, practiced it a lot, or has a natural talent for it. I very much enjoyed the world, a dystopian version of the US after "the Event," and the setting of a former military academy for boys in Virginia. We don't know what the Event in question was, but it really doesn't matter much, as strange as that sounds. You have to just go with being thrown into this world post-event and not worry too much about why it happened.
Nick (age 20) is a pilot who is flying over this part of VA when he hits something with his plane and is grounded, stranded in what seems like the middle of nowhere because the landscape has been decimated by the Event. He is approached by a group of boys ranging in age from about 12-17. These are some of the boys who survived the Event and are holed up in the former military school, which is the Urchin of the title. They take him back there and from there we are along for the ride.
As another reviewer noted, I originally assumed that Nick was our protagonist, which I thought was unfortunate because I fairly quickly came to dislike him. However, I eventually realized that the true protagonist of this tale was Vance, a 17-year-old former student of the school and now the de facto leader of the surviving boys. It is tantalizingly hinted that there is some awful issue in Vance's past, having to do with his brother, that has shaped him into the leader he is when we meet him. I think Ms. Ambrose did an amazing job with creating her characters, imbuing each boy with his own personality and distinctive voice. She did such a good job speaking as teenage boys that I was kind of in awe! I really loved Vance, Johnny, and Martin, didn't trust Dave, and pretty much despised Nick.
We learn fairly early on, I think in chapter 2, that the boys are beset by vampires, who attack every night, and who are their former teachers, administrators, and friends. We are not told how the vampires started, as the boys don't know themselves (though there is a hint that we may find out in a future book, if there is one). We learn of all the ingenious things the boys have done to protect themselves and the Urchin, largely thanks to Vance's strategic thinking. These boys are in such a terrible situation that it was horrifying to think about, and I just marveled that they continued carrying on each day. At first I made note that certain comments or actions seemed too mature, especially for Vance, but upon reflection I realized they pretty much had to grow up quickly and be mature beyond their years in order to survive. Especially Vance!
The story is told in alternating sections of present-day narrative and flashbacks. I loved this idea, and I think it worked brilliantly for slowly revealing secrets and plot elements to us. However, I would often be confused when I first started in a flashback sequence because there wasn't any indication that we were moving to a flashback. There were those symbols that denote a break and new section, but those also occurred between present-day bits, so it was confusing. I felt like some guide for the reader would have helped, whether it's some note of dates (e.g., "6 months prior") before the flashback section, italicized font for flashbacks, or some other thing to make it more clear.
The author did a great job of teasing us with hints of important pieces of the puzzle, both in the present and the past, e.g., what events and forces led Vance to become who he is, what Nick is even doing flying solo over a wasteland, what Nick brought into the Urchin with him, the dynamics between the boys in past and present that may signal future problems, etc. It really was a brilliant way of telling the story, and frustrating (in a good way!) because you were so eager to see where these hints would lead.
However, while I loved the characters and the story the author gave us, as well as her writing style and the methods she used to tell the story, I can only give it three stars. The ONLY thing keeping me from giving this a 4-star rating is the number of errors I encountered. It pains me to say it, and actually pained me even more to read it, because I truly believe this is an *absolute winner* but for the grammatical, formatting, and spelling errors!! (And perhaps some light editing to tighten up the story some, to cut a bit of the length.) I know that's not as important to some people, but it is very important to me. I can almost blow it off with a book that I feel is clearly an amateur attempt at writing, one that doesn't have a plot or with flat characters, etc. But with a book like this, by an author who can REALLY write, it just frustrates me. It was by no means the worst I've seen in this respect, but it really did bother me; the errors were jarring and, honestly, continued throughout the book. Hence, my 3-star rating.
That said, I would still highly recommend this book, especially if you're not as troubled by errors as I am! Also, I would ABSOLUTELY read a book 2 (and beyond) if the author chooses to write more! The book works very well as a stand-alone, despite leaving some open questions; there are tons of books that don't tie up every thread but instead leave that to your own imagination. However, there were also hints throughout that the author may have contemplated a sequel, such as the inclusion of Vance's past relationship, the top-level mission Nick wants/needs to complete, and, well, THAT ENDING!! I would actually encourage Ms. Ambrose to write a sequel, if she's got the story in her! I would, in all honesty, love to read more about these characters and their new reality! Thank you to the author for providing me with a review copy; I have a bit of a crush on Vance and would love to see him again.
An opening note: I received a copy of this book from Ms. Ambrose as part of the Goodreads Lovers of Paranormal Group's Read2Review program. Through this program, authors offer free copies of their book in exchange for *honest* reviews from those who agree to read the book. This is my honest review of The Urchin.
I was very intrigued by this book just from reading the synopsis, and when I looked at some comments from the LoP group members who'd read the book before, I knew I wanted to give it a shot. I love dystopian reads, and although I'm a bit weary of vampires, I got the impression from others' comments that these were not "sparkly" vampires (and they're not). I was pretty sure I would like this read, and, for the most part, I was not disappointed.
I think that Ms. Ambrose's writing is pretty tight, and it didn't feel at all like I was reading something that was thrown together without much thought (as unfortunately some indie/self-pubbed books are). It seems clear to me that the author has either studied writing, practiced it a lot, or has a natural talent for it. I very much enjoyed the world, a dystopian version of the US after "the Event," and the setting of a former military academy for boys in Virginia. We don't know what the Event in question was, but it really doesn't matter much, as strange as that sounds. You have to just go with being thrown into this world post-event and not worry too much about why it happened.
Nick (age 20) is a pilot who is flying over this part of VA when he hits something with his plane and is grounded, stranded in what seems like the middle of nowhere because the landscape has been decimated by the Event. He is approached by a group of boys ranging in age from about 12-17. These are some of the boys who survived the Event and are holed up in the former military school, which is the Urchin of the title. They take him back there and from there we are along for the ride.
As another reviewer noted, I originally assumed that Nick was our protagonist, which I thought was unfortunate because I fairly quickly came to dislike him. However, I eventually realized that the true protagonist of this tale was Vance, a 17-year-old former student of the school and now the de facto leader of the surviving boys. It is tantalizingly hinted that there is some awful issue in Vance's past, having to do with his brother, that has shaped him into the leader he is when we meet him. I think Ms. Ambrose did an amazing job with creating her characters, imbuing each boy with his own personality and distinctive voice. She did such a good job speaking as teenage boys that I was kind of in awe! I really loved Vance, Johnny, and Martin, didn't trust Dave, and pretty much despised Nick.
We learn fairly early on, I think in chapter 2, that the boys are beset by vampires, who attack every night, and who are their former teachers, administrators, and friends. We are not told how the vampires started, as the boys don't know themselves (though there is a hint that we may find out in a future book, if there is one). We learn of all the ingenious things the boys have done to protect themselves and the Urchin, largely thanks to Vance's strategic thinking. These boys are in such a terrible situation that it was horrifying to think about, and I just marveled that they continued carrying on each day. At first I made note that certain comments or actions seemed too mature, especially for Vance, but upon reflection I realized they pretty much had to grow up quickly and be mature beyond their years in order to survive. Especially Vance!
The story is told in alternating sections of present-day narrative and flashbacks. I loved this idea, and I think it worked brilliantly for slowly revealing secrets and plot elements to us. However, I would often be confused when I first started in a flashback sequence because there wasn't any indication that we were moving to a flashback. There were those symbols that denote a break and new section, but those also occurred between present-day bits, so it was confusing. I felt like some guide for the reader would have helped, whether it's some note of dates (e.g., "6 months prior") before the flashback section, italicized font for flashbacks, or some other thing to make it more clear.
The author did a great job of teasing us with hints of important pieces of the puzzle, both in the present and the past, e.g., what events and forces led Vance to become who he is, what Nick is even doing flying solo over a wasteland, what Nick brought into the Urchin with him, the dynamics between the boys in past and present that may signal future problems, etc. It really was a brilliant way of telling the story, and frustrating (in a good way!) because you were so eager to see where these hints would lead.
However, while I loved the characters and the story the author gave us, as well as her writing style and the methods she used to tell the story, I can only give it three stars. The ONLY thing keeping me from giving this a 4-star rating is the number of errors I encountered. It pains me to say it, and actually pained me even more to read it, because I truly believe this is an *absolute winner* but for the grammatical, formatting, and spelling errors!! (And perhaps some light editing to tighten up the story some, to cut a bit of the length.) I know that's not as important to some people, but it is very important to me. I can almost blow it off with a book that I feel is clearly an amateur attempt at writing, one that doesn't have a plot or with flat characters, etc. But with a book like this, by an author who can REALLY write, it just frustrates me. It was by no means the worst I've seen in this respect, but it really did bother me; the errors were jarring and, honestly, continued throughout the book. Hence, my 3-star rating.
That said, I would still highly recommend this book, especially if you're not as troubled by errors as I am! Also, I would ABSOLUTELY read a book 2 (and beyond) if the author chooses to write more! The book works very well as a stand-alone, despite leaving some open questions; there are tons of books that don't tie up every thread but instead leave that to your own imagination. However, there were also hints throughout that the author may have contemplated a sequel, such as the inclusion of Vance's past relationship, the top-level mission Nick wants/needs to complete, and, well, THAT ENDING!! I would actually encourage Ms. Ambrose to write a sequel, if she's got the story in her! I would, in all honesty, love to read more about these characters and their new reality! Thank you to the author for providing me with a review copy; I have a bit of a crush on Vance and would love to see him again.
May 3, 2015
I was quite impressed by this book. I can't say I liked all of it, I never quite warmed up to Nick, for example, but I enjoyed the read. I loved Vance as a lead and Johnny as a motivating side character. Some of the other boys also really snagged my heart, most notably Martin.
I also liked the idea of a group of ~8-17 year old boys surviving in a vampire infested, post-apocalyptic America. They're barely fending off a shift toward Lord of the Flies-like behaviour. Really, just one boy/man is standing between them and self-destruction and then one incredibly selfish boy/man drops out of the sky, decides he knows what's best for all of them and disrupts the balance, leading to chaos and ruin. Lending a bit of admirable grey to the story is the fact that his motives are selfish, but he's also not entirely wrong.
I'm always thrilled to find a little room for moral ambiguity in a story and Nick provided that, as did the ending. Was it a happy one? It depends on whose ending you're looking at. I think Vance and Johnny had a happy ending, probably Nick and Dave, too. But Martin and the boys? Maybe not so much. It's hard to say for sure and I like that a lot.
I did have an issue with...well, how to say this without a spoiler...there was a deception at one point and the perpetrator of this deception has to act in accordance with it, obviously. But we're treated to his internal dialogue, which also runs along the same lines of the deception. It was unbelievable to me that he would internalise it to the point of even thinking to himself as if he's done as he's pretending. Yes, it more effectively led the reader to believe the lie, so that the reveal is not totally obvious, but if you think about it, it feels wrong.
The book was also in need of further editing. It was readable and I've definitely seen worse, but there were some copy edit mishaps, some head-hopping and one scene (with Dave, under the trebuchet) that doesn't seem to correlate to the rest of the book. It might have been a dream (or an act, maybe), but if so, I don't know whose.
All in all, however, Ambrose is a most impressive writer and I'll be looking for more of her work.
I also liked the idea of a group of ~8-17 year old boys surviving in a vampire infested, post-apocalyptic America. They're barely fending off a shift toward Lord of the Flies-like behaviour. Really, just one boy/man is standing between them and self-destruction and then one incredibly selfish boy/man drops out of the sky, decides he knows what's best for all of them and disrupts the balance, leading to chaos and ruin. Lending a bit of admirable grey to the story is the fact that his motives are selfish, but he's also not entirely wrong.
I'm always thrilled to find a little room for moral ambiguity in a story and Nick provided that, as did the ending. Was it a happy one? It depends on whose ending you're looking at. I think Vance and Johnny had a happy ending, probably Nick and Dave, too. But Martin and the boys? Maybe not so much. It's hard to say for sure and I like that a lot.
I did have an issue with...well, how to say this without a spoiler...there was a deception at one point and the perpetrator of this deception has to act in accordance with it, obviously. But we're treated to his internal dialogue, which also runs along the same lines of the deception. It was unbelievable to me that he would internalise it to the point of even thinking to himself as if he's done as he's pretending. Yes, it more effectively led the reader to believe the lie, so that the reveal is not totally obvious, but if you think about it, it feels wrong.
The book was also in need of further editing. It was readable and I've definitely seen worse, but there were some copy edit mishaps, some head-hopping and one scene (with Dave, under the trebuchet) that doesn't seem to correlate to the rest of the book. It might have been a dream (or an act, maybe), but if so, I don't know whose.
All in all, however, Ambrose is a most impressive writer and I'll be looking for more of her work.
January 10, 2013
The end of the world. Vampires. These are things that have almost become synonymous with eye rolling. Especially the overly-romanticized version of vampires. These vampires are not romance novel vampires. In fact they are a means to an end to support the story.
Nick, a pilot, crashes down and is luckily saved by a few teenagers before he is eaten by the vampires. He finds himself within Stanton Military Academy, which is now referred to as The Urchin. It is the last standing building for miles and the boys of the academy are all that remain, besides the vampires that haunt them nightly.
Now Nick must join together with Vance in an attempt to fix his plane and go to New Washington.
This is a dark look at the way people think and will act in the time of desperation. Ambrose does well to liken the experience to Lord of the Flies while Vance explains what it is he doesn’t want from the boys he’s trying to keep safe. The book explores the before and the during and the after of the apocalypse all interwoven together perfectly to make a complete story.
As with most novels that delve into the darkness, the ending is not particularly happy, but unlike most, it’s not something so desperately awful either. Ambrose ties the strings together she must and completes the story she is trying to tell. There is a world of stories here that Ambrose could embrace and she does well dragging her reader in and keeping them there.
Reasons to Read:
- Well Written
- Great dynamic of characters
- The stories behind the actions all make sense
Reasons Not to Read:
- Basically a horror novel with less horror and more storytelling
Nick, a pilot, crashes down and is luckily saved by a few teenagers before he is eaten by the vampires. He finds himself within Stanton Military Academy, which is now referred to as The Urchin. It is the last standing building for miles and the boys of the academy are all that remain, besides the vampires that haunt them nightly.
Now Nick must join together with Vance in an attempt to fix his plane and go to New Washington.
This is a dark look at the way people think and will act in the time of desperation. Ambrose does well to liken the experience to Lord of the Flies while Vance explains what it is he doesn’t want from the boys he’s trying to keep safe. The book explores the before and the during and the after of the apocalypse all interwoven together perfectly to make a complete story.
As with most novels that delve into the darkness, the ending is not particularly happy, but unlike most, it’s not something so desperately awful either. Ambrose ties the strings together she must and completes the story she is trying to tell. There is a world of stories here that Ambrose could embrace and she does well dragging her reader in and keeping them there.
Reasons to Read:
- Well Written
- Great dynamic of characters
- The stories behind the actions all make sense
Reasons Not to Read:
- Basically a horror novel with less horror and more storytelling
January 24, 2013
The Urchin, by Adrienne Ambrose, is a very unusual and interesting book. At first, I thought it was going to be one type of book: about teenagers surviving in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and while this was true, it took a completely different and (pleasantly) surprising direction! I liked the way that the supernatural elements were introduced into the story. It was a sudden shift, but not at all jarring. I felt like the pace of the story was kicked up a notch at this point.
Also, I really enjoyed reading about how the boys living at the Urchin were able to survive. The characters were well developed and the details on their background helped them come alive for me . The multiple flashbacks into Vance's past, for example, helped me grow to love a character, who I had not really liked upon his initial introduction into the story. The characters spoke and acted in a consistently realistic manner, throughout the novel. They spoke like teenage boys, and their reactions to events struck just the right balance between vulnerable, teenage, and battle-hardened warrior (especially Vance). I will, however, say that Nick did not grow on me. This was interesting, because I had initially thought him to be the protagonist.
All in all, I really liked this book. I think that it can appeal to a variety of readers. As a female, I didn't expect to enjoy reading this post-apocalyptic story with teenage boys as much as I did! The Urchin is definitely worth checking out, and I am glad I did. Looking forward to reading more books by this author!
Also, I really enjoyed reading about how the boys living at the Urchin were able to survive. The characters were well developed and the details on their background helped them come alive for me . The multiple flashbacks into Vance's past, for example, helped me grow to love a character, who I had not really liked upon his initial introduction into the story. The characters spoke and acted in a consistently realistic manner, throughout the novel. They spoke like teenage boys, and their reactions to events struck just the right balance between vulnerable, teenage, and battle-hardened warrior (especially Vance). I will, however, say that Nick did not grow on me. This was interesting, because I had initially thought him to be the protagonist.
All in all, I really liked this book. I think that it can appeal to a variety of readers. As a female, I didn't expect to enjoy reading this post-apocalyptic story with teenage boys as much as I did! The Urchin is definitely worth checking out, and I am glad I did. Looking forward to reading more books by this author!
January 20, 2013
I LOVED this book. I'm not sure when I fell in love with it. The first couple of chapters I was interested, but then suddenly found myself gulping down every word. I just got so caught up in the characters.
When the book starts, you think Nick, a pilot, is the protagonist, but by the third chapter you realize the story is actually about Vance, the leader of a place called The Urchin, which was formerly a boys' school, that somehow survived the apocalypse. The guys have covered the school in wooden stakes as protection against vampires who are their former teachers and friends. The school bristles with stakes like a sea urchin and that's where the title comes from. You learn about Vance's history through flashbacks and those were my favorite part of the book. There's romance and friendship and false accusations of murder. It's an exciting story all on it's own. Then, in the present narration, you learn about how the guys battle the vampires and survive under harsh conditions. They are surviving, but just barely. Then Nick crash lands into their lives and causes a bunch of trouble.
There are a lot of plot twists and turns. The whole thing is a little dark but the ending, although a surprise, left me hopeful. I can't wait for the sequel!
When the book starts, you think Nick, a pilot, is the protagonist, but by the third chapter you realize the story is actually about Vance, the leader of a place called The Urchin, which was formerly a boys' school, that somehow survived the apocalypse. The guys have covered the school in wooden stakes as protection against vampires who are their former teachers and friends. The school bristles with stakes like a sea urchin and that's where the title comes from. You learn about Vance's history through flashbacks and those were my favorite part of the book. There's romance and friendship and false accusations of murder. It's an exciting story all on it's own. Then, in the present narration, you learn about how the guys battle the vampires and survive under harsh conditions. They are surviving, but just barely. Then Nick crash lands into their lives and causes a bunch of trouble.
There are a lot of plot twists and turns. The whole thing is a little dark but the ending, although a surprise, left me hopeful. I can't wait for the sequel!
November 6, 2012
R2R review: The Urchin
Lord of the Flies meets vampire. When everything is at a loss, there are still pockets of humanity and in this case, it falls within an all boy military school. Fighting for their lives, they rescue another young man, from a crashing airplane. But whether this was a wise choice is not something they can comment on, until later.
Vance is left, to try and help the community within The Urchin and lead them to some sense of normalcy. But when this involves shifts of watching for vampires and boys ranging in ages, it is a very draining position to be in. Then, on top of everything, they rescue a strange, who does not care from their plight, but his ultimate goal, of reaching this New Washington, with samples, of other viruses. While I find the character Nick to be annoying, his purpose is to be just that.
I would have given it 4 star, except for the ending. It was a huge disappointment, especially after everything Vance & Johnny went through. But overall, I'm happy I read it. It was a great snowy day read.
Lord of the Flies meets vampire. When everything is at a loss, there are still pockets of humanity and in this case, it falls within an all boy military school. Fighting for their lives, they rescue another young man, from a crashing airplane. But whether this was a wise choice is not something they can comment on, until later.
Vance is left, to try and help the community within The Urchin and lead them to some sense of normalcy. But when this involves shifts of watching for vampires and boys ranging in ages, it is a very draining position to be in. Then, on top of everything, they rescue a strange, who does not care from their plight, but his ultimate goal, of reaching this New Washington, with samples, of other viruses. While I find the character Nick to be annoying, his purpose is to be just that.
I would have given it 4 star, except for the ending. It was a huge disappointment, especially after everything Vance & Johnny went through. But overall, I'm happy I read it. It was a great snowy day read.
January 27, 2013
Yet another novel where the world has ended, I thought before reading the book. Wow, was my reaction after reading the book.The cover of the book sets the scene for a grim, dark, foreboding story that holds you throughout.
You have seen those sudden gusts of wind that scatter the leaves on the sidewalk, rearranging them and what was previous is no more. That is the gist of the book. Nick, a pilot, is rescued from a crash in barren wasteland by teenagers and his arrival at the Urchin, the last building standing in that wasteland, is the storm.
Ambrose' skill is in taking a plot,populating it with characters, Vance and Johny for example, whose past history and current relationship give layers and depth to the story.
I am not normally a fan of dystopian fiction,however Adrianne Ambrose has me hooked to her writing now and I will be eagerly awaiting the next one.
You have seen those sudden gusts of wind that scatter the leaves on the sidewalk, rearranging them and what was previous is no more. That is the gist of the book. Nick, a pilot, is rescued from a crash in barren wasteland by teenagers and his arrival at the Urchin, the last building standing in that wasteland, is the storm.
Ambrose' skill is in taking a plot,populating it with characters, Vance and Johny for example, whose past history and current relationship give layers and depth to the story.
I am not normally a fan of dystopian fiction,however Adrianne Ambrose has me hooked to her writing now and I will be eagerly awaiting the next one.
March 6, 2013
With Urchin, Adrianne Ambrose spins a suspenseful story full of nail-biting action. A refreshing new spin on the post-apocalyptic future genre, Ambrose focuses all the drama on an isolated private boys' school and their fight for daily survival against the creatures lurking outside the school walls. I was never quite sure who to root for or who to trust, but I couldn't put this book down until I found out what happened next!
October 11, 2012
Don't bother, if you care about literature.
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