Fragments by Dan WellsSeries: Partials Sequence #2
Published by: Balzer & Bray on February 26, 2013
Genre: Post Apocalyptic, Science Fiction
Pages: 576
Source: Purchased
Book Details
Rating: ★★½
Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence—it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that involves Kira, a plan that could save both races. Her companions are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them?
Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what’s left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira’s journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of postapocalyptic America, and Kira and Marcus both will discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn’t even know existed.
The second installment in the pulse-pounding Partials saga is the story of the eleventh hour of humanity’s time on Earth, a journey deep into places unknown to discover the means—and even more important, a reason—for our survival.
Fragments really has me torn. I feel like there were a lot of pros and cons in this book. It wasn’t bad but I feel like there are a few things that I’m going to complain about a lot.
What I Liked
We do get a lot of answers in Fragments. We find out more about the Partials, how they’re connected to humans, what Kira is, and what role her “parents” played in the war. I think we get all the answers I wanted, and I LOVE that. These answers are what kept me reading the book. I so desperately wanted them, and I was thrilled when I got them!
The world building in Fragments was just as epic as in Partials. This time we learn a lot about what’s going on in central/west America.
What I Didn’t Like
Fragments was slow as hell. I honestly think we could cut out one third to one half of the book and still understand everything perfectly. This book was WAY too descriptive for my liking. We’d have a 30 page description on how they crossed a bridge. A 20 page description about Kira tip-toeing around a room to avoid an enemy. It just dragged on and on. I found myself skipping 2-3 pages at a time just to get past the descriptions and move onto the action.
The slow pace kept me from wanting to pick the book back up. There were a few times where I actually considered putting it down because I was bored. Ultimately, it took like a week for me to finish it because I had such little desire to keep picking it back up.
This was definitely the book’s biggest downfall. This was a LONG book (almost 600 pages) and I don’t think it needed to be that long at all. It could have easily been cut down to 350 or 400 at most, without the story suffering because of it.
Also there’s one thing that Jessi from Novel Heartbeat brought up in her review that I totally agree with. There were a few moments where the book made me feel nothing. No emotion. No sadness. Nothing. This is particularly true when View Spoiler » It’s like pages and pages of travelling descriptions, then BAM. Right in the middle of the page. View Spoiler » There’s zero build up to it. It’s literally just text inserted into the page. Just like Jessi, I actually had to go back and read the sentence like 3 times because it was so random that I didn’t believe it had actually happened.
Finally, sometimes Marcus’s chapters bored me. I wasn’t as interested in his side of the story. I’d mope a little when I got to his chapter, because I just wanted to go back to Kira since she was the one finding all the juicy information.
Overall
I’m giving this book 3 stars, so I didn’t hate it. I just think the bad pacing ruined it. But if you ignore that fact, I think it was a pretty good book. Getting all the answers to our questions was really interesting—that’s what kept me going in the end. And just like the first book, Fragments had pretty epic world building.
The Verdict
I can get past bad pacing, I think. I still need to read book 1.
Yep, I’m totally with you. I was unbelievably bored out of my brain until the last 100 or so pages. And then, omg, I want to know what happens next. Unfortunately, I don’t feel like braving another 500-page book so I’m not putting RUINS high on my TBR or anything. :/ I do want to know what happens though…
I agree with you 100%. I really want to read Ruins, but the size is so intimidating (just like with Fragments, which took me a year to finally read). I’m afraid of being bored again!
I gave this book 2 stars, also because of the slow pace, but Ruins was so much better 😀
I’m so glad to hear Ruins was better!!
Aww I haven’t read Partials yet, but I probably will but not continue with the series because of how slowly Fragments moves. How could you even write that much about crossing a bridge? I definitely feel like by that point it’d be way too much to handle, and I totally can see why you were skipping ahead. Sorry this one wasn’t amazing, but fantastic review, Ashley! <33
How strange that there would be so many descriptions, only to ruin what I’m assuming could have been an extremely emotional moment (I didn’t want to read the spoiler) by rushing it!
I remember loving Partials, and I feel like I commented on how the pacing could improve, but that overall, it wasn’t enough to lessen my overall enjoyment. Seems like Wells went in the opposite direction with that feedback! Haha
Yeah I adored Partials as well. But this one was waaaay too slow!!
Great review. I really like your layout for your reviews. How you state what you liked, didn’t like and then your verdict. I really need to give my reviews a little more structure at some point.
I haven’t read this series yet but it’s such a shame about all the descriptions and I actually love a really well detailed world but some times an author gets too caught up in trying to describe their world and everything in it which just completely bogs the story down. They need to try and balance that a little better.
WHOA. I almost had a heart attack when I stopped by! I’ve been away for so long and haven’t checked ANY subscription emails so I had no idea you changed your design! Was totally not ready for that haha. For a minute there I thought I was in the wrong place :p
(Btw I LOVE that we can put what we rated it now – brilliant!)
Anyway, it sounds like you mostly the same as I did. I was pretty bored through most of the book and I felt nothing – the only reason it still got 4 stars is because I love the cinematic world building and the idea of it with all the answers at the end.