Enclave by Ann Aguirre (Razorland #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
Publication Date: April 11th 2011
POV: Female - First-person, Past tense

My Rating: 3 out of 5

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New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters - or Freaks - who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight - guided by Fade's long-ago memories - in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs.

Ann Aguirre's thrilling young adult novel is the story of two young people in an apocalyptic world- - facing dangers, and feelings, unlike any they've ever known.

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I loved the first half of this, while Deuce lives in underground tunnels in a small community called an Enclave. The Enclave is divided into Hunters, Builders, and Breeders. Deuce is a Hunter. She protects the Enclave against zombie-like creatures that live in the tunnels. Slowly she learns the Enclave leaders are corrupt, and when one of her closest friends is framed for a crime she knows he didn't commit, she confesses to it in order to save him from being banished into the tunnels, where he would surely die, but where she knows how to survive. Her hunting partner goes with her, not wanting to abandon her.

This is where I got excited. I was loving the action and survival of the hunting in the first half of the book, but there were so many unnecessary rules. Deuce's hunting partner, Fade, was not born in the Enclave, and he understood human nature far better than Deuce. It was clear that he liked her, enough to risk his life to go with her, and I was hoping that now he would be able to show her how to care about someone, and that not only Breeders could be together. But it didn't last long. 

Fade managed to kiss her once, but then they pick up two stragglers. Another young man and young woman. Fade starts drawing away and Deuce doesn't understand why. She tries talking to him but he wont open up. So she starts spending more time with Stalker, the young man who has joined them, and Fade starts spending more time with Tegan, the young woman that joined them. Although neither of them ever say so, it is clear they are both insecure and jealous and confused. And they just needed to tell each other how they felt. It was extremely frustrating, especially since I still don't know why Fade refused to open up to Deuce in the first place. It seemed to be more his fault than hers. If only he hadn't drawn away, which started the painful cycle.

It ends before they manage to reconcile which was extremely disappointing, but I will definitely be reading the next book to find out what happens next.

“I never belonged anywhere until I met you.”