The Book Landers: Book Review: Outpost

Title: Outpost

Author: Ann Aguirre

Genre: YA dystopian

Review:

Okay...so I'm just going to pick up from my previous raving review regarding Enclave. Why haven't I finished this series earlier?! It's soooo good! Anyways, I read Outpost the very next day after I finished Enclave because this series is just so awesome. I finished Outpost in a day and even started reading Horde the same day I finished Outpost (I still have 20 pages left...will probably finish it tomorrow...haha I feel like a reading machine. I haven't read so many books in so little time in a looonnng time.)

So basically Outpost continues almost right from where Enclave left off. Deuce, Stalker, Tegan and Fade have found a safe haven in a town suitably named Salvation. However, as hard as Deuce tries, she just can't seem to fit into the Salvation lifestyle. Basically, picture a Puritan town. Now transport that town into future America and you basically have a good image of Salvation. Deuce simply can't be content with sewing and baking bread, as that is what females are expected to do in Salvation. She'd rather be out fighting or hunting.

When the summer planting season rolls around, Deuce jumps at the chance to join the summer patrol in charge of keeping Freaks at the bay so that the planters can grow crops. But first, Deuce must prove herself and earn her place among the men.

There is also quite a romance aspect going on in Outpost that started in Enclave. I guess you can say that there is a love triangle going on (*waits for the groans*). But honestly, I didn't mind this love triangle at all, probably because I love all of the characters to death--even meek little Tegan (who is turning out to be quite a medic.) ***spoiler alert*** I thought the romance between Fade and Deuce was just sooo adorable!

On the other hand, I felt really bad for Stalker (lol...I feel weird typing his name out...his name kinda makes him sound like a creep) because I was really growing fond of him. I found his strength of character to be really endearing :-)

But not everything is lovedovey in Outpost. The Freaks are getting bolder...and smarter...and more human. The Freaks have begun plotting and ambushing the humans. I literally had daymares about Freaks hiding in the closets! I keep on trying to imagine what a Freak would exactly look like--I haven't figured that out yet, but I will soon! (For now, I just picture a rabid ape with a more with demon eyes.) When a group of Freaks ***more spoilers alert*** kidnap Fade, Deuce is determined to go find him. And I was so touched that Stalker volunteered to go as well even though Deuce made it clear she viewed him as a friend only. Anyways, they find Fade but he's not suffering from PTSD and the book ends with Fade retreating into his shell and leaving Deuce hanging and I was basically like: