Review: The Ward by Jordana Frankel

The Ward

Author:Jordana Frankel

Release Date: April 30, 2013

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

The Ward Book #1

ISBN:  006209534X

ISBN13: 9780062095343

Genre: YA/Dystopian
Review Copy Source: Edelweiss

Sixteen-year-old Ren is a daredevil mobile racer who will risk everything to survive in the Ward, what remains of a water-logged Manhattan. To save her sister, who is suffering from a deadly illness thought to be caused by years of pollution, Ren accepts a secret mission from the government: to search for a freshwater source in the Ward, with the hope of it leading to a cure.

However, she never expects that her search will lead to dangerous encounters with a passionate young scientist; a web of deceit and lies; and an earth-shattering mystery that’s lurking deep beneath the water’s rippling surface.

Jordana Frankel’s ambitious debut novel and the first in a two-book series, The Ward is arresting, cinematic, and thrilling—perfect for fans of Scott Westerfeld or Ann Aguirre.

I was a tad skeptical going in to THE WARD but I have loved the dystopian genre lately and I thought I would throw it into my reading mix. WOO HOO So glad I read it. What a wild story. It was extremely different and daring. The characters were excellent and the setting was beyond anything  I have read before and totally believable the way that Jordana writes it.

Ren lives in the ward. She is daring and outgoing and beyond determined. She wanted to be a mobile racer so she found a way and has won every race thrown at her until now. The way Ren and the mobile racers drive will leave your heart racing if nothing else. The ward where Ren resides is where the poor and diseased live. It is run down and they don't receive a lot of resources. The whole world that is THE WARD lacks fresh water so it is highly coveted and highly searched for. Water is collected from rain so most people in the ward have never had fresh water in their entire lives. 

Ren ends up being the one to find a cure to the plague that is rampant in the world and most of the book is spent with her trying to get more and come up with a way to get it to everyone who is sick even though people are trying to stop her. I enjoyed it, there was plenty of action and suspense. I enjoyed the characters. There is some 'mean girl' type behavior but it wasn't bad enough to annoy me. There are a few instances where some better explanation of events would have benefited. There is a bit of romance thrown in too.

I really enjoyed this book. I don't have many complaints about it and I already listed the ones I have. I'm excited to see what will come next in the series so I will be keeping my eyes out for book 2 (there is a book 2 right?).

I gave it 4/5 stars