Knowing the day that you’ll die would be stressful (at least for me), but so is the idea that you managed to cheat death. Enter Franny Bluecastle. She’s a young teenager whose final wish is to spend a night living lavishly before she moves on. Franny is a Fast Tracker—a person that is destined to die young. Except, she doesn’t die. Outliving her deathday, she’s found by Court Icecastle and Mykal Kickfall, two young men who also mysteriously missed their own deathdays. Soon, the three have suddenly developed a bond that connects them to Franny.
Before someone realises they’re supposed to be dead, their ultimate goal is to make it onto the Saga-5 mission. To join the mission, they’ll first have to pass as Influentials, have enough cash to get into the program, and pass the exam. After this, they’ll be part of a team and mission that will free them from the planet.
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his story was a wild ride from start to finish. The beginning of this story has a killer hook that will pull readers in immediately, even if you don’t really love YA science fiction (like me). I walked into this story without any expectations or knowledge about it, and was completely blown away. It’s very character driven, and told in the first person point of views of Franny, Mykal, and Court. The relationships between these character are very intense and vivid, and the portrayal of their bond was so well written. It’s one of those stories that you see the growth of the characters as you progress, some more than others.
I think my favourite character of these three was Mykal. Of the three, he seems to be the most dynamic, and his backstory was really striking. It’s guttural and raw, and just so heartfelt. Franny and Court have their own share of amazing moments, but there is an unforgettable quality to Mykal. This story also features romance, but is not necessarily the focal point of this story, a quality that I adored. Instead, they built the romantic tension in appropriate moments, and before you ask if this is a love triangle, it’s definitely not. It’s a gay romance pairing, and an incredibly written one.
You’ll surprisingly find the world building doesn’t get lost as you read on. You get to know the harsh and cold world that our trio are living in, and the circumstances that each character has made. Tattoos are seen as symbolic, especially in the types that were used by Fast Trackers or by the Influentials.
There’s also the bit of religion/lore that Krista and Becca Ritchie entwine in this story. They’re little crumbs, but I want to delve more into these little things and get to know the world even better. You’ll also get to know quite a cast of characters. For once, I felt that each character had their own personality and didn’t blend into the background as some secondary characters do. Everyone gets their own moment to shine and we get to delve into their own little pasts as well, without sidetracking the story. I found myself drawn to Kinden and Zimmer, who I hope will play even larger roles in the next story.
Some pros and cons about this book are the pacing. At times it feels as though we’re going very quickly, while other moments the place slows significantly. It does work in such a way that it feels like you’re following the momentum of the characters going fast and then slowing down. This didn’t necessarily work for me, but it might work for other readers. Also, the ending of this book is most definitely a cliff-hanger, so prepare yourself for a lot of screeching when this is all over. This is normally a con for me, because it tends to feel like lazy writing. However, it works in this case (as much as I’m loathe to admit it).
I desperately want the next book to find out what happens! After all, it was an emotional whirlwind to get where the first book ended. I’m excited to see where our characters will end up in the next book. I’m going to give The Raging Ones a 9/10, losing a point to pacing. Otherwise, it’s a phenomenal story that I hope everyone will put on their TBR list.
The Raging Ones is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
In a freezing world, where everyone knows the day they will die, three teens break all odds.
Franny Bluecastle, a tough city teen, dreams of dying in opulence, to see wealth she’s never known. Like the entire world, she believes it’s impossible to dodge a deathday.
Until the day she does.
Court Icecastle knows wealth. He also knows pain. Spending five years in Vorkter Prison, a fortress of ice and suffering, he dreams of life beyond the people that haunt him and the world that imprisoned him.
Mykal Kickfall fights for those he loves. The rugged Hinterlander shares a frustrating yet unbreakable connection with Court—which only grows more lawless and chaotic as their senses and emotions connect with Franny.
With the threat of people learning they’ve dodged their deathdays, they must flee their planet to survive. But to do so, all three will have to hide their shared bond as they vie for a highly sought after spot in the newest mission to space. Against thousands of people far smarter, who’ll live longer, and never fear death the way that they do.
