The Ward: A Dystopian Novel (Review)

If the first 23 chapters had been condensed down to four or five, it would have been a whole lot better of a novel. I don't think I really got into it until chapter 24. It spent far too much time giving information that wasn't necessary to the progression of the plot. For instance, the main character Ren is a racer, and while it is important to the story later on, it does not need to be the focus of the first five chapters; it could have been done within the first few pages or a chapter at most. I felt like it also spent far to much time on Ren obsessing over her crush. Yes he is important, and yes her feelings for him lead to some drama later on, but again it could have been taken care of in a page, there was no need to spend that much time on it. Another issue that I had, and other people might not have the same problem, was the way that Ren talked. It felt to forced, using improper grammar and slang to show she was young and somewhat of a rebel. It was just unnecessary.

The book itself wasn’t all bad though, in fact the premise (while a little tired and over done) was decent, and gave a good twist about 2/3 of the way through the book. Set in New York far into the future, water is a precious source, after the water levels rose drastically, and the salt water waves and storms contaminated most of the lakes and reserves, the world has turned into the haves and have nots who can afford water. To make matters in the future worse, a deadly infection has been spreading for years. Causing tumors, coughs and eventually death. There is no cure, and it is easily spreadable.

Ren was an orphan, but unlike most orphans who were never adopted, she managed to escape starvation and prostitution with her ability to drag race. She often won, meaning having enough money to support herself, and her sister who is dying from the infection. One thing about Ren that no one knows, is that she is immune from the illness. During a routine blood test at the orphanage a doctor discovered that her blood was unsusceptible to the virus, which is why she is able to care for her sister while never getting sick.

One day while out racing, Ren receives a message on her com, telling her of a possible clean water source, and if she agrees to check it out her reward will be more than double the winnings of her race. Knowing that money means more pain meds for her sister, Ren checks it out. It turns out to be more than just water however, it turns out to be something similar to the fountain of youth. But Ren’s contact isn’t the only one looking for this water. Ren ends up in the middle of a government conspiracy that goes back to the times before the flood, and a group attempting to protect the water who have been around since the founding of the Americas centuries earlier. What is Ren willing to risk to save her sister and her friends? That is, if the water actually can stop the illness and increase life.

I loved the last half of the book, when Ren is working with different agencies and conspirators, playing whichever side promises to help her sister the most, all the while discovering secrets buried deep under the salt water that covers most of previous New York. I am not sure that I will buy the sequel, not because the book was all bad, but because I actually liked the way it ended.