We Are Savages

by Jessie Atkin

We Are Savages is the story of 12 year old Tris and what she finds when she runs from the responsibility of her household and descends through a rain grate into the child run world of Nowhere. "You go to bed angry or sad enough you can wake up just about anywhere," the Savages tell her. Nowhere is a brick utopia hidden in the sewers; made up of sweets, sports, hammocks, and fireflies. But even this haven, free of parents and protocol, is not everything it seems. Haunted by dark specters known only as Phocydes, feared for their reputation of consuming children whole, Tris works both to hunt and to hide from these hooded shadows. But something about them is familiar; something about them fires her curiosity more than her fear. And Tris slowly begins to realize that, no matter where you go, fear and responsibility are not things you can escape. The only thing to do is face them.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Ebooks

296 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

Jessie Atkin writes fiction, essays, and plays. Her work has appeared in The Rumpus, The Writing Disorder, Daily Science Fiction, Space and Time Magazine, and elsewhere. Her full-length play, "Generation Pan," was published by Pioneer Drama. She can be found online at jessieatkin.com

Reviews

[Sharrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy for an honest review. Original posted: http://reesesreviews.blogspot.com/201...


Thoughts:
I received a free copy of this book for a honest review.

We Are Savages brings forth a lot about the struggles of growing up. Tris at the stage in her life where her family believes she is supposed to be grown up and act proper. Tris's mother often mentions how when Tris turns 13 people will be looking at her differently and that 13 is sort of Tris' coming of age. This aspect of her parents pushing adulthood upon her starts a lot of conflict between Tris and her parents. One day her parents leave the house and while Tris is playing downstairs breaks a lamp. This starts a whole series of problems, one where Tris's mother threatens that if she doesn't get a job to pay for it Tris's best friend and dog Mars would be taken away. With that Tris packs up and takes off in the night with Mars hoping to never return. Leaving her house she falls down a sewer and ends up in a place full of children called Nowhere.

Nowhere is a place where you never have to sleep, there are no rules, and children can play day and night nonstop with other children. While the enchanted place of Nowhere should be dark and scary, there are fireflies that light up the cave for the children to play. In Nowhere Tris meets some new friends; Aya a girl who never stops complaining and is constantly negative, Logan a boy who is mostly the leader of the Nowhere Savage children, and Declan a boy who works as a doctor and likes to ask questions. Together this group of friends spends the day fighting, playing, swimming, and talking. Everything seems great, but danger lurks around every corner and the time will come when the children must unite to fight out there worst fears.

We Are Savages brings up a lot about what growing up means. Most of time it means taking on responsibilities and having less fun.Tris has a lot of problems with that because she doesn't want to grow up. Tris is a very relatable character, which is one of the reasons this book was so great. I could easily relate to how she was feeling about growing up. I mean come on, who really wants to grow up? Growing up is boring and I think the little kid inside of me really related and wanted Tris and the other Savages to have their freedom and their innocence.

Overall I really really enjoyed this book and I hope you all pick up a copy to read. This book is great and extremely well written. The characters are all well written and relatable. We Are Savages is a truly astonishing story about growing up and finding out who you are.

Favorite Quote:
"In less than a year, Tris was going to be thirteen, and she did not care one bit. To her mother, however, this seemed a most important number. Thirteen would bring a wave of change, and Mrs. Simon wanted Tris prepared. Prepared to look different, dress differently, and act differently.

“People will look at you very differently when you are older,” Mrs. Simon would say. “You should be prepared to look different for them.”

Tris never did anything specifically set for pleasing someone else (except for Mars), and she couldn’t see why things should change so drastically in mere months."

Like my review? Let me know by leaving me a comment, please! 8)

[Linda Harley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not say this often, but I absolutely loved this book. I literally read it in two days, and were stealing minutes from all my other responsibilities just so that I could read about Tris and her adventure. Jessie Atkin really captured my imagination and curiosity as she unfolded this tale about Tris who runs away from home. Tris is running because she does not want to grow up and take responsibility for her actions. But before long on her adventure she is faced with the hard fact that in life responsibility is not something you can escape or run away from. Her new friends in Nowhere help her to realize that there is more to life that just having fun and your way all the time. The world that Jessie Atkin created is unique and refreshing. What I appreciated the most, is that every turn in the story was unpredictable and a new take on everything. For example, instead of having Tris use a sword for defense, she picks a sling shot. This unexpected twists that in the end play an important role in the story, make it refreshingly new twists and turn to the typical preconceived ideas of what should happen. In all honesty, I could not find anything wrong technically or stylistically with this novel. It has been masterfully edited, and I'm a little green with envy. But it is well deserved that the book is such a huge success. It scores a 5 out of 5 for family friendliness. I think that any kid of any age, whether 2 or 92 will enjoy this heart warming coming of age young adult novel.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We Are Savages” by Jessie Atkin is a young adult adventure of a 12 year-old girl who would rather play with her dog and toys than accept the responsibility of growing up. When things come to a head at home, Tris decides to run away with her faithful dog, Mars and mysteriously ‘falls’ into Nowhere, a world where only children exist, getting along surprisingly well with no rules! Along the way, she meets a variety of other children, each with their own place in this ‘society.’ Tris finds more than she bargained for when the responsibility for the lives of the children falls into her hands and they look to her for leadership! Can Tris step up and accept what she needs to do?

“We Are Savages” is a fast-paced and fun read is reminiscent of Peter Pan, touching on how difficult it is to ‘grow up’ when staying young forever would be so much easier! I was intrigued by the fact that each child seemed to know their place in ‘Nowhere,’ yet I felt an inner sadness beneath their exteriors. Jessie Atkin has written a beautiful coming of age story told through the eyes and heart of a ‘tween,’ making it completely relatable for younger readers with enough action and fantasy to fuel their minds and pull them into the story alongside Tris, while subtly saying its ‘okay’ to grow up! I look forward to more creative books from this talented author!

Reviewed for Readers' Favorite.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Within first few sentences, twelve-year old Tris Simon becomes a character to cherish and appreciate. In echoes of Huck Finn heading down river, Tris finds a place that is rich and rough, with few rules and fabulous adventures. Each character she encounters is carefully conceived and quickly developed. She rises to challenge after challenge, both physical and emotional, with her friends and rivals Aya, Logan, Declan and others helping her cope with her predicament.

Jessie Atkin offers a compelling first novel, a richly developed coming-of-age story and characters that will stay with the reader for a long time. Echoes of Peter Pan, Bilbo Baggins and even Holden Caulfield ring through this wonderful story.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I'd you have ever watched "The Twilight Zone," you'll see similarities of this book and the episode "The Bewitching Pool." I think this is a great book for people ages 8+ about the importance of accepting responsibility and the inability to escape from your past.
Well worth the money & I have since recommended it back to my friend who told me about it and forward to two new people.

[Candice Grizer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great first novel! This YA book kept me turning the virtual pages at a speedy pace. I was very drawn to the main character, Tris. The world of Nowhere sucked me in and was believable. The decision that Tris made at the end was the right way for the story to end. Great story.... highly recommend.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well done first novel, with compelling, realistic characters. Adolescent issues of right and wrong, responsibility and identity are integrated into a fantasy setting full of action and adventurousness. A great novel to read as either a YA reader, or as someone who cares about that target audience. We Are Savages is the kind of novel that sparks conversational topics that are intrinsic to the challenges faced by kids everywhere.

[Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Are Savages is an original and fun read for those of all ages. It hits on the wonder of adventures, imagination and playfulness of childhood... at its best. It is a page turner filled with fun, adventure and some suspense. 4 stars

[Sarita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! This Peter Pan story is very believable.

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

A blend of Peter Pan, Where the Wild Things Are, Hunger Games and Divergence.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well written. a pleasure to read.

[Krista (CubicleBlindness Reviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be something to consider for younger teens, even older middle grade readers. Even though our main character Tris goes on an adventure, it's a plot geared solely towards the learning of a lesson and that knowledge coming full circle through the adventure.



A lot of the characters and the world building is not fleshed out. The relationship that Tris has with her parents felt a little off to me. And leads to thoughts that maybe the Phocydes are an interpretation of that relationship.

Younger readers will not be as critical to these things, but I feel that teens for sure may find a lot of these little faults unsatisfactory.

The only real dilemma though with younger readers is the length of the book. At 296 pages and the age group it's appropriate for that they may not be able to stick with it to the end. It was not fast paced and has spots of action that push the story forward, but not as constant as I would have expected.

I feel that I would have enjoyed the story more if the main character was older 14 at the youngest. And maybe the side characters parents, other children, the world of Nowhere and the Phocydes were rounded out more, all the pieces would have fit together better.

As is, this book would be suited for discussion topics. Maybe libraries or classroom discussions could get going. Topics like character growth especially interactions with each other and the addition of fear and learning from your mistakes.

I give this story 3 stars for the interesting plot line and Declan and Tris. My favorite characters.

[Monica H at The Readathon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although many of the characters were developed well, and the book was very unique, I couldn't relate to it at all. I didn't like the lesson it taught that when you find yourself in a difficult position it's ok to just run away and hide instead of learning how to deal with your problems or learning how to overcome obstacles in your life. It basically taught that you don't need to grow up, you just run away to Nowhere and forget all your loved ones and problems by playing games. I didn't feel that Tris learned anything or grew as a character. There isn't any language or "intimacy." There is some violence as they fight the phocydes, but it isn't excessive. I would say it would be appropriate for the YA crowd. I don't think it's appropriate for middle graders because of the message it sends. You may read my full review on my book blog: www.the-readathon.blogspot.com.

[Maddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This definitely a young adult novel, even you get than a typical young adult novel but I loved this story. It is not complex but it is beautiful.

[Colleen Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect Peter Pan-type story for 6 to 10 year olds. Much older than that, and I think boredom would set in.