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The Nine
In 2064, The Nine are preparing to assemble. This board of individuals is President Madame LaFonte’s solution to an ailing nation in search of medical care. While it seemed ideal at first, the folks of the borough are quickly discovering it isn’t quite what it seems. The lucky ones are issued a red gown and another chance at life. That’s the happy ending. However, not everyone gets a red gown. The others have to make their own second chance at life--if they’ve got the heart to do what it takes. When the superstitions of the swamplands run just as deep as the mud, every little bit of luck helps. They named her Vitalia, a name that means life. But her name was the only advantage that she had. In need of a heart transplant, Vita leaves Peacock Swamp behind to stand before The Nine. With her family by her side, they run into the dangers that government healthcare has created: an underground medical clinic that services the rejected citizens...for a price. Her whole life has been a struggle. Why should her death be any different?
268 pages, Paperback
First published March 4, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 20, 2014
Opening in a dystopia type future in 2064, Peacock Swamp centers around Vitalia, our sickly heroine. Vita was born with a heart malady that brings her before “The Nine”, a group of individuals who make determinations on the health care of the entire society. One must stand before “The Nine” and plead their case as to why they deserve the health care they are applying for. One thinks of the recent talk of “death panels” while on this venture, as any person turned down by the Council is assured of death from their malady. This most often occurs with residents of “The Bourough”, an impoverished community on the outskirts of the city limits where the primary occupation includes hunting reptiles for survival. However, in order to make it to the Council, the citizens of both the Bourough and the City must first avoid the treacherous Ruggeros, a group of men whose only job is to harvest organs and body parts of those who possess the most health and beauty. Want a new set of green eyes to go with your emerald gown? The Ruggeros will hunt down the eyes you desire, pulling them from the skulls of both the innocent and not so innocent, in order to fill your grotesque request. You will pay largely for their services if you are rich in the form of silver pippas and, if you are poor, with an organ, a limb or perhaps your life. Madame LaFonte, ruler of this empire has seen to it that only the most perfect specimens will receive the health care they so desperately desire. For those rejected, they are left with no choice but to seek care from underground black market surgeons, a decision that comes with the punishment of death should you be discovered seeking their services. The family runs into many dangerous situations along the way that will leave you reaching fervently for the next page. What continues is the compelling saga and a twist of an ending that will leave you breathless and anxiously awaiting the sequel.
Written by first time novelist, Katie Femia, this book is one of those that you simply cannot put down from first page to last. You are genuinely invested in the Cambry family as they make their journey from the Bourough in order to appear before the Council of Nine to receive a new and viable heart for their precious Vita. While the overall theme might come across as frightening, the author indulges your softer side with beautiful descriptions of scenery, engaging dialogue and vibrant characters. With time slipping away on Vita’s life, it is very easy to become absorbed by this high spirited, young protagonist. You find yourself rooting for her and her unfortunate but loving family who has been plagued by many misfortunes during life in the Bouroughs.
Written by first time novelist, Katie Femia, this book is one of those that you simply cannot put down from first page to last. You are genuinely invested in the Cambry family as they make their journey from the Bourough in order to appear before the Council of Nine to receive a new and viable heart for their precious Vita. While the overall theme might come across as frightening, the author indulges your softer side with beautiful descriptions of scenery, engaging dialogue and vibrant characters. With time slipping away on Vita’s life, it is very easy to become absorbed by this high spirited, young protagonist. You find yourself rooting for her and her unfortunate but loving family who has been plagued by many misfortunes during life in the Bouroughs.
April 1, 2014
Great book! In 2064 you have to go before a board of 9 people who decide if you will receive the medical attention you need! Gangs are stealing eyes, hearts, lungs etc. to sell to those that need them & can pay. This story focuses on a young girl & her quest for a new heart!
May 27, 2014
Looking forward to book #2 to find out what's in store for Finch and Vita.
July 30, 2014
What a great debut! I loved how this YA story involved the family of Vita. Most YA books have the main character's parents either killed years ago or be nonexistent. I can't wait for the next book.
September 2, 2016
Vitalia was born with a weak heart. She has lived in the swamplands all her life. Without a heart transplant, Vita won’t have much life left to live. So she and her family leave for the city where the medical board is holding a Tribunal and those who require medical care can present their case. Those approved by the board of nine get a new chance at life, but those rejected, are left to their own devices.
Peacock Swamp was set in the not-to-distant future in a world where the medical system has gone wrong. There just isn’t enough money to handle the medical needs of everyone, so the solution was to help the worthy, and let the rest take care of themselves. A medical board was set up consisting of nine board members, 4 members that were always the same, and 5 chosen randomly from among the public on the day of board’s convening in so that they could not be bribed. Unfortunately with this type of system, the way many of the people who were rejected by the medical board tended to handle rejection was to enter the black market and this created a terribly unsafe place where one always had to be on the lookout for Ruggeros who would snatch you for your body parts.
Peacock Swamp was captivating from the very first page with its account of life in the swamps. The description of the people and the swampland brought the area to life. You could almost smell the putrid odors of the slew as Vita waded through the muck.
I thought the premise of the novel was quite interesting where you pretty much had to prove your worthiness to the government in order to be approved to get the medical treatment you needed (or be wealthy enough, or know the right people).
The year the story takes place in is 2064, which is only 50 years in the future. I’m not sure how realistic it is that all the issues of organ matching and rejection have been eliminated. In the novel it seems they are able to transplant anyone’s organs into anyone without regard for tissue matching. Who knows though? Perhaps we will progress that far in the next 50 years.
While the skinks and Ruggeros are supposed to be the villians of Peacock Swamp, and indeed, I would want to stay away from them, I really did like Rowlan and Finch very much. I guess even the “bad guys” aren’t always all bad. They were very personable and compassionate people. I liked the friendship that developed between Finch and Vita.
The laws of the government and the harsh and rapid punishments given out seemed to me to have a feel of a dictatorship or communist-type feel to it. The idea that the Tribunal was able to listen to the petitioners while they were lined up outside the building while they were near the elephants had a feel of “big brother” watching added to that as well.
There were a number of twists and turns in the plot in Peacock Swamp, but my favourite one was near the end of this first novel in this series, which sets us up for book 2. I won’t say what the twist is but I can’t wait for the next book to find out what happens.
I thoroughly enjoyed this unique novel by debut author Katie Femia. I gave Peacock Swamp 5 stars out of 5.
Thank you to the author who provided a copy of this book in exchange for a fair an honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.
This review was originally posted on http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogs...
Peacock Swamp was set in the not-to-distant future in a world where the medical system has gone wrong. There just isn’t enough money to handle the medical needs of everyone, so the solution was to help the worthy, and let the rest take care of themselves. A medical board was set up consisting of nine board members, 4 members that were always the same, and 5 chosen randomly from among the public on the day of board’s convening in so that they could not be bribed. Unfortunately with this type of system, the way many of the people who were rejected by the medical board tended to handle rejection was to enter the black market and this created a terribly unsafe place where one always had to be on the lookout for Ruggeros who would snatch you for your body parts.
Peacock Swamp was captivating from the very first page with its account of life in the swamps. The description of the people and the swampland brought the area to life. You could almost smell the putrid odors of the slew as Vita waded through the muck.
I thought the premise of the novel was quite interesting where you pretty much had to prove your worthiness to the government in order to be approved to get the medical treatment you needed (or be wealthy enough, or know the right people).
The year the story takes place in is 2064, which is only 50 years in the future. I’m not sure how realistic it is that all the issues of organ matching and rejection have been eliminated. In the novel it seems they are able to transplant anyone’s organs into anyone without regard for tissue matching. Who knows though? Perhaps we will progress that far in the next 50 years.
While the skinks and Ruggeros are supposed to be the villians of Peacock Swamp, and indeed, I would want to stay away from them, I really did like Rowlan and Finch very much. I guess even the “bad guys” aren’t always all bad. They were very personable and compassionate people. I liked the friendship that developed between Finch and Vita.
The laws of the government and the harsh and rapid punishments given out seemed to me to have a feel of a dictatorship or communist-type feel to it. The idea that the Tribunal was able to listen to the petitioners while they were lined up outside the building while they were near the elephants had a feel of “big brother” watching added to that as well.
There were a number of twists and turns in the plot in Peacock Swamp, but my favourite one was near the end of this first novel in this series, which sets us up for book 2. I won’t say what the twist is but I can’t wait for the next book to find out what happens.
I thoroughly enjoyed this unique novel by debut author Katie Femia. I gave Peacock Swamp 5 stars out of 5.
Thank you to the author who provided a copy of this book in exchange for a fair an honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.
This review was originally posted on http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogs...
April 22, 2014
I learned of this book from a relative of the author, and I'm glad that I decided to read it. It is a rather unique take on YA dystopia, and Katie Femia has created a very credible society in which medical care is strictly controlled by the government, and the black market is in full aggressive mode.
We are introduced to the hard-working but poor Cambry family, residents of Peacock Swamp. Each morning, mother Marmie and her daughter Vitalia leave their house and go to the water to catch turtles, their main source of food since the government determined that people can contract disease from mammals, and decreed that humans could only be in contact with reptiles. Father Brine, blinded since he sold his eyes to black marketers, and son Olly, who does not speak, but only screeches when he is excited or frightened, are not able to contribute much to the family income.
Vita was born with a weak heart that is rapidly growing critical. But in order to receive any medical treatment, people must appear before a Tribunal of nine, who will determine whether or not they will be granted the right to be treated. So as not to spoil the plot, all I will say is that the Cambry family will face unexpected situations and people, and that the ending has a surprising twist that will leave readers wanting more. As this is Book 1 of a series, they will definitely get their wish!
We are introduced to the hard-working but poor Cambry family, residents of Peacock Swamp. Each morning, mother Marmie and her daughter Vitalia leave their house and go to the water to catch turtles, their main source of food since the government determined that people can contract disease from mammals, and decreed that humans could only be in contact with reptiles. Father Brine, blinded since he sold his eyes to black marketers, and son Olly, who does not speak, but only screeches when he is excited or frightened, are not able to contribute much to the family income.
Vita was born with a weak heart that is rapidly growing critical. But in order to receive any medical treatment, people must appear before a Tribunal of nine, who will determine whether or not they will be granted the right to be treated. So as not to spoil the plot, all I will say is that the Cambry family will face unexpected situations and people, and that the ending has a surprising twist that will leave readers wanting more. As this is Book 1 of a series, they will definitely get their wish!
April 15, 2014
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In this book we follow the story of Vitalia, a teenage girl with a weak heart. Not truly a weak heart as in emotional, but a weak heart as in, its congenital heart failure, and its getting worse. Her parents do the only option that is legally available to them. They take her and their younger son to the capital city where hopefully, the Nine members of the council will determine that Vitalia's case is absolutely awful enough, and she is worthy enough, for them to step in and give her a new heart.
During their trip into the capital, Vitalia and her little brother evade the underground black market of body parts that the government has unwittingly created as they wait for her time before the Council and their judgement that will ultimately determine her life.
This book was very well-written, though I found the beginning to be hard to get into and a bit sluggish. The last third of the book completely swept me away, and by the end, I completely fell in love with the book. The ending had a horrifying twist to it that made me need to read the next.
In this book we follow the story of Vitalia, a teenage girl with a weak heart. Not truly a weak heart as in emotional, but a weak heart as in, its congenital heart failure, and its getting worse. Her parents do the only option that is legally available to them. They take her and their younger son to the capital city where hopefully, the Nine members of the council will determine that Vitalia's case is absolutely awful enough, and she is worthy enough, for them to step in and give her a new heart.
During their trip into the capital, Vitalia and her little brother evade the underground black market of body parts that the government has unwittingly created as they wait for her time before the Council and their judgement that will ultimately determine her life.
This book was very well-written, though I found the beginning to be hard to get into and a bit sluggish. The last third of the book completely swept me away, and by the end, I completely fell in love with the book. The ending had a horrifying twist to it that made me need to read the next.
April 16, 2014
Vitalia is a seventeen year old girl, who has a heart disease that makes her weaker and weaker, The only chance on life is when she goes to the city with her family and goes in front of a council to plea for her case and hope they will help her giving her a new heart. It is dangerous in the city where she and her brother just escape a group(the Ruggeros) that harvest illegally organs. A group born because of President LaFonte's policy. Hope is that Vita will be chosen by the judges for a heart transplant.
Love the book I could no lay it down, Adored the characters even the so called bad ones Finch and his Uncle Rowland, the plots and twists. I can not wait to read more from Katie!
Love the book I could no lay it down, Adored the characters even the so called bad ones Finch and his Uncle Rowland, the plots and twists. I can not wait to read more from Katie!
November 13, 2014
For a first book published, bravo. The book was very well written. I know you will be very popular with this book. I loved the story and the characters,sorry to say it seems like this could be what our healthcare reform could very well be in 50 years. The storyline kept me reading so much that I was unable to put down until I completed it.
Katie, you have made this LaSalle High School mom very proud, and my daughter April loved it too. I am so wanting book number 2 in my hands very soon.
Vivian
Katie, you have made this LaSalle High School mom very proud, and my daughter April loved it too. I am so wanting book number 2 in my hands very soon.
Vivian
April 17, 2014
The Nine takes place in 2064 in a society that I can almost imagine actually exists. With the current failures and challenges in our own medical system, it really only takes a bit of imagination to think that this could happen in some form in our future. The characters are enjoyable and realistic and I got pulled into the story easily. People that enjoy dystopian or apocalyptic stories will definitely want to read The Nine by Katie Femia.
I received a copy of this book for my honest review.
I received a copy of this book for my honest review.
March 6, 2015
Peacock Swamp is an excellent first novel by Katie Femia. The book has a classic dystopian vibe that includes a twist; the main character needs a new heart. I found this book to contain diverse characters and a unique plot. My only criticism is the end of the novel when the genre of the book is almost in question because the book appeared to be science fiction until the end. Katie's next novel is coming out soon, and I am excited to see the explanation behind the heart stopping cliff hanger.
November 30, 2014
I am always hesitant to start a new series especially from an unknown (at least to me) author. The story started a little slow for me, but when the action got going, it was hard to put down. I am looking forward to seeing what will happen next for Vita and crew.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews