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City of Savages
It has been nearly two decades since the breakout of the Third World War, and Manhattan is now a prisoner-of-war camp ruled by island native Rolladin, who controls the city’s survivors with an iron fist. For Skyler Miller, Manhattan is a cage that keeps her from the world beyond the city’s borders. But for Sky’s younger sister, Phee, the Central Park POW camp is the only home she’d ever want.
When strangers arrive in the park, carrying a shocking message, Sky and Phee discover there’s more to Manhattan—and their family—than either of them had imagined. As disturbing secrets about the island begin to surface, Sky and Phee have no choice but to break the rules to uncover the full truth of their long-shrouded history. When their search for answers erupts into violence, the girls must flee into Manhattan’s depths, where their quest for a better future will force them to confront the island’s dark and shocking past.
Lee Kelly’s gripping debut novel is a pulse-pounding journey through a city that’s as strange as it is familiar, where nothing is black-and-white and buried secrets can haunt.
When strangers arrive in the park, carrying a shocking message, Sky and Phee discover there’s more to Manhattan—and their family—than either of them had imagined. As disturbing secrets about the island begin to surface, Sky and Phee have no choice but to break the rules to uncover the full truth of their long-shrouded history. When their search for answers erupts into violence, the girls must flee into Manhattan’s depths, where their quest for a better future will force them to confront the island’s dark and shocking past.
Lee Kelly’s gripping debut novel is a pulse-pounding journey through a city that’s as strange as it is familiar, where nothing is black-and-white and buried secrets can haunt.
410 pages, Hardcover
First published February 3, 2015
75 people are currently reading
8060 people want to read
About the author
Lee Kelly
7 books437 followersLee Kelly is the author of CITY OF SAVAGES, a Publishers Weekly pick and a VOYA Magazine “Perfect Ten” selection, A CRIMINAL MAGIC, which was optioned and developed for a television series by Warner Bros., and WITH REGRETS. With Jennifer Thorne, Lee has also co-written THE ANTIQUITY AFFAIR, THE STARLETS, MY FAIR FRAUDS (forthcoming from Harper Muse, 2025) and THE MIDNIGHT SHOW (forthcoming from Crown, 2026).
Her short fiction and essays have appeared in CrimeReads, Electric Lit, and Tor.com, among other publications, and she holds a Masters in Fine Arts from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. An entertainment lawyer by trade, Lee has practiced law in Los Angeles and New York. She currently lives with her husband and two children in Pennsylvania, where you’ll find them engaged in one adventure or another.
Her short fiction and essays have appeared in CrimeReads, Electric Lit, and Tor.com, among other publications, and she holds a Masters in Fine Arts from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. An entertainment lawyer by trade, Lee has practiced law in Los Angeles and New York. She currently lives with her husband and two children in Pennsylvania, where you’ll find them engaged in one adventure or another.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 355 reviews
July 30, 2018
maggie has added her own review at the end
i expect different things from adult novels than i do from YA novels. that is a statement made for clarity, not apology. to me, it's just common sense to judge a book based on how well it serves its intended audience. it would be silly to dismiss Charlotte's Web on the grounds that "pigs can't talk - this is childish nonsense!!" and when it comes to YA, i am willing to sacrifice background detail and plausibility in favor of solid action sequences, interesting characters, and a story that is engaging and entertaining.
naturally, there is crossover on both sides - there's plenty of adult fiction that is propulsive without getting weighed down by explanation and exposition, and there's YA that is more languid and thoughtful. but for the most part, YA fiction needs to capture the reader's attention quickly and sustain it throughout the book, which means there aren't many successful YA novels with four-page descriptions of nature or architecture - the allure of YA is that it moves. and it doesn't even need to be logical. Divergent has a premise that makes very little sense, but it's a damn fun book. you get so caught up in its "things are like this" attitude and its super-fun momentum that it would be kind of party-pooping to pick it apart and point out its (numerous) implausibilities.
so, this book.
there seems to be some confusion about whether it is YA or not. i have seen this book shelved, in physical stores and here on goodreads, as both adult and YA. the kirkus review lists it as being for ages 14-18, and VOYA, which is an organization that is YA-specific, reviewed it, saying: This is one of the best and most original dystopian stories available for teens today and an absolute must-have for any library serving teen readers. BUT. it is priced as an adult book, so that's how i figure it wants to be classified. and as an adult book, it doesn't serve its audience well. if your list price is 26 bucks, you better bring it. it's a really "fun" read; it's fast-paced with an interesting premise, and since i live here in new york, it is a nice added layer to be treated to descriptions of these very familiar locations so transformed. but it's very uncomplicated - the characters lack psychological depth, the big reveals are not surprising to a decent close reader, and there are many instances of the structure of this world and the behavior of characters that would be acceptable in a YA novel, but since i am forced to critique this as an adult title, they stretch credulity.
as a YA book, this would get a 4 star-rating from me, because it has action and energy and it was genuinely fun to read. but it definitely suffers in comparison to similarly-themed titles intended for an adult audience - this lacks density and i don't see the average reader of adult dystopias being satisfied by it.
in my head, this reads like a YA novel, no question. the story is focused on the teenaged characters, and the tone and elided details/necessary suspension of disbelief are completely appropriate for a YA novel. and if you want to think of it as a YA novel, be my guest, and it will probably be an enjoyable reading experience for you, because the story is indeed exciting. but i'm not a millionaire, and i feel like this should have been emphatically published as a YA novel with a YA price point. this is just me looking out - i have an ARC, so it was all free for me, but price is an important factor for a lot of people, so i figured it needed to be said. support your local library!
i would love to read a more "adult" companion book to this one, since to me the more interesting character dynamic is between their mother and rolladin, and they would be the more likely focus in a novel aimed at adults. i would definitely read more from this author, i'm just saying i wish this had been more honestly designated as YA, because i probably would have enjoyed it even more.
moops.
***********************************************************
i probably could have finished this book sooner, but this happened:
so i had to wait. and yes - that powder blue thing behind her is indeed a cat bed. but she would rather fall asleep on the book i'm reading instead of her bed or ANY OTHER BOOK IN THE HOUSE. because she is spiteful.
maggie's review:
THIS BOOK WAS GOOD BECAUSE ALL THE SQUIRRELS IN IT GOT EATEN BY THE PEOPLES SO I COULD RELATE TO IT BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF THE PEOPLES WERE CATS INSTEAD. MORE CATS NEXT TIME.
come to my blog!
i expect different things from adult novels than i do from YA novels. that is a statement made for clarity, not apology. to me, it's just common sense to judge a book based on how well it serves its intended audience. it would be silly to dismiss Charlotte's Web on the grounds that "pigs can't talk - this is childish nonsense!!" and when it comes to YA, i am willing to sacrifice background detail and plausibility in favor of solid action sequences, interesting characters, and a story that is engaging and entertaining.
naturally, there is crossover on both sides - there's plenty of adult fiction that is propulsive without getting weighed down by explanation and exposition, and there's YA that is more languid and thoughtful. but for the most part, YA fiction needs to capture the reader's attention quickly and sustain it throughout the book, which means there aren't many successful YA novels with four-page descriptions of nature or architecture - the allure of YA is that it moves. and it doesn't even need to be logical. Divergent has a premise that makes very little sense, but it's a damn fun book. you get so caught up in its "things are like this" attitude and its super-fun momentum that it would be kind of party-pooping to pick it apart and point out its (numerous) implausibilities.
so, this book.
there seems to be some confusion about whether it is YA or not. i have seen this book shelved, in physical stores and here on goodreads, as both adult and YA. the kirkus review lists it as being for ages 14-18, and VOYA, which is an organization that is YA-specific, reviewed it, saying: This is one of the best and most original dystopian stories available for teens today and an absolute must-have for any library serving teen readers. BUT. it is priced as an adult book, so that's how i figure it wants to be classified. and as an adult book, it doesn't serve its audience well. if your list price is 26 bucks, you better bring it. it's a really "fun" read; it's fast-paced with an interesting premise, and since i live here in new york, it is a nice added layer to be treated to descriptions of these very familiar locations so transformed. but it's very uncomplicated - the characters lack psychological depth, the big reveals are not surprising to a decent close reader, and there are many instances of the structure of this world and the behavior of characters that would be acceptable in a YA novel, but since i am forced to critique this as an adult title, they stretch credulity.
as a YA book, this would get a 4 star-rating from me, because it has action and energy and it was genuinely fun to read. but it definitely suffers in comparison to similarly-themed titles intended for an adult audience - this lacks density and i don't see the average reader of adult dystopias being satisfied by it.
in my head, this reads like a YA novel, no question. the story is focused on the teenaged characters, and the tone and elided details/necessary suspension of disbelief are completely appropriate for a YA novel. and if you want to think of it as a YA novel, be my guest, and it will probably be an enjoyable reading experience for you, because the story is indeed exciting. but i'm not a millionaire, and i feel like this should have been emphatically published as a YA novel with a YA price point. this is just me looking out - i have an ARC, so it was all free for me, but price is an important factor for a lot of people, so i figured it needed to be said. support your local library!
i would love to read a more "adult" companion book to this one, since to me the more interesting character dynamic is between their mother and rolladin, and they would be the more likely focus in a novel aimed at adults. i would definitely read more from this author, i'm just saying i wish this had been more honestly designated as YA, because i probably would have enjoyed it even more.
moops.
***********************************************************
i probably could have finished this book sooner, but this happened:
so i had to wait. and yes - that powder blue thing behind her is indeed a cat bed. but she would rather fall asleep on the book i'm reading instead of her bed or ANY OTHER BOOK IN THE HOUSE. because she is spiteful.
maggie's review:
THIS BOOK WAS GOOD BECAUSE ALL THE SQUIRRELS IN IT GOT EATEN BY THE PEOPLES SO I COULD RELATE TO IT BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF THE PEOPLES WERE CATS INSTEAD. MORE CATS NEXT TIME.
come to my blog!
June 8, 2015
Initial Review: This book was phenomenal. Utter perfection. 2015 MUST READ. Add it to the shelves people.
Read the full review @ A Perfection Called Books
There are some books that you discover and just know you're going to love. That happened to me with this book; I fell head-over-heels in love with City of Savages. Everything about it was utter perfection. This book needs to be on your to-read list, so please please please add it to Goodreads!
What instantly drew me in to this book was the cover. It looks so ominous and gritty, it perfectly reflects what's on the inside: a rough and vicious story of war and survival that's as dangerously beautiful as the cover. I love that the setting is Manhattan. I love NYC, and reading of references to these popular places was intriguing and horrifying. It really tugged at my heart strings, it made me think What if this happened to me? What if my life was uprooted, my home destroyed?
This book is emotionally raw and gritty and intense throughout. Manhattan has surrendered and been taken over by the Red Allies as a prisoners-of-war camp. Told from two points of view, we see the two sisters Phee and Sky's diverging opinions and thoughts towards their war-ravaged city. Sky yearns for Before. She hates how Manhattan is run by the malicious warden Rolladin and wants to leave. Phee clings to the only home she's ever known, the decimated city of Manhattan. Everything is thrown into chaos when strangers enter the city and share some startling news. As Sky, Phee, and her mother flee, they uncover shocking truths and learn more about their tattered city and how it really came to be.
It's very hard for the quality of writing to capture my attention these days. I've read so many books by now that the writing all starts to sound the same. Lee Kelly's writing stole my bookish heart from the beginning though. I can't even begin to describe how amazing it is. She's a debut author, and her writing is better than most seasoned writers out there. I kid you not. The imagery is perfect, her writing is so lyrical. She truly pours all of the emotions into her writing. She leaves us on the edge of seats, she has us shocked and horrified, she makes us cry our eyes out. Our eyes are glued to the page, soaking up her glorious words. She illuminates strong themes of family and identity with her powerful words and paints beautiful pictures with her figurative language. The premise is so intriguing, and I love how Lee feeds us information bit by bit. She doesn't dump all the information of the war on us. She gives it to us little by little in a subtle way that doesn't sound like it's being told to us. We find things out as the character do; we aren't given the whole scope, we're given what's necessary and relevant to the story. It's best that way. This book is packed with action too!
This book is told in dual points of view, and Lee did an amazing job at it. The voices were different, they truly reflected their respective thoughts. I felt I really got a sense of their personalities and aspirations. The older sister Sky is the delicate, smart, proper, and reasonable one. Phee is the free-spirited, wild one. I felt I knew them both so well, and I admired them both so much. What I truly loved was their friendship. Watching these two sisters grow and seeing their friendship alter and grow stronger tugged at my heartstrings. I loved how close they were. They told each other everything, they could read each other, they supported one another. They had the best sister relationship ever.
The secondary characters had incredible depth, I felt I knew them all very well. The supporting characters were relatable and realistic. Phee and Sky's mother is so strong and caring. Ryder is the thoughtful and sweet guy who makes you swoon. Sam is the infuriating bossy military type you can't help but love. Rolladin is the enigma, the woman you just want to know more about. The relationships in this book are spot-on. There's a side romance that plays a minimal part in the book. I'm glad it's small because the most important relationships in this book is between family, mainly Sky and Phee and their sisterly love for one another and between them and their mother as they clear away the secrets and understand all the sacrifices made and why things were done as they were. I loved the family aspects of this book.
The themes were strong and well executed. Identity and family were the biggest ones I saw, and Lee did an amazing job with both. The book wrapped up beautifully and left me in tears. I sat there reeling for hours, relishing in the epicness of this book. Truly spectacular. A masterpiece. Best book I've read in a long time, and it will join only 17 other books to my "most favorites" shelf. You need to read this book. I wish I could find the words to do this book justice, but I can't. Just read it.
Read the full review @ A Perfection Called Books
There are some books that you discover and just know you're going to love. That happened to me with this book; I fell head-over-heels in love with City of Savages. Everything about it was utter perfection. This book needs to be on your to-read list, so please please please add it to Goodreads!
What instantly drew me in to this book was the cover. It looks so ominous and gritty, it perfectly reflects what's on the inside: a rough and vicious story of war and survival that's as dangerously beautiful as the cover. I love that the setting is Manhattan. I love NYC, and reading of references to these popular places was intriguing and horrifying. It really tugged at my heart strings, it made me think What if this happened to me? What if my life was uprooted, my home destroyed?
This book is emotionally raw and gritty and intense throughout. Manhattan has surrendered and been taken over by the Red Allies as a prisoners-of-war camp. Told from two points of view, we see the two sisters Phee and Sky's diverging opinions and thoughts towards their war-ravaged city. Sky yearns for Before. She hates how Manhattan is run by the malicious warden Rolladin and wants to leave. Phee clings to the only home she's ever known, the decimated city of Manhattan. Everything is thrown into chaos when strangers enter the city and share some startling news. As Sky, Phee, and her mother flee, they uncover shocking truths and learn more about their tattered city and how it really came to be.
It's very hard for the quality of writing to capture my attention these days. I've read so many books by now that the writing all starts to sound the same. Lee Kelly's writing stole my bookish heart from the beginning though. I can't even begin to describe how amazing it is. She's a debut author, and her writing is better than most seasoned writers out there. I kid you not. The imagery is perfect, her writing is so lyrical. She truly pours all of the emotions into her writing. She leaves us on the edge of seats, she has us shocked and horrified, she makes us cry our eyes out. Our eyes are glued to the page, soaking up her glorious words. She illuminates strong themes of family and identity with her powerful words and paints beautiful pictures with her figurative language. The premise is so intriguing, and I love how Lee feeds us information bit by bit. She doesn't dump all the information of the war on us. She gives it to us little by little in a subtle way that doesn't sound like it's being told to us. We find things out as the character do; we aren't given the whole scope, we're given what's necessary and relevant to the story. It's best that way. This book is packed with action too!
This book is told in dual points of view, and Lee did an amazing job at it. The voices were different, they truly reflected their respective thoughts. I felt I really got a sense of their personalities and aspirations. The older sister Sky is the delicate, smart, proper, and reasonable one. Phee is the free-spirited, wild one. I felt I knew them both so well, and I admired them both so much. What I truly loved was their friendship. Watching these two sisters grow and seeing their friendship alter and grow stronger tugged at my heartstrings. I loved how close they were. They told each other everything, they could read each other, they supported one another. They had the best sister relationship ever.
The secondary characters had incredible depth, I felt I knew them all very well. The supporting characters were relatable and realistic. Phee and Sky's mother is so strong and caring. Ryder is the thoughtful and sweet guy who makes you swoon. Sam is the infuriating bossy military type you can't help but love. Rolladin is the enigma, the woman you just want to know more about. The relationships in this book are spot-on. There's a side romance that plays a minimal part in the book. I'm glad it's small because the most important relationships in this book is between family, mainly Sky and Phee and their sisterly love for one another and between them and their mother as they clear away the secrets and understand all the sacrifices made and why things were done as they were. I loved the family aspects of this book.
The themes were strong and well executed. Identity and family were the biggest ones I saw, and Lee did an amazing job with both. The book wrapped up beautifully and left me in tears. I sat there reeling for hours, relishing in the epicness of this book. Truly spectacular. A masterpiece. Best book I've read in a long time, and it will join only 17 other books to my "most favorites" shelf. You need to read this book. I wish I could find the words to do this book justice, but I can't. Just read it.
Read
August 13, 2016Oh, man. I loved the first third or so, but I have to think about this.
July 10, 2014
As a male in my 30s, I have to admit I had slight hesitations before reading a YA novel with two teenage girl leads. My friend got an advanced copy, the title had “savages” in it, so I figured why not? Two days later, I’ve finished the book, and I cannot wait for more. The writing is superb, and the plot is intense with action and suspense (my kind of book). I loved the switch in narrative between the two refreshingly believable female leads as they navigate through the bowels of an apocalyptic Manhattan. It had me hooked, had a wild ride of a story, and this closet chauvinist wants to read him some more Lee Kelly!!
April 7, 2015
I wanted to love this one. I really did.
Beautiful cover, great title, interesting blurb.
I started this book optimistic, and was quickly drawn in.
However, as the book went on I began to see similarities between this and a number of other YA books.
The POV are two girls, sisters that I found rather bland. Sky the older is an insecure bookworm, paranoid that she is being overshadowed by her younger sister Phoenix, she frequently gets lost in books. Phoenix or Phee is the daring one. The one that has no fear.
Angsty teenagers? Check
They are growing up in a POV camp in the middle of New York City which has been destroyed when the Red Allies attacked. The leader Rolladin rules the camp with her guards. However when a group of men show up with news of the outside world it appears they have been lied to.
Lame conspiracies? Check
They set off with their mother who keeps muttering about the dangers of feeders. The girls unsurprisingly don't believe her until they are attacked by a pack of cannibals. Why she could not say cannibals and instead referred to monsters called feeders is beyond me. Is it really that surprising that no one believes her?
"Zombies"? Check
Combine all this with a love triangle, predictable twists and the religious fanatic that no YA book can be without made this book less enjoyable than I had hoped.
On the plus side the writing is decent, and I felt that the author did a good job in capturing the girls' relationship. I just had hoped for a lot more.
Recommended for YA fans.
Beautiful cover, great title, interesting blurb.
I started this book optimistic, and was quickly drawn in.
However, as the book went on I began to see similarities between this and a number of other YA books.
The POV are two girls, sisters that I found rather bland. Sky the older is an insecure bookworm, paranoid that she is being overshadowed by her younger sister Phoenix, she frequently gets lost in books. Phoenix or Phee is the daring one. The one that has no fear.
Angsty teenagers? Check
They are growing up in a POV camp in the middle of New York City which has been destroyed when the Red Allies attacked. The leader Rolladin rules the camp with her guards. However when a group of men show up with news of the outside world it appears they have been lied to.
Lame conspiracies? Check
They set off with their mother who keeps muttering about the dangers of feeders. The girls unsurprisingly don't believe her until they are attacked by a pack of cannibals. Why she could not say cannibals and instead referred to monsters called feeders is beyond me. Is it really that surprising that no one believes her?
"Zombies"? Check
Combine all this with a love triangle, predictable twists and the religious fanatic that no YA book can be without made this book less enjoyable than I had hoped.
On the plus side the writing is decent, and I felt that the author did a good job in capturing the girls' relationship. I just had hoped for a lot more.
Recommended for YA fans.
April 19, 2015
About twenty years ago, the Red Allies first attacked New York City. Manhattan is now a POW camp ruled by Rolladin, the warden put in place by the enemy who is also a prisoner, and her brutal warlords. In Sky's opinion, the city is nothing but a vicious cage, but to Phee, her younger sister, it's the only place she can call home. After all, it is the only thing either of them have known, since their mother firmly believes that the past should stay in the past. Then, they discover their mother's old journal chronicling her life before the war began and the war's early days and the two sisters realize that there is a whole lot more to the city and their mother than they ever knew. When strangers from a country thought to have been destroyed by the Red Allies come to the POW camp's annual census, the sister's begin to actively uncover the island's long-kept secrets and Rolladin's lies to her fellow prisoners begin to fall apart at the seams.
City of Savages by Lee Kelly will probably go down as one of my favorite reads of 2015. It's a fantastic post-apocalyptic stand alone novel and I wish I could revisit the characters and find out what happens to them after the novel ends.
The novel, rather than being action-packed, is very much a psychological, character-driven story of two sisters as they fight to keep their family together and safe in the Park. The narration is split with alternating chapters between both Phee and Sky. Each have distinct and unique voices so it's easy to keep track of which sister is speaking. This dual perspective also allows the reader to get an inside look at each of their mindsets, which are sometimes quite different. I liked both characters equally as both are easy to relate to for a variety of reasons. The vivid characterizations and the way the author tells the story are my favorite aspects of the novel. Kelly's brilliant writing adds layers of realism, grit, and intensity that really make it standout from the crowd.
Although there isn't exactly a lot to go on, I would also like to mention how much I liked the world-building. To start off, we're essentially thrown right into the story with very little information to start with. We get enough to understand their landscape, but not much else. For me that really worked, I liked seeing the Park through their eyes, but then again another one of my favorite aspects of the novel is learning about the past. Sky and Phee's mother will not speak of the past, but then the girls come across her old journal documenting the fall of Manhattan to the Red Allies. I don't want to give anything away, but those sections were fascinating and could easily make a great pre-dystopian companion novel.
Lee Kelly's City of Savages is brilliant debeut and ranks as an absolute must-read for 2015. I will be keeping my eyes on this author's work.
City of Savages by Lee Kelly will probably go down as one of my favorite reads of 2015. It's a fantastic post-apocalyptic stand alone novel and I wish I could revisit the characters and find out what happens to them after the novel ends.
The novel, rather than being action-packed, is very much a psychological, character-driven story of two sisters as they fight to keep their family together and safe in the Park. The narration is split with alternating chapters between both Phee and Sky. Each have distinct and unique voices so it's easy to keep track of which sister is speaking. This dual perspective also allows the reader to get an inside look at each of their mindsets, which are sometimes quite different. I liked both characters equally as both are easy to relate to for a variety of reasons. The vivid characterizations and the way the author tells the story are my favorite aspects of the novel. Kelly's brilliant writing adds layers of realism, grit, and intensity that really make it standout from the crowd.
Although there isn't exactly a lot to go on, I would also like to mention how much I liked the world-building. To start off, we're essentially thrown right into the story with very little information to start with. We get enough to understand their landscape, but not much else. For me that really worked, I liked seeing the Park through their eyes, but then again another one of my favorite aspects of the novel is learning about the past. Sky and Phee's mother will not speak of the past, but then the girls come across her old journal documenting the fall of Manhattan to the Red Allies. I don't want to give anything away, but those sections were fascinating and could easily make a great pre-dystopian companion novel.
Lee Kelly's City of Savages is brilliant debeut and ranks as an absolute must-read for 2015. I will be keeping my eyes on this author's work.
June 26, 2015
5 BIG STARS
See full review here https://thebookvenom.wordpress.com/20...
There are two sides to every story. And maybe there's not always a clear right and wrong, hero and villain. Maybe there's just people.
This is probably one of the best stand-alone book I've ever read! It was beyond my expectation. When I first started reading it, I never ever thought it would left me feeling like this.
I love the fact that this book really put romance just a bit here and there focusing mainly into the story. It kinda connects to me in a certain way that the story is about the two sisters in an entire broken world trying to discover their self and understanding the meaning of survival, life and family.
In the end, how the story went really touched me and had my eyes watering. Thanks, Lee Kelly for such a great book. :)
See full review here https://thebookvenom.wordpress.com/20...
February 19, 2015
Wow! I can't remember the last time I read an entire book in less than 24 hours! What a great debut! There is so much awesomeness in this book! I actually borrowed this from my library and it sat around for 2 weeks until I finally decided to give it a try. There are some books you come across and get sucked in quickly. This is one of those. This was a perfect post apocalyptic book. Don't let the sci-fi label scare you. It doesn't have to do with aliens or plagues, it was "real life". This book is raw, gritty, intense, and suspenseful. Told from the point of view of two teenage sisters, it will lead you through a journey you didn't even know you wanted to take. The author's quality of writing was flawless. Set in a perfect city for this wonderful plot with a cast of characters that are vivid and wonderfully brought to life by the author's writing. With as many books as I read, a lot of times authors' writing starts to seem all the same, but Lee Kelly's writing stole my booknerd heart. I look forward reading more from her.
December 16, 2014
This book has everything and delivers on the promise of it all, which I know sounds cliche, but in this case is entirely true. Set in a time when a great war rages across the country and world, this book centers on a group of survivors/prisoners of war living in Manhattan. The author creates a realistic, terrifying, and yet hopeful world. Any New Yorker will relish this book for the way the author uses every part of the city to tell this story. And while the plot is strong and well-crafted, characters and relationships reign here. It is a phenomenal debut that I can't wait for everyone to read in February 2015.
February 17, 2015
Wow! What a great read, once I started I couldn’t put it down. Lee Kelly does a brilliant job of creating compelling characters, an eerie post-apocalyptic setting, and suspenseful plot. I love the sister dynamic and the back and forth between the current Phee and Sky story intertwined with an intriguing backstory from their mother’s point of view. On top of it there is a ton of action, a love story, heartbreak, it’s got it all!!
August 29, 2015
Just say DYSTOPIA and I am in with both feet. For a dystopian type novel, I really liked this one. I've read quite a few of these over the last few years. I've come to realize that certain criteria must be met if I'm going to enjoy it. And surprisingly, to those who have come to know me, I abandon my picky observations when it comes to Dystopian novels.
I'm torn between 4 and 5 stars on this one. By the time I finish writing this review, I hope to have my mind made up. This one was well written. I loved the author's descriptive style. It was almost poetic in some spots. I loved that. I also liked how she unveiled this new world. She took the time to allow the readers to see this new society and to enter into the lives of the characters. I felt I was given plenty of information to be tugged along and I found myself hooked.
I also liked that this one was different in that it had new ideas that I haven't read before. It felt like an exploration of sorts. It had a tight focus on a psychological aspect that I haven't seen in other books in the same genre. That was intriguing.
The characters were definitely all very different. I'm always grateful when they aren't a mirror image of each other. They all played nicely off of each other adding depth and interest.
Now there were issues that I had with this. It was predictable, but I didn't even care. There were a few other things that I could drone on about, but they weren't deal breakers for me. I liked this. I really really did. Usually I reserve 5 stars for books that have "spoken" to me in some memorable way and for books that I would read again. While this book may not have touched me with awe, I would read this again. I wish I could do half stars.
I'm torn between 4 and 5 stars on this one. By the time I finish writing this review, I hope to have my mind made up. This one was well written. I loved the author's descriptive style. It was almost poetic in some spots. I loved that. I also liked how she unveiled this new world. She took the time to allow the readers to see this new society and to enter into the lives of the characters. I felt I was given plenty of information to be tugged along and I found myself hooked.
I also liked that this one was different in that it had new ideas that I haven't read before. It felt like an exploration of sorts. It had a tight focus on a psychological aspect that I haven't seen in other books in the same genre. That was intriguing.
The characters were definitely all very different. I'm always grateful when they aren't a mirror image of each other. They all played nicely off of each other adding depth and interest.
Now there were issues that I had with this. It was predictable, but I didn't even care. There were a few other things that I could drone on about, but they weren't deal breakers for me. I liked this. I really really did. Usually I reserve 5 stars for books that have "spoken" to me in some memorable way and for books that I would read again. While this book may not have touched me with awe, I would read this again. I wish I could do half stars.
February 3, 2015
Wow. That is literally the only word that went through my brain when I finished City of Savages. What an emotional roller coaster of a read. I had expectations when I started reading, and this book surpassed them all. It has the premise and story of a young adult dystopian novel, but it is so much more than that. A tale about the bonds of family and sisterhood that will haunt you and stay with you forever. It blows all other dystopian novels out of the water, it is that good. It is a must read for everyone so go out and buy it now!
June 9, 2015
4.5
This was really great. I don't do post-apocalyptic/dystopian stuff a lot anymore, but this was pretty refreshing and brutal.
Being really familiar with NYC proved useful...and also made the book a lot more stark and horrifying.
A few twists, some guessable, others not so much (DAMN, THE LAST THIRD OF THE BOOK was pretty much a giant plot enhancement that I didn't see coming).
The two alternating points of view were handled expertly, with a completely different feel and voice emanating from each.
(And a thank you to Simon & Schuster for the galley copy!!)
This was really great. I don't do post-apocalyptic/dystopian stuff a lot anymore, but this was pretty refreshing and brutal.
Being really familiar with NYC proved useful...and also made the book a lot more stark and horrifying.
A few twists, some guessable, others not so much (DAMN, THE LAST THIRD OF THE BOOK was pretty much a giant plot enhancement that I didn't see coming).
The two alternating points of view were handled expertly, with a completely different feel and voice emanating from each.
(And a thank you to Simon & Schuster for the galley copy!!)
February 6, 2015
Pretty amazing that this is a debut novel. The author did a wonderful job of telling the story from the POV of both daughters, (alternating back and forth), and through the journal writing of their mother. The story was full of non-stop action. Worthy of 5 stars!!!
December 16, 2019
4 mü 5 mi bilemedim...kitap o kadar çarpık bir dünyayı anlatıyor ki ilişkilerin çarpıklığını bile doğal karşıladım nerdeyse(çoğu yerde kızların kafalarını tokuşturmak istedim🙊) distopya-vahşet sevmeyen uzak dursun ki yaşı küçükler için de tavsiye etmem ama ben sevdim kitabı elimden bırakamadım...sonu açık uçlu ama bu kitap için başka bir son olamazdı bence....eksikler vardı fazlalıklar vardı "yok artik" dedirtecek tesadüfler vardı ama sevdim...
April 20, 2014
CITY OF SAVAGES has so many things going for it--pulse-pounding action, inventive world building, memorable characters and gorgeous prose, to name a few. But the two elements that stand out most in my mind are Kelly's skillful weaving of past and present via the mother Sarah's journal, and the strength of the bond between sisters Phee and Skyler.
I loved the slow reveal of Sarah's recollections and how these dusty secrets impacted on the sisters's life-and-death experiences in post-war Manhattan. And those sisters... while their opposing natures and competing desires for the affection of 18-year-old English POW Ryder frequently threaten to tear them apart, along the way they learn a valuable truth; when the world turns dark and times get crazy, it's family more often than not that pulls you through. My only regret, that I have to wait until 2015 before I can pass this book along to friends.
I loved the slow reveal of Sarah's recollections and how these dusty secrets impacted on the sisters's life-and-death experiences in post-war Manhattan. And those sisters... while their opposing natures and competing desires for the affection of 18-year-old English POW Ryder frequently threaten to tear them apart, along the way they learn a valuable truth; when the world turns dark and times get crazy, it's family more often than not that pulls you through. My only regret, that I have to wait until 2015 before I can pass this book along to friends.
February 18, 2015
This futuristic and apocalyptic story set in Manhattan is a total page turner. It's slightly reminiscent of Hunger Games, with a hint of the film The Road and the series Revolution. The book was released two weeks ago and I wouldn't be surprised if there were plans afloat to turn it into a Hollywood feature. The compelling narrative is told by two sisters, aged about 16 and 17, in alternate chapters. It probably qualifies as "young adult" sci fi, but it is much more than that. The plot is somewhat predictable at times but it's not necessarily an issue. The universe depicted, of a world in ruins, and of the (often twisted) responses to it is rather successful, as is the characterisation. The reader is guaranteed a swift and pleasant read, with the satisfaction of characters, plot and backdrop reliably and seamlessly well put together.
March 14, 2015
LOVE this book. I am typically an action adventure reader. But if the characters aren't well developed into someone you really care about then all the action just falls flat. Not so in City of Savages. The pace of the story is fast, the action is well described and just as important .......I love the characters Phee and Sky. You can't help but root for both of them. They are often in competition with each other but you know when a crisis arises they will have each other's back.
I felt like the whole dystopian backdrop was getting a little stale but Kelly adds the perfect ingredient......two kick ass sisters that feel real as you follow them through a ravaged New York City that has been turned into a prison.
Hope there is a sequel.
I felt like the whole dystopian backdrop was getting a little stale but Kelly adds the perfect ingredient......two kick ass sisters that feel real as you follow them through a ravaged New York City that has been turned into a prison.
Hope there is a sequel.
December 17, 2014
Incredible book. Page-turning is not an adequate adjective. I plodded daily through the requirements of my actual life, counting down the minutes until I could get back to this story and these characters. It's an especially fun and harrowing read if you've lived in Manhattan, which is so expertly reimagined, down to the block, but anyone who loves great storytelling and isn't afraid of a little horror will adore this book and kick and scream for a sequel.
March 4, 2015
Not what I was expecting (dystopia YA with classic alternating POV chapters), but a solid read. Fantastic exploration of the bond between sisters, mothers, lovers, and family... with some reservations. Full review to come!
April 1, 2015
I've had City of Savages on my radar for a few months, even though these types of books aren't my usual kind of read. I've only seen a few reviews on them and luckily they have been good so I was excited to listen to the audiobook of this one. I didn't really know what to expect with this one and I was a little bit nervous that I would be bored by it, but City of Savages ended up surprising me in a really good way.
Skylar and Phee live with their mom in one of the prisoner of war camps led by the ruthless Rolladin. Life here is strict and not following the rules has dire consequences. Skylar and Phee have very different thoughts about their home, one of them loves it and can't imagine living anywhere else, while the other one feels trapped and can't wait to get out. On their way to the annual Census count, an injury to their mother brings on a whole mess of complications to their lives. Suddenly, the sisters and their mom are at the mercy of Rolladin, who seems to have a personal interest in the family. When strangers arrive in Manhattan, and the discovery of their mother's old journal, Skylar and Phee start to discover that not everything is as they were led to believe, and that her mom and Rolladin are hiding secrets.
This was such a unique and different book. With 3 female POV's and a ruthless female leader in Rolladin, I loved that this book was very'girl power' oriented. I didn't get any hint of romance from the summary, and I was okay with it. I had prepared myself not to expect it, so I was suprised to find out that there was romance in City of Savages after all. It might not have been a major focus in the story, but it still played a very important part in the sister's development and growth. With Skylar and Phee being very different and having very different thoughts on their life and home, there's always been this sort of competition and jealousy between them. When I saw that both sisters were interested in the same guy, I was a little bit worried (and annoyed) at how this could possibly play out. Luckily, it skipped all the ways this could have gone wrong. While both sisters are attracted to the same guy, it's clear that one has more serious feelings. And the guy makes it very clear that he only likes one of the sisters. I loved that there wasn't any drama or that the romance wasn't dragged out for angst effect and ended up really liking the romance.
The story was fantastic, with the sister's alternating POV's and the mom's journal entries, I loved how the story unfolded and how the different puzzle piees started to come together. The world in City of Savages is probably my favorite part of the book. It's dark and it's gritty and violent and vividly described that I couldn't help but think that this would make a great movie or TV show. In fact, certain parts of it reminded me of The 100 (I totally pictured Indra and Rolladin). There were shocking revelations and plot twists and some emotional moments too. And the fact that this is a stand-alone (I'm pretty sure) is just another bonus. Despite the fact that City of Savages is not at all my usual kind of read, it totally won me over and I really liked it. The story was strong, the world was brutal, the romance was a great bonus and the growth between the sisters was amazing!
Audiobook Comments: I love when a publisher puts so much thought into an audiobook, it makes an audiobook junkie like me so excited to know they care about their audio performances. I've heard audiobooks that have different POV's done by one person, and it can be confusing or boring sometimes, especially when one person is doing a girl AND a guy's POV scenes. In City of Savages, we have POV scenes from each of the two sisters, as well as journal entries from their mom that are very important to the story. I loved that they not only got a different narrator for each sister, but that they also got a different narrator for the mom. This brought the audiobook to a whole new level of awesome! Each of the narrators did a fantastic job and I loved that I knew who was who as soon as they started talking. I really loved this performance!
4.5 out of 5 stars
***
Read full review & more of my favorite quotes at Mostly YA Book Obsessed
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Skylar and Phee live with their mom in one of the prisoner of war camps led by the ruthless Rolladin. Life here is strict and not following the rules has dire consequences. Skylar and Phee have very different thoughts about their home, one of them loves it and can't imagine living anywhere else, while the other one feels trapped and can't wait to get out. On their way to the annual Census count, an injury to their mother brings on a whole mess of complications to their lives. Suddenly, the sisters and their mom are at the mercy of Rolladin, who seems to have a personal interest in the family. When strangers arrive in Manhattan, and the discovery of their mother's old journal, Skylar and Phee start to discover that not everything is as they were led to believe, and that her mom and Rolladin are hiding secrets.
This was such a unique and different book. With 3 female POV's and a ruthless female leader in Rolladin, I loved that this book was very'girl power' oriented. I didn't get any hint of romance from the summary, and I was okay with it. I had prepared myself not to expect it, so I was suprised to find out that there was romance in City of Savages after all. It might not have been a major focus in the story, but it still played a very important part in the sister's development and growth. With Skylar and Phee being very different and having very different thoughts on their life and home, there's always been this sort of competition and jealousy between them. When I saw that both sisters were interested in the same guy, I was a little bit worried (and annoyed) at how this could possibly play out. Luckily, it skipped all the ways this could have gone wrong. While both sisters are attracted to the same guy, it's clear that one has more serious feelings. And the guy makes it very clear that he only likes one of the sisters. I loved that there wasn't any drama or that the romance wasn't dragged out for angst effect and ended up really liking the romance.
The story was fantastic, with the sister's alternating POV's and the mom's journal entries, I loved how the story unfolded and how the different puzzle piees started to come together. The world in City of Savages is probably my favorite part of the book. It's dark and it's gritty and violent and vividly described that I couldn't help but think that this would make a great movie or TV show. In fact, certain parts of it reminded me of The 100 (I totally pictured Indra and Rolladin). There were shocking revelations and plot twists and some emotional moments too. And the fact that this is a stand-alone (I'm pretty sure) is just another bonus. Despite the fact that City of Savages is not at all my usual kind of read, it totally won me over and I really liked it. The story was strong, the world was brutal, the romance was a great bonus and the growth between the sisters was amazing!
Audiobook Comments: I love when a publisher puts so much thought into an audiobook, it makes an audiobook junkie like me so excited to know they care about their audio performances. I've heard audiobooks that have different POV's done by one person, and it can be confusing or boring sometimes, especially when one person is doing a girl AND a guy's POV scenes. In City of Savages, we have POV scenes from each of the two sisters, as well as journal entries from their mom that are very important to the story. I loved that they not only got a different narrator for each sister, but that they also got a different narrator for the mom. This brought the audiobook to a whole new level of awesome! Each of the narrators did a fantastic job and I loved that I knew who was who as soon as they started talking. I really loved this performance!
4.5 out of 5 stars
***
Read full review & more of my favorite quotes at Mostly YA Book Obsessed
Follow me at:
Bloglovin │ Twitter │ Tumblr │ Pinterest │ Polyvore
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February 18, 2017"Sevmeyeceğim sanırım," düşünceleri zihnimde dolanırken hiç beklemediğim bir şeyi bana vermesiyle gönlümü fethetti Barbarlar Şehri. Sonlarını soluksuz okudum hatta.
Kitabın ilk kısmı, nasıl desem, olağan ve sıradandı. Klişelerle çok güçlü bir hayal ürünü olmadığını bağıran bir kitap gibiydi.
İkinci kısıma geçince şöyle bi öksürüp çaktırmadan sağa sola baktım biraz utanarak, biraz çekinerek. Yukarıdaki düşüncelerimi sesli dile getirmiş olabilir miyim acaba farkında olmadan diye. Duyan yoksa kitaba devam edebilirim değil mi?
Üçüncü kısım ise; burada hiç beklemediğim bir olguyla karşılaştım. Bilen yoktur diye söylüyorum: benim çürümüş zihniyetleri, toplumları anlatan kitaplara oyunlara veya filmlere karşı zaafım var. Nedense beni kendine çok fena çekiyor. Mesela İthaki Yayınlarından çıkan Rapture Şehri, her ne kadar başırılı bir çalışma olmasa da dokusundaki, insanlıktaki, evrenindeki o çarpıklıklaşma, kusursuzluk arayışının aslında büsbütün bir kusur barındırıyor olması beni kendimden geçirmişti. Barbarlar Şehri o kadar sapkın değil tabii fakat, son kısmı okuyunca anlayacaksınız şimdi açık seçik bir şey söyleyemiyorum, yine de hiç beklemediğim bir yerden beni vurup Tanrısallık algısının abartıldığında, insanları ne yönde yok ettiğini anlatmasını okumak çok lezzetliydi.
Kitabın başlarındaki vahşilik sizleri aslında neyle başa çıkacağınızı uyarırken sondaki ise sizi çaresiz bırakan, uyuşturan, benliğinizi yok eden, savaşma gücünüzü elinizden alan bir "kutsallık". İşte buna bayılıyorum!
Ben kitabı sevdim diyorum sonuç olarak. Artılarıyla eksileriyle. Devamı var mı yok mu bilgim yok ama eğer varsa da kesinlikle okurum.
Kitabın ilk kısmı, nasıl desem, olağan ve sıradandı. Klişelerle çok güçlü bir hayal ürünü olmadığını bağıran bir kitap gibiydi.
İkinci kısıma geçince şöyle bi öksürüp çaktırmadan sağa sola baktım biraz utanarak, biraz çekinerek. Yukarıdaki düşüncelerimi sesli dile getirmiş olabilir miyim acaba farkında olmadan diye. Duyan yoksa kitaba devam edebilirim değil mi?
Üçüncü kısım ise; burada hiç beklemediğim bir olguyla karşılaştım. Bilen yoktur diye söylüyorum: benim çürümüş zihniyetleri, toplumları anlatan kitaplara oyunlara veya filmlere karşı zaafım var. Nedense beni kendine çok fena çekiyor. Mesela İthaki Yayınlarından çıkan Rapture Şehri, her ne kadar başırılı bir çalışma olmasa da dokusundaki, insanlıktaki, evrenindeki o çarpıklıklaşma, kusursuzluk arayışının aslında büsbütün bir kusur barındırıyor olması beni kendimden geçirmişti. Barbarlar Şehri o kadar sapkın değil tabii fakat, son kısmı okuyunca anlayacaksınız şimdi açık seçik bir şey söyleyemiyorum, yine de hiç beklemediğim bir yerden beni vurup Tanrısallık algısının abartıldığında, insanları ne yönde yok ettiğini anlatmasını okumak çok lezzetliydi.
Kitabın başlarındaki vahşilik sizleri aslında neyle başa çıkacağınızı uyarırken sondaki ise sizi çaresiz bırakan, uyuşturan, benliğinizi yok eden, savaşma gücünüzü elinizden alan bir "kutsallık". İşte buna bayılıyorum!
Ben kitabı sevdim diyorum sonuç olarak. Artılarıyla eksileriyle. Devamı var mı yok mu bilgim yok ama eğer varsa da kesinlikle okurum.
November 29, 2014
I was so lucky to be able to read an ARC of Lee Kelly's CITY OF SAVAGES as part of the Class of 2k15. I loved this book except for the part where I stayed up way too late finishing it and now am having difficulty keeping my eyes open.
Was it worth it?
Definitely.
The world as we know is no longer. Instead Sky and Phee and their mother are prisoners of war in NYC, at least until events occur forcing them to question their entire existence. Twists and turns happen in just the right places, the relationship between the two sisters is complicated and believable, and the writing is so spot-on I savored it. Except when I got so caught up in the story I forgot to absorb the fantastic writing.
CITY OF SAVAGES is a terrific combination of a fast-paced plot and beautiful writing. I highly recommend it.
Was it worth it?
Definitely.
The world as we know is no longer. Instead Sky and Phee and their mother are prisoners of war in NYC, at least until events occur forcing them to question their entire existence. Twists and turns happen in just the right places, the relationship between the two sisters is complicated and believable, and the writing is so spot-on I savored it. Except when I got so caught up in the story I forgot to absorb the fantastic writing.
CITY OF SAVAGES is a terrific combination of a fast-paced plot and beautiful writing. I highly recommend it.
November 19, 2015
4.5 stars
I loved this read! Very dark PA/Dystopian story about 2 sisters trying to make it in post-war destroyed Manhatten with their mother. There's danger and death everywhere, and finding questions to answers results in more questions than answers. The action was incredible, I loved the plot, and the world building was very well done. If you like PA/Dystopian, this is a must read!
I loved this read! Very dark PA/Dystopian story about 2 sisters trying to make it in post-war destroyed Manhatten with their mother. There's danger and death everywhere, and finding questions to answers results in more questions than answers. The action was incredible, I loved the plot, and the world building was very well done. If you like PA/Dystopian, this is a must read!
February 23, 2015
I loved the sisters relationship, and got totally sucked into the setting -- didn't want it to end.
March 7, 2017
2.9/5
Yorumu için: http://kronikokur.blogspot.com.tr/201...
Yorumu için: http://kronikokur.blogspot.com.tr/201...
September 15, 2014
I read an early version of this book as a member of the Freshman Fifteens. In alternating points of view, City of Savages follows sisters Sky and Phee, who live in a P.O.W. version of Manhattan in the aftermath of a global war. In pieces, through their mother’s stolen journal, they learn the history of both their family and the city that one sister views as a place of opportunity, the other as a place of oppression. Every character in this book is a hauntingly rich mix of good and bad, from the sisters themselves--who love each other, yet are capable of extreme jealousy--to the dictator of the camp--who rules with an uncompromising iron fist, except, strangely, in the case of Sky and Phee’s family. Throw in cannibals, a cult, and a beautiful English boy and his brother, and this book has everything you need to stay up all night turning pages. Lovers of science fiction, romance, and even literary fiction will find plenty to love.
December 3, 2018
Beautifully written. From the first chapter, Lee Kelly captures your interest with her futuristic tale of a desperate family trying to survive in war torn Manhattan as seen through eyes of two very different sisters (Sky and Phee).
The story is told by cleverly weaving the past and present by way of their mother’s journal. Although the action is fast paced and intense, this story never loses its heart as you desperately care about what happens to this family. I finished this book in 2 days. A must read.
The story is told by cleverly weaving the past and present by way of their mother’s journal. Although the action is fast paced and intense, this story never loses its heart as you desperately care about what happens to this family. I finished this book in 2 days. A must read.
May 2, 2018
I'm so sorry but I hated it. I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all. for just a second, I thought it'll be end with an orgy or smt. sorry. it's just a waste of time.
okumayın bacılar. gidin bikaç bölüm cennet mahallesi izleyin. en azından gülersiniz.
okumayın bacılar. gidin bikaç bölüm cennet mahallesi izleyin. en azından gülersiniz.
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