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Viral Nation #0.5
Broken Nation
From the author of Viral Nation comes the chilling story of Leanne Wood, a seventeen-year-old girl trying to make sense of the new world around her—and more than anything, just trying to survive.
First came the Second Civil War, when the U.S. government tried to deport tens of thousands of Mexican farmworkers all at once. Then came the airborne Virus that ended the war—and the lives of almost everyone. Now America is a weak and struggling shadow of its former self: where there were once fifty states there are now just fifty cities; where resources were once plentiful they are now scarce and doled out in rations; and where democracy once flourished there is now only the Company, the sole remaining power—because they control the drug that keeps the Virus at bay.
Leanne, one of the few survivors of the Virus but now orphaned and missing a leg, must rely on the help of Alex Santiago, the one person she still knows, the one person who can help her avoid being conscripted by the military, and the one person who swore he’d come back to save her. . . .
First came the Second Civil War, when the U.S. government tried to deport tens of thousands of Mexican farmworkers all at once. Then came the airborne Virus that ended the war—and the lives of almost everyone. Now America is a weak and struggling shadow of its former self: where there were once fifty states there are now just fifty cities; where resources were once plentiful they are now scarce and doled out in rations; and where democracy once flourished there is now only the Company, the sole remaining power—because they control the drug that keeps the Virus at bay.
Leanne, one of the few survivors of the Virus but now orphaned and missing a leg, must rely on the help of Alex Santiago, the one person she still knows, the one person who can help her avoid being conscripted by the military, and the one person who swore he’d come back to save her. . . .
55 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 9, 2014
1 person is currently reading
269 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 11, 2018
I downloaded a copy of Broken Nation by Shaunta Grimes from Instafreebies for a price that is reflective of the site name. At 55 pages it is a short read that introduces the reader to the Grimes style of writing. It is dystopian and not a genre I generally follow but I liked the writing and will probably read Viral Nation, a 320-page novel … as soon as the price comes down. Viral is currently USD 9.99 and, as mentioned, this is not one of my top genre of interest.
I was interested in this offering because of the author’s Facebook page. She is one of several Ninja Writers, a social media blog on Writing, for writers wondering around in confusion. Which pretty much describes writers. Her style of writing appealed to me on Facebook and email messages, so I wanted to see how her style translated into a novella.
Leanne Wood wakes up in a hospital to the realization that she has lost a leg. The amputation was supposedly necessary to save her life from a continuing virus that is destroying civilization as we know it. There is a friend, Maggie, in the hospital who has also been ravaged by the same virus in a way that disfigured her face. Then there is Alex, the boyfriend of Leanne, who exists outside the hospital, seems to have not been affected by the virus, but lives in some type of protected area. There are restrictions on where and with whom people can live. To obey the law would mean Leanne cannot live with Alex. The two accept that they must break the law and while doing so they can also help Maggie.
In this short novella, there are few answers and many questions. Some of the mysteries are teasers for longer novels. It would be an unusual reader that considers this a standalone novel. I found nothing wrong with this because I was able to find out what I wanted to know. Shaunta Grimes is an interesting writer. While waiting for the price of Viral Nation to come down, I will follow her on Facebook and take part in some of the activities she sponsors.
I liked the style of writing in Broken Nation more than the three stars I gave it on Amazon. This read like a free sample on Amazon and, although I like what I read, and understand the purpose of a novella teaser, it was a bit too incomplete for me to give it a higher rating.
I was interested in this offering because of the author’s Facebook page. She is one of several Ninja Writers, a social media blog on Writing, for writers wondering around in confusion. Which pretty much describes writers. Her style of writing appealed to me on Facebook and email messages, so I wanted to see how her style translated into a novella.
Leanne Wood wakes up in a hospital to the realization that she has lost a leg. The amputation was supposedly necessary to save her life from a continuing virus that is destroying civilization as we know it. There is a friend, Maggie, in the hospital who has also been ravaged by the same virus in a way that disfigured her face. Then there is Alex, the boyfriend of Leanne, who exists outside the hospital, seems to have not been affected by the virus, but lives in some type of protected area. There are restrictions on where and with whom people can live. To obey the law would mean Leanne cannot live with Alex. The two accept that they must break the law and while doing so they can also help Maggie.
In this short novella, there are few answers and many questions. Some of the mysteries are teasers for longer novels. It would be an unusual reader that considers this a standalone novel. I found nothing wrong with this because I was able to find out what I wanted to know. Shaunta Grimes is an interesting writer. While waiting for the price of Viral Nation to come down, I will follow her on Facebook and take part in some of the activities she sponsors.
I liked the style of writing in Broken Nation more than the three stars I gave it on Amazon. This read like a free sample on Amazon and, although I like what I read, and understand the purpose of a novella teaser, it was a bit too incomplete for me to give it a higher rating.
July 15, 2019
I love how this books tells how the Company came to be and what happened. I read the first two books first and absolutely loved them! This book is no different. I loved all the characters. Each one came with a different strength.
September 17, 2016
This is an interesting little story about Leanne, one of the supporting characters from the book Viral Nation. I must admit it took me the first two chapters to remember who Leanne was as it's been quite a long time since I read Viral Nation. I didn't let that bother me, though. Once I did remember Leanne, I was eager to learn how she became a Mariner as well as how she lost her leg. I also enjoyed reading about the time when the rules and order in Reno were still being established and the Waverly-Stead Academy was accepting its very first students.
SPOILER ALERT!
I did like all the characters in this story. Leanne and Alex were both so young, yet they took care of Maggie as if it was the most natural thing to do. They never even considered taking her to social workers, which showed maturity beyond their years. Not every teenager would be ready to adopt a child they've only known for a couple of months. I guess Leanne and Alex were forced to mature quickly, when they lost their parents and everyone else they loved. It must have been very difficult for Alex to choose between Leanne and their friends outside the city. I appreciate the fact that he didn't leave Leanne alone in Reno even though he did not like staying in the city himself. Maybe it was for the best that he got to live outside the city in the end. However, I'm not sure that Leanne had the right to make that choice for him.
I would recommend this book for everyone who is interested in learning more about the world of Viral Nation. Those who consider giving Viral Nation a try may also like to read this story. It's a quick introduction to the world Shaunta Grimes has created and may help you decide, whether Viral Nation is a book for you.
SPOILER ALERT!
I did like all the characters in this story. Leanne and Alex were both so young, yet they took care of Maggie as if it was the most natural thing to do. They never even considered taking her to social workers, which showed maturity beyond their years. Not every teenager would be ready to adopt a child they've only known for a couple of months. I guess Leanne and Alex were forced to mature quickly, when they lost their parents and everyone else they loved. It must have been very difficult for Alex to choose between Leanne and their friends outside the city. I appreciate the fact that he didn't leave Leanne alone in Reno even though he did not like staying in the city himself. Maybe it was for the best that he got to live outside the city in the end. However, I'm not sure that Leanne had the right to make that choice for him.
I would recommend this book for everyone who is interested in learning more about the world of Viral Nation. Those who consider giving Viral Nation a try may also like to read this story. It's a quick introduction to the world Shaunta Grimes has created and may help you decide, whether Viral Nation is a book for you.
December 7, 2014
Pretty good little snippet into a world I love! I've always liked Leanne and reading from her POV in the early days was cool. I don't think it's necessary to the story arc, most is explained pretty well in the first two books. But for sure more info than you get in those books. Any dystopian fan needs to read these! They're soooo good! I'm impatiently waiting for the third one lol!
July 21, 2014
This was interesting, I liked to see how the new world started out, how Leanne made some hard choices that hurt her, but were good for everyone.
Want to read
March 14, 2019Actually I am sad and really upset the author pulled this. Don't go offering a book on smashwords, and amazon and then not! Author even offered review copies and it never happened. So IF this book is ever available again I will remove from this list. Honestly I will read book 2 because I bought it but I will no longer invest in Shaunta Grimes books. I feel published and then pulling a book like that is doing wrong by your fans. Especially when it is part of a series like this and no explanation is given anywhere. Even a linked tweet or post on your blog, statement on Amazon or GR profile saying "re-writing or editing, will be re released around XXX-XX date would be acceptable but this irritates me to offer it (I know it was on amazon since i had it on my amazon wishlist but wasn't ready to pay 3.99 for a novella when funds are tight. But when I go to get it..POOF! Gone. Everywhere. Not cool.
*This "review" will be changed if I ever get wind of the book being available again. Even just on a blog, wattpadd, etc that is fine, or resale.
*This "review" will be changed if I ever get wind of the book being available again. Even just on a blog, wattpadd, etc that is fine, or resale.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews