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Quarantine #2
The Saints
A cross between the Gone series and Lord of the Flies , Quarantine #2: The Saints continues this frenetically paced and scary young adult series that illustrates just how deadly high school can be. Nothing was worse than being locked in―until they opened the door...
McKinley High has been a battleground for eighteen months since a virus outbreak led to a military quarantine of the school. When the doors finally open, Will and Lucy think their nightmare is finished. But they are gravely mistaken. As a new group of teens enters the school and gains popularity, Will and Lucy join new gangs. An epic party on the quad full of real food and drinks, where kids hook up and actually interact with members of other gangs seemed to signal a new, easier existence. Soon after, though, the world inside McKinley takes a startling turn for the worse, and Will and Lucy will have to fight harder than ever to survive. The Saints brings readers back to the dark and deadly halls of McKinley High and the Quarantine series.
McKinley High has been a battleground for eighteen months since a virus outbreak led to a military quarantine of the school. When the doors finally open, Will and Lucy think their nightmare is finished. But they are gravely mistaken. As a new group of teens enters the school and gains popularity, Will and Lucy join new gangs. An epic party on the quad full of real food and drinks, where kids hook up and actually interact with members of other gangs seemed to signal a new, easier existence. Soon after, though, the world inside McKinley takes a startling turn for the worse, and Will and Lucy will have to fight harder than ever to survive. The Saints brings readers back to the dark and deadly halls of McKinley High and the Quarantine series.
418 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 9, 2013
153 people are currently reading
3634 people want to read
About the author
Lex Thomas
10 books361 followersLex Thomas is the pen name for the writing team of Lex Hrabe and Thomas Voorhies. Their first novel, QUARANTINE: THE LONERS, earned a starred review from Booklist, and Huffington Post Books praised it, saying, "You will not be able to put this book down."
Lex received a BA in Drama and English from the University of Virginia and has worked as an actor, director and writer. Thomas graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design, and now writes, and exhibits his realist oil paintings in Los Angeles.
Lex and Thomas met in a writers' group in Los Angeles. Their friendship developed as they tried to blow each other's minds with clips from bizarre movies. In 2005, they became a screenwriting team, and found that writing with a friend is much more fun than doing it alone. Visit them at www.lex-thomas.com.
Lex received a BA in Drama and English from the University of Virginia and has worked as an actor, director and writer. Thomas graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design, and now writes, and exhibits his realist oil paintings in Los Angeles.
Lex and Thomas met in a writers' group in Los Angeles. Their friendship developed as they tried to blow each other's minds with clips from bizarre movies. In 2005, they became a screenwriting team, and found that writing with a friend is much more fun than doing it alone. Visit them at www.lex-thomas.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 345 reviews
June 22, 2020
It took me two days to read this (because i had to sleep and live) or I would have read it faster. I finish it and i realize that this is by far the most shallow book i'v ever read!
Don't get me wrong there is a lot of action and the pace is pretty decent so it keeps you reading and it's a fine book, it is! But personally I found it unnecessary brutal.
- Every single character is either chauvinist or feminist.
- Everyone is labeled (Slut, Geek, Nerd, Freak...) and discriminated because of it and their behavior just made me cringe around the book.
- I didn't relate to anyone so i can make excuses for him/her and for that matter I found the secondary characters more explored (in psych and background story) than the MCs. >[for example i know that Hillary's mother hated her, but i have no idea what Will and David family is like or Lucy's]<
I might have had a better experience if i fell in love with one of the MCs but truth be told i hated them all (Lucy the most, Will the least) more then the "villains".
So if you are looking for mindless action this is a fun read for you. My advise is: don't thing too much about the physics of it all and enjoy the ups and downs of everyday life in McKinley High.
August 7, 2016
I recently wrote a review for an amazing debut novel from the creative man-duo Lex Thomas, two friends who managed to craft Quarantine 1: The Loners, a book about a mutating super-virus epidemic that results in an entire high school being quarantined by the military, and what happens inside the school as a result of no adult supervision. It was fantastic, and it got a 4.75 stars from me.
Then book two, The Saints, came out, and it broke my heart. And not in a good way.
A lot of the things I loved about book one were missing in book two. For one thing, David—the main character of The Loners—isn't there, because he "graduated," losing his immunity to the virus and thus having to leave the school. For another, the Loners tribe from book one escapes McKinley High at the very beginning…except Will, Lucy, and about 7 or 8 other kids, thus stripping them of their strength. The Loners disband and everyone joins different tribes to stay safe. So most of the characters I got attached to in The Loners are gone after, like, page 10.
But the biggest thing is the sex and the violence. In The Loners, sure kids are having sex and killing each other in this incredibly high-stress, unsupervised environment—but it's handled tastefully and for the most part it's off-screen, as it were. We see a few kids get killed, yes, but it's not wet violence, with gratuitous description and a high ick-factor. We get more of the "oh that's terrible" emotional punch and less of the "oh, that's disgusting" reaction.
Not so in The Saints. In book two, sex is handled a lot more crudely and casually, and we get a lot more wet violence. I was actually nauseated reading the violent bits. I only finished so I could write this review.
Let me restate this so you all understand: I had the same reaction to a young adult novel as I did to watching Saw II. Yeah. The violence was that gross. Was that really necessary, Lex Thomas? Really? No, it wasn't. Come on, guys. One of the things that impressed me the most about you two was that your debut novel was tastefully done. Why must you unnecessarily step up the ick?
Another big issue I had with the plot was Sam and Hilary from book one. In book one, Sam is very much the homicidal whacked-out power-hungry dictator kid. Hilary is torn between wanting to be safe/comfortable with Sam or doing the right thing and protecting David, whom she still loves. In book two, we lose both of these dynamics. We begin to see a more vulnerable (and also a crazier) side of Sam, and learn that his father's manipulation and emotional abuse is why he's so bat-crap crazy. We also learn about Hilary's mother's emotional abuse, which explains why she's so cruel, but we've lost the part of her that made her someone you wanted redeemed in book one—and we never find out why that happens. What changed Hilary? We don't know. David leaving? Maybe, but again, we never find out.
As for Sam, the moment his father shows him that he really loves him, that it's not all about strength and winning, Sam's like, "Okay, I'm good. I'm escaping now. Forget conquering McKinley High. I am so out of here." Which basically means he's not a threat. He doesn't need to die anymore because he wants out of McKinley, and once out of McKinley, he'll probably get shot by the military. So why does he need to get killed by a wild pig? It's like, the moment Sam becomes even close to sympathetic, Lex Thomas got twitchy about him being less than psychotically evil and killed him off—and in a really violet, gory way. Why?
And then of course there's Gates, the new kid, the leader of the Saints (so-called because they're escapees from St. Patrick's private school down the road). We as the reader know right away that he's gonzo. It's pretty obvious. A) he's obviously bipolar and b) he just gives off the nutso-vibe. So when Will hooks up with him as his new best friend, it's like, "Ohhh, snaps." Now Gates is a very well-done character. I actually like him as a character. I would never be friends with this guy (too much of a party animal) but he's well-written. And he's a better-done bad guy than Sam, because he has more dimensions. His type of crazy isn't so close to the surface.
But!
One new, well-done character isn't enough to balance out the problems in this book. In fact, even all the cool things in The Saints aren't enough. What good things there are—learning about the Sluts and their initiation, the surprisingly happy new lives of the former Loners, Will and Lucy finally getting together, a new and better bad guy—don't balance out the sickening amount of wet violence in the book, the tacky sex-capades (the single, very glossed-over scene between Will and Lucy and Lucy's hesitation about giving her virginity away to just anyone are the only things done tastefully here), and the sudden urge everyone has to party all the time with the new supplies they get from Sam's parents due to Gates taking Sam hostage.
Maybe the point was to show that in high-stress situations, teenagers act like wild animals, but we kind of figured that one out during The Loners, and it was shown in a much less tacky way. I don't know. I was very disappointed in this book. It seemed like the storylines involving Will and Gates were mostly full of cheap shock-events, and the only thing worth reading was Lucy's initiation and membership in the Sluts. That's less than 1/3 of the book.
There were plenty of other things that piqued my interest, but they were never followed up on: what happened to two of the Loners who were very much in love during book one, one of whom graduated; the pregnant girl we meet in the Sluts in book two, who's going to graduate in time to have her baby safely; the Freak and the Nerd who got "married" apparently in book one (we only hear about it in book two, but never see it) who graduated on the same day together. Those things are never followed up on, and I for one would've liked to see this marriage in The Loners.
And of course, they ended the book on a cliffhanger. So Gates may or may not be dead, Violent—the leader of the Sluts, who is a wonderful person—may or may not be dead, Sam is dead, Lucy is badly injured and Hilary is out to probably literally kill her, and we don't know what happens to the pregnant girl.
I hate you, Lex Thomas. Because I'm gonna have to read book 3 when it comes out (although I'll probably just skim it) so I know what happens. But I'm not buying them. You've broken my heart with your sudden urge to jump your rating from PG to R, with your twisted descriptions of people being scalped with box-cutters and kids getting their throats torn out by wild pigs, and I've lost my faith in you guys. I don't know what happened, but your second book is a 1.5 star. It just was so badly done, so lazy. As if you couldn't be bothered to work at getting the same effect with less blood and bare skin and profane language. I don't understand—were we, your fans, not worth trying?
Sincerely and with much sadness,
LA Knight
Then book two, The Saints, came out, and it broke my heart. And not in a good way.
A lot of the things I loved about book one were missing in book two. For one thing, David—the main character of The Loners—isn't there, because he "graduated," losing his immunity to the virus and thus having to leave the school. For another, the Loners tribe from book one escapes McKinley High at the very beginning…except Will, Lucy, and about 7 or 8 other kids, thus stripping them of their strength. The Loners disband and everyone joins different tribes to stay safe. So most of the characters I got attached to in The Loners are gone after, like, page 10.
But the biggest thing is the sex and the violence. In The Loners, sure kids are having sex and killing each other in this incredibly high-stress, unsupervised environment—but it's handled tastefully and for the most part it's off-screen, as it were. We see a few kids get killed, yes, but it's not wet violence, with gratuitous description and a high ick-factor. We get more of the "oh that's terrible" emotional punch and less of the "oh, that's disgusting" reaction.
Not so in The Saints. In book two, sex is handled a lot more crudely and casually, and we get a lot more wet violence. I was actually nauseated reading the violent bits. I only finished so I could write this review.
Let me restate this so you all understand: I had the same reaction to a young adult novel as I did to watching Saw II. Yeah. The violence was that gross. Was that really necessary, Lex Thomas? Really? No, it wasn't. Come on, guys. One of the things that impressed me the most about you two was that your debut novel was tastefully done. Why must you unnecessarily step up the ick?
Another big issue I had with the plot was Sam and Hilary from book one. In book one, Sam is very much the homicidal whacked-out power-hungry dictator kid. Hilary is torn between wanting to be safe/comfortable with Sam or doing the right thing and protecting David, whom she still loves. In book two, we lose both of these dynamics. We begin to see a more vulnerable (and also a crazier) side of Sam, and learn that his father's manipulation and emotional abuse is why he's so bat-crap crazy. We also learn about Hilary's mother's emotional abuse, which explains why she's so cruel, but we've lost the part of her that made her someone you wanted redeemed in book one—and we never find out why that happens. What changed Hilary? We don't know. David leaving? Maybe, but again, we never find out.
As for Sam, the moment his father shows him that he really loves him, that it's not all about strength and winning, Sam's like, "Okay, I'm good. I'm escaping now. Forget conquering McKinley High. I am so out of here." Which basically means he's not a threat. He doesn't need to die anymore because he wants out of McKinley, and once out of McKinley, he'll probably get shot by the military. So why does he need to get killed by a wild pig? It's like, the moment Sam becomes even close to sympathetic, Lex Thomas got twitchy about him being less than psychotically evil and killed him off—and in a really violet, gory way. Why?
And then of course there's Gates, the new kid, the leader of the Saints (so-called because they're escapees from St. Patrick's private school down the road). We as the reader know right away that he's gonzo. It's pretty obvious. A) he's obviously bipolar and b) he just gives off the nutso-vibe. So when Will hooks up with him as his new best friend, it's like, "Ohhh, snaps." Now Gates is a very well-done character. I actually like him as a character. I would never be friends with this guy (too much of a party animal) but he's well-written. And he's a better-done bad guy than Sam, because he has more dimensions. His type of crazy isn't so close to the surface.
But!
One new, well-done character isn't enough to balance out the problems in this book. In fact, even all the cool things in The Saints aren't enough. What good things there are—learning about the Sluts and their initiation, the surprisingly happy new lives of the former Loners, Will and Lucy finally getting together, a new and better bad guy—don't balance out the sickening amount of wet violence in the book, the tacky sex-capades (the single, very glossed-over scene between Will and Lucy and Lucy's hesitation about giving her virginity away to just anyone are the only things done tastefully here), and the sudden urge everyone has to party all the time with the new supplies they get from Sam's parents due to Gates taking Sam hostage.
Maybe the point was to show that in high-stress situations, teenagers act like wild animals, but we kind of figured that one out during The Loners, and it was shown in a much less tacky way. I don't know. I was very disappointed in this book. It seemed like the storylines involving Will and Gates were mostly full of cheap shock-events, and the only thing worth reading was Lucy's initiation and membership in the Sluts. That's less than 1/3 of the book.
There were plenty of other things that piqued my interest, but they were never followed up on: what happened to two of the Loners who were very much in love during book one, one of whom graduated; the pregnant girl we meet in the Sluts in book two, who's going to graduate in time to have her baby safely; the Freak and the Nerd who got "married" apparently in book one (we only hear about it in book two, but never see it) who graduated on the same day together. Those things are never followed up on, and I for one would've liked to see this marriage in The Loners.
And of course, they ended the book on a cliffhanger. So Gates may or may not be dead, Violent—the leader of the Sluts, who is a wonderful person—may or may not be dead, Sam is dead, Lucy is badly injured and Hilary is out to probably literally kill her, and we don't know what happens to the pregnant girl.
I hate you, Lex Thomas. Because I'm gonna have to read book 3 when it comes out (although I'll probably just skim it) so I know what happens. But I'm not buying them. You've broken my heart with your sudden urge to jump your rating from PG to R, with your twisted descriptions of people being scalped with box-cutters and kids getting their throats torn out by wild pigs, and I've lost my faith in you guys. I don't know what happened, but your second book is a 1.5 star. It just was so badly done, so lazy. As if you couldn't be bothered to work at getting the same effect with less blood and bare skin and profane language. I don't understand—were we, your fans, not worth trying?
Sincerely and with much sadness,
LA Knight
October 2, 2014
Lex Thomas did not disappoint in this sequel to Quarantine: The Loners.
The Saints picked up immediately where The Loners left off, and swiftly moved the story along introducing the new group added into the crazy-ass mix, The Saints.
What follows was...insane, incredible, brutal and heart-breaking.
Keeping in with the frenetic pace that was established in The Loners, life in McKinley changes - yet again - but is it necessarily for the better? Characters we were introduced to and grew to care for (or intensely despise, I'm looking at you Hilary and Sam) developed into different creatures in The Saints. Will found what he thought he was looking for, Lucy evolved into something surprising, Sam became someone who felt pity for and Hilary slipped deeper into psychopathy.
Something that surprised me was the believablity of the female characters, more to the point - the interaction between female characters, and the fact that it was written by men. In my experience, it's a rare beast to find a novel written by a man who is able to write from a female point of view and not fuck it up to the point where I'm sitting there screaming at the book and throwing it across the room whilst spewing obscenities. The fact that the writing duo known as Lex Thomas (yes, TWO men) were able to pull it off beautifully is a testament to their superb ability.
It also earns them a place in my twisted, dark heart.
Quarantine: The Saints was fucking awesome and I'm eagerly awaiting the third installment. So, you know guys, get on it.
I received Quarantine: The Saints as an ARC through Netgalley via Egmont USA Publishing.
The Saints picked up immediately where The Loners left off, and swiftly moved the story along introducing the new group added into the crazy-ass mix, The Saints.
What follows was...insane, incredible, brutal and heart-breaking.
Keeping in with the frenetic pace that was established in The Loners, life in McKinley changes - yet again - but is it necessarily for the better? Characters we were introduced to and grew to care for (or intensely despise, I'm looking at you Hilary and Sam) developed into different creatures in The Saints. Will found what he thought he was looking for, Lucy evolved into something surprising, Sam became someone who felt pity for and Hilary slipped deeper into psychopathy.
Something that surprised me was the believablity of the female characters, more to the point - the interaction between female characters, and the fact that it was written by men. In my experience, it's a rare beast to find a novel written by a man who is able to write from a female point of view and not fuck it up to the point where I'm sitting there screaming at the book and throwing it across the room whilst spewing obscenities. The fact that the writing duo known as Lex Thomas (yes, TWO men) were able to pull it off beautifully is a testament to their superb ability.
It also earns them a place in my twisted, dark heart.
Quarantine: The Saints was fucking awesome and I'm eagerly awaiting the third installment. So, you know guys, get on it.
I received Quarantine: The Saints as an ARC through Netgalley via Egmont USA Publishing.
August 18, 2025
WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FRICK. i have no words for this book… however i decided to read the second book before the first book and i have no idea what the virus does to everyone so i think i have to read it. DO NOT READ if you don’t like VERY gore filled scenes because oh my i was cringing at them but like lowkey in the best way. that doesn’t sound too serial killer esc… does it?
July 29, 2017
This book starts off with a strong wham! And if you think there was hope for these kids...think again hahaha.
I like Will much better in these books. He still makes stupid mistakes but he at least tries some. ANd it is easier to see that he is just a kid still here. I also really liked getting to know Lucy's character more. And, unfortunately, Hillary's too. That girl scares me. Mostly for her own sanity but still. Severe crazy chick alert!! Violent is one I wish I got to know better in this book. It was nice to see her character start to develop. There are a lot of layers to this tough girl!
So just when you start to get compliant with this book, and I am thinking it is so mild after awhile- I got a very loud NOPE in the story. Loved the added drama and craziness. These teens are seriously cracking!!
I am now eager for book three!
I like Will much better in these books. He still makes stupid mistakes but he at least tries some. ANd it is easier to see that he is just a kid still here. I also really liked getting to know Lucy's character more. And, unfortunately, Hillary's too. That girl scares me. Mostly for her own sanity but still. Severe crazy chick alert!! Violent is one I wish I got to know better in this book. It was nice to see her character start to develop. There are a lot of layers to this tough girl!
So just when you start to get compliant with this book, and I am thinking it is so mild after awhile- I got a very loud NOPE in the story. Loved the added drama and craziness. These teens are seriously cracking!!
I am now eager for book three!
February 23, 2014
I had a lot of problems with this book compared to the first one
Synopsis: David has escaped and is believed to be dead by his girlfriend, Lucy and his brother, Will. The government has stopped providing food and electricity. Then a group of infects, nicknamed "The Saints" because of their school mascot, come to rescue the McKinley students. But before they can leave a bus blocks the entrance (as you can see from the cover). The bus was put there by "the concerned parents" who start providing food for them. However, there was an accident involving a falling crate killing over 100 McKinley students (77 being Loners). The Loners disband and everyone joins different groups. Since I explained the first 30 pages or so, on with the review.
First of all I never really liked Will. I didn't really like Lucy either. I understand they're SUPPOSED to have flaws and they're supposed to mature and overcome them, but while Thomas fixes flaws, he makes more for them to fix.
Will is one hell of an annoying protagonist. I like David better. Not sure what else to say. He was a bitch to whoever Lucy was with. I get it, you like a girl, you don't have to stalk her or insult her or the people she's with or have any right to say something to her especially when you relinquish that right voluntarily in the first place. *he pretty much told her he hated her to get her to leave The Loners*. fuck you dumbass. btw Lucy understands how much she fucked up in the end by screwing over her crew. enough said.
There's also the matter of Sam.*sighs* I know there's some symbolism in his death but I really couldn't care about it. I'm happy with how he went though...pretty damn ironic. anyway Sam loses his position and power and is eventually held hostage by the crazy leader of The Saints (his dad is the leader of "the concerned parents"). Im just curious why NOBODY told "the concerned parents" why they hated Sam. Especially after the parents pretty called them monsters...why not tell them that Sam was the leader to a hoarding cult who tried to kill at least 3 people, did kill at least 2 on purpose for no reason, and ordered a hit on David?
p.s. I don't think anyone could have survived on a few cans of food for the 2 week time skip between books
Synopsis: David has escaped and is believed to be dead by his girlfriend, Lucy and his brother, Will. The government has stopped providing food and electricity. Then a group of infects, nicknamed "The Saints" because of their school mascot, come to rescue the McKinley students. But before they can leave a bus blocks the entrance (as you can see from the cover). The bus was put there by "the concerned parents" who start providing food for them. However, there was an accident involving a falling crate killing over 100 McKinley students (77 being Loners). The Loners disband and everyone joins different groups. Since I explained the first 30 pages or so, on with the review.
First of all I never really liked Will. I didn't really like Lucy either. I understand they're SUPPOSED to have flaws and they're supposed to mature and overcome them, but while Thomas fixes flaws, he makes more for them to fix.
Will is one hell of an annoying protagonist. I like David better. Not sure what else to say. He was a bitch to whoever Lucy was with. I get it, you like a girl, you don't have to stalk her or insult her or the people she's with or have any right to say something to her especially when you relinquish that right voluntarily in the first place. *he pretty much told her he hated her to get her to leave The Loners*. fuck you dumbass. btw Lucy understands how much she fucked up in the end by screwing over her crew. enough said.
There's also the matter of Sam.*sighs* I know there's some symbolism in his death but I really couldn't care about it. I'm happy with how he went though...pretty damn ironic. anyway Sam loses his position and power and is eventually held hostage by the crazy leader of The Saints (his dad is the leader of "the concerned parents"). Im just curious why NOBODY told "the concerned parents" why they hated Sam. Especially after the parents pretty called them monsters...why not tell them that Sam was the leader to a hoarding cult who tried to kill at least 3 people, did kill at least 2 on purpose for no reason, and ordered a hit on David?
p.s. I don't think anyone could have survived on a few cans of food for the 2 week time skip between books
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2014
Second verse, same as the first (except we've had a couple of drinks and we don't know all the words now)
Read the spoiler if you'd like a summary of The Saints without having to suffer through 300 pages...
Congrats, you just finished 'The Saints'
Read the spoiler if you'd like a summary of The Saints without having to suffer through 300 pages...
Congrats, you just finished 'The Saints'
March 16, 2014
This book was the second in the series. The first book started from the beginning of what happened to a high school full of teenagers. They'd caught a virus that killed any adult or young child that came within 20ft of them. In a scary way Lex Thomas captured what happens to teenagers when there's no adults to supervise or enforce the rules. When food drops came they'd fight & maim for the supplies instead each getting their fair share. It's a society based on death, cruelty & terror.
I liked the book but it made me sad & terrified to think that these teen(or teens like them) will be our future & running the world.
I liked the book but it made me sad & terrified to think that these teen(or teens like them) will be our future & running the world.
July 31, 2017
Review: Wooooooooohooooooo this book was a ride! That was just crazy! Not even sure what to say. Sooooo much gore, I actually felt a little off when I read it. No holding back on the graphic descriptions either. I think I like it? So many developments occured, only to be shot down when So many deaths in this one! And of important characters! Oh woah. So now what's gonna happen? Can't wait to see the fallout, the consequences in the next book! I almost want to read the next one right now, that's how good this one was XD My anticipation will not be sated! I suppose I'm pleased that And I'm also hating She's going to be in so much shit next book! I can't wait!
July 26, 2017
Wow another cliff hanger!
March 21, 2019
this book picked up right where the first one left off. the news of david's death definitely but a toll on the group and it was amazing how they picked up right after. watching the loners fall apart was painful, but seeing will make it as a saint was good. my favorite part was lucy's naked week, she worked so hard and the raw emotion of the moment she found out what she had to do was great. i loved the ending, especially how sam died, kind of ironic, as he was a pig himself...gates' short rein was well lived for sure, but he was frickin crazy. can't wait to start the next one soon!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2018
I really liked this book. I like how David was able to get out. I like how Gates and the other kids go to join them in the school. I hate how the parents feel and would hate to be one. I like how David tries to help them and get the kids demands. I like how Lucy is able to get into another gang. I feel bad for Will, until he joins the Saints. I rate this book 5 stars.
January 12, 2020
3,5owls.
That ending???? No, not Okay!
That ending???? No, not Okay!
January 6, 2023
Thank God David is alive and Gates is dead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2017
Another cliff hanger!!! Can't wait to read the next one!
December 12, 2017
Actual rating - 3.5
December 1, 2016
Eighteen months since the virus broke out, McKinley High students are still quarantined inside, but the nightmare has not diminished. David Thorpe has escaped confinement and left his brother Will, Lucy and what remains of the Loners behind. In "The Saints", the second book in the Quarantine series the action and heartbreak continues as a new gang of kids arrive to break them out of their prison only to find themselves locked inside. In this new turn of events the dynamics within the gangs begins to change as "The Saints", a new popular faction takes power . In this story the remnant of Loners have joined other gangs. Will and Lucy's friendship has been weakened by harsh words and both struggle with their inner demons to survive in a world that's only grown worse.
Like the high school the world outside has increased in hostility and brutality as the virus spreads and the military begins killing teens on sight if they don't turn themselves in. At McKinley High after a disastrous attempt to free the students, a new gang of outsiders called the Saints have taken power their leader blackmailing their protectors into giving them the amenities they've sorely lacked including alcohol, a motorcycle and a hog. With clever adroitness the team of Lex Thomas has developed a riveting plot that twists and turns as events unfold. Although the gangs intermingle at parties and at the Geek Show, any sense of humanity has been lost amid the depravity, violence and hopelessness.
In this story old characters have returned, but new personalities have taken center stage who revel in blackmail, lust, and madness. Will Thorpe wanting the respect and admiration his brother once held has joined the Saints, walking in the shadow of its cocky and admired leader, Gates. But as time passes he's becoming more and more disillusioned with Gate's obsessive -compulsive behaviour. Lucy who's joined the Sluts has gained a new confident aggressiveness. Yet for all the cruelty and heartlessness she shows from time to time, Lucy still holds tight to her self-respect. Sam Howard ostracized not only by his gang but all those who hate him has become a hopeless victim, wallowing in the past, while Hilary Bowden has become even more proud and arrogant, ice-cold in her interactions. Of the Saints, Gates is the high-strung, reckless, volatile leader; one minute overconfident and bold, the next moody and indulging his psychosis. All these characters and the secrets they harbour raise the intensity and drama of this darkly chilling story.
This is the second of the Quarantine series which follows the further moral and ethical decline of teens locked away in a high school until with age the virus disappears and they can leave. This story which introduces new elements in the makeup of the gangs is probably darker and even more explosive than the last. Having read "the Lord of the Flies" and the "Gone" series I'm interested in how Lex Thomas will end this mesmerizing story in the last book.
Like the high school the world outside has increased in hostility and brutality as the virus spreads and the military begins killing teens on sight if they don't turn themselves in. At McKinley High after a disastrous attempt to free the students, a new gang of outsiders called the Saints have taken power their leader blackmailing their protectors into giving them the amenities they've sorely lacked including alcohol, a motorcycle and a hog. With clever adroitness the team of Lex Thomas has developed a riveting plot that twists and turns as events unfold. Although the gangs intermingle at parties and at the Geek Show, any sense of humanity has been lost amid the depravity, violence and hopelessness.
In this story old characters have returned, but new personalities have taken center stage who revel in blackmail, lust, and madness. Will Thorpe wanting the respect and admiration his brother once held has joined the Saints, walking in the shadow of its cocky and admired leader, Gates. But as time passes he's becoming more and more disillusioned with Gate's obsessive -compulsive behaviour. Lucy who's joined the Sluts has gained a new confident aggressiveness. Yet for all the cruelty and heartlessness she shows from time to time, Lucy still holds tight to her self-respect. Sam Howard ostracized not only by his gang but all those who hate him has become a hopeless victim, wallowing in the past, while Hilary Bowden has become even more proud and arrogant, ice-cold in her interactions. Of the Saints, Gates is the high-strung, reckless, volatile leader; one minute overconfident and bold, the next moody and indulging his psychosis. All these characters and the secrets they harbour raise the intensity and drama of this darkly chilling story.
This is the second of the Quarantine series which follows the further moral and ethical decline of teens locked away in a high school until with age the virus disappears and they can leave. This story which introduces new elements in the makeup of the gangs is probably darker and even more explosive than the last. Having read "the Lord of the Flies" and the "Gone" series I'm interested in how Lex Thomas will end this mesmerizing story in the last book.
August 15, 2013
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I really enjoyed Quarantine: The Loners, it had a perfect blend of gore and action that I seemed to devour. Quarantine: The Saints delivers a sequel that most readers will consider worthy, but I can't help but feel underwhelmed. I'm not sure if it's because I have read so many dystopian titles since I first read Quarantine or if I was tired of reading a rehash of The Loners with a few new elements. The Saints is everything I would expect from Lex Thomas, but this time around, I didn't have such an enjoyable reading experience.
Part of my irritation with The Saints stemmed from the fact that I really expected the kids to have left the school by now. I really thought that I would learn more about the world in chaos that caused the kids to be quarantined in McKinley. The reader is given a few tidbits of information from the new visitors, but nothing impressive is ever expressed to the reader.
The Saints relies on the same exact formula as The Loners and it doesn't feel so fresh anymore. How many food scavenging and drama could I handle as a reader? The answer is not too much because I quickly became irritated with the same-old McKinley nonsense. It was interesting to read about a couple of times, but to be bombarded with the same plot elements over and again. No thanks! Not to mention the fact that this book is mostly concerned with Will and Lucy didn't help at all. I missed reading about David and his lack of presence really hurt this novel.
The ending of this book was so obvious and I just knew it was going to end like that. Some people may consider it a cliffhanger, but I have never seen through a plot so easily. A cliffhanger should surprise the reader and make them want to read them more, not irritate them endlessly. Part of the reason why I kept reading was to see how it ended and the fact that the ending was such a poor conclusion didn't bode well at all.
The Loners isn't a terrible sequel at all, but I expected Thomas to switch it up a bit. I wanted something new and refreshing, instead of all of this filler shenanigans. I believe if I had read this around the time that I had read The Loners, I would have enjoyed this far more. I will be reading book #3 in hopes that isn't as uneven as The Saints was. I can only hope that book #3 is a step up and isn't a total dud.
I really enjoyed Quarantine: The Loners, it had a perfect blend of gore and action that I seemed to devour. Quarantine: The Saints delivers a sequel that most readers will consider worthy, but I can't help but feel underwhelmed. I'm not sure if it's because I have read so many dystopian titles since I first read Quarantine or if I was tired of reading a rehash of The Loners with a few new elements. The Saints is everything I would expect from Lex Thomas, but this time around, I didn't have such an enjoyable reading experience.
Part of my irritation with The Saints stemmed from the fact that I really expected the kids to have left the school by now. I really thought that I would learn more about the world in chaos that caused the kids to be quarantined in McKinley. The reader is given a few tidbits of information from the new visitors, but nothing impressive is ever expressed to the reader.
The Saints relies on the same exact formula as The Loners and it doesn't feel so fresh anymore. How many food scavenging and drama could I handle as a reader? The answer is not too much because I quickly became irritated with the same-old McKinley nonsense. It was interesting to read about a couple of times, but to be bombarded with the same plot elements over and again. No thanks! Not to mention the fact that this book is mostly concerned with Will and Lucy didn't help at all. I missed reading about David and his lack of presence really hurt this novel.
The ending of this book was so obvious and I just knew it was going to end like that. Some people may consider it a cliffhanger, but I have never seen through a plot so easily. A cliffhanger should surprise the reader and make them want to read them more, not irritate them endlessly. Part of the reason why I kept reading was to see how it ended and the fact that the ending was such a poor conclusion didn't bode well at all.
The Loners isn't a terrible sequel at all, but I expected Thomas to switch it up a bit. I wanted something new and refreshing, instead of all of this filler shenanigans. I believe if I had read this around the time that I had read The Loners, I would have enjoyed this far more. I will be reading book #3 in hopes that isn't as uneven as The Saints was. I can only hope that book #3 is a step up and isn't a total dud.
October 18, 2014
Although the first book had its issues, it was fairly well written and developed. This was a typical second book though: shallow plot, little character development, etc.
The kids get stuck in the school after another group of outsiders (the Saints) try to rescue them, but end up getting stuck with them. The Saints add little to the plot except their psychotic leader. The Loners dissolve into the other gangs. Parents are now keeping them in the school. Somehow a pig and a motorcycle get into the school (of which both of them become plot essential.). The cycle of revenge never ends. Sam hurts Will, so Will is going to get back. Will hurts Sam, so Sam is going to kill Will (Even though he never does when he has the opportunity.). The only redeeming character is Lucy. Her character does seem to grow minimally.
The first and second books could have been condensed into one book. This book seemed a lot like playing a video game (book 1) and finding a bonus level (book 2) at the end.
The kids get stuck in the school after another group of outsiders (the Saints) try to rescue them, but end up getting stuck with them. The Saints add little to the plot except their psychotic leader. The Loners dissolve into the other gangs. Parents are now keeping them in the school. Somehow a pig and a motorcycle get into the school (of which both of them become plot essential.). The cycle of revenge never ends. Sam hurts Will, so Will is going to get back. Will hurts Sam, so Sam is going to kill Will (Even though he never does when he has the opportunity.). The only redeeming character is Lucy. Her character does seem to grow minimally.
The first and second books could have been condensed into one book. This book seemed a lot like playing a video game (book 1) and finding a bonus level (book 2) at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2016
I honestly don't know how to write reviews, but I have recently been flying through books so I guess I will try. This was probably the best way the sequel could have gone. As I look back on reading the first book(looking back a whole 2 days) I find that just about everything I wanted to happen or didn't expect to happen, actually occurring in this book. It was written so well for the teen-ish to adult audience and also the apocalyptic, horror loving side of you with things like "his neck was a hole. the tubes of his throat spilled out" (not saying any names for spoilers sake) these and many others were the scenes that completely engrossed me and kept me from putting down the book. the only reason I am not giving this a 5 is because I was not completely shook after I read it, but I would probably put this(and the loners) in my top favorite books. all of this being said, I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone (who can handle a little... a lot of gore, inappropriate things, etc). Thank you for reading through my crappy review, and happy holidays:)
April 24, 2018
This was an amazing read. The first book took me by surprise, and I really enjoyed it. This book exceeded all the expectations that the first book delivered. I am glad I picked up this series. It was hard to put down, even when I had to study for my midterm. I was always thinking about the story. I really loved how it continued from where book 1 ended and continued the thrilling story. In this book, we are introduced to some new characters such as Gates and we see the Loners disband. There was a lot of action that was thrilling and intriguing. Also, Gates and the Saints were really interesting to explore. They are the new gang in the school, and we get to see the journey that Gates's character takes. In the beginning, he was a badass, but as the story progressed, we see a delusional and insane side to his character. Will still needs to grow up, and I think he is still a cocky kid. Also, I really liked how Lucy toughened up because she joined the Sluts. It was an amazing story. Also, that ending was mind blowing. I cannot wait to read The Burnouts. Overall, an incredible read.
July 20, 2015
The Saints- Same as the first, but a little bit worse... Like, a tiny bit worse.
So, here we go with Lord of the Flies 2. Even more drama, even more sadism, even more back stabbing hatred that pours out of the book like a thunderstorm of wickedness. That being said, this book is even more gripping. Just when you think the school is going to be livable, and the gangs will put down their feuds, their world turns upside down and shakes every last cent out of their pockets, like a bully on the playground.
I highly recommend this book to those who read the first, those who like Lord of the Flies and those who are all about Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian survival. Quarantine is one of those series that you can NOT just read one. It'll suck you into reading all three before you know it.
Definite Must Read!
I docked this book one star because of many technical errors (grammar, spelling, etc.) and same as the first, the drama can be a little overwhelming sometimes.
So, here we go with Lord of the Flies 2. Even more drama, even more sadism, even more back stabbing hatred that pours out of the book like a thunderstorm of wickedness. That being said, this book is even more gripping. Just when you think the school is going to be livable, and the gangs will put down their feuds, their world turns upside down and shakes every last cent out of their pockets, like a bully on the playground.
I highly recommend this book to those who read the first, those who like Lord of the Flies and those who are all about Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian survival. Quarantine is one of those series that you can NOT just read one. It'll suck you into reading all three before you know it.
Definite Must Read!
I docked this book one star because of many technical errors (grammar, spelling, etc.) and same as the first, the drama can be a little overwhelming sometimes.
February 4, 2017
David, Lucy & Will thought that being locked among the multiple gangs, the power plays and the violent game of survival was bad - but then the gates opened. Many escaped before a huge school bus crashed through the gap, blocking it once again. But this time there are new kids to add to the mix.
These kids have come to help them (soon to become a gang of their own called the Saints), but get locked up too. It's not long before they add their own way of doing things. Gates (their chosen leader) is a dangerous mix of popularity, fun and chaos.
This part of this riveting series builds steadily throughout the story to a stunning conclusion.....
These kids have come to help them (soon to become a gang of their own called the Saints), but get locked up too. It's not long before they add their own way of doing things. Gates (their chosen leader) is a dangerous mix of popularity, fun and chaos.
This part of this riveting series builds steadily throughout the story to a stunning conclusion.....
May 2, 2014
I really want to like this series, but it just doesnt know what it wants to be. The series is supposed to feature a mystery virus, but it is hardly ever mentioned in any meaningful way. There is supposed to be chaos in the school but in the middle of the gang war there is massive partying. What?!?! Oh snd lets not forget the sappy teenage love stoty written by 13 year olds. The shame of it all is I am enjoying the books. They are mostly mindless fun. I want to give it 4 stars but I just cant do it.
June 28, 2013
This book was a a lot faster than the first one. It was interesting to see the shift of new characters coming into the school, plus the movement of the old characters trying to figure things out.
There was a lot of character growth and a plot line that was captivating. It didn't feel like the exact same thing. I'm eagerly waiting for the third book
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the arc in exchange for an honest review*
There was a lot of character growth and a plot line that was captivating. It didn't feel like the exact same thing. I'm eagerly waiting for the third book
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the arc in exchange for an honest review*
March 26, 2014
Lex Thomas DID NOT lose his edge on The Saints, Book 2 of Quarantine. I could actually taste every word of this book and enjoyed it even more than I did Book 1, The Loners. Although I was sad that some of Book 1's beloved characters (sorry no spoilers here)would not be joining us on this fantastic journey through High School hell, I was able to allow my love/hate for some of the other characters to grow. Quarantine is worth every penny and more, ENJOY!
June 17, 2013
It was a great, thrilling (and completely shocking at times) read, but I didn't love it as much as I loved the first book. Nevertheless, a solid horror story with the potential to thoroughly gross you out! That ending?! MIND BLOWING.
March 14, 2014
I would give this a higher rating because I really did enjoy it, but dang it if it isn't disgustingly graphic. Minus one star for an excessive amount of content that provides more shock value than substance.
November 19, 2014
Ready for this again? Probably not, just as I wasn't really ready to re-immerse myself in the hellish world of McKinley High School, despite all the time I took before reading this second installment in the Quarantine trilogy. Lex Hrabe and Thomas Voorhies's debut series has garnered more comparisons to Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games than most similarly veined dystopian horror novels, and the authors must be happy about that; what better sign they've done something right in their own trilogy than frequent comparisons to one of the great young-adult stories of modern times? Quarantine is certainly different from Suzanne Collins's masterpiece, however, no two ways about it. Like The Loners preceding it, The Saints uses much more bad language than the majority of young-adult dystopian thrillers, whether it be Marie Lu's Legend, James Dashner's The Maze Runner, Neal Shusterman's Unwind dystology, Veronica Roth's Divergent books, Scott Westerfeld's futuristic Uglies odyssey...the list could continue practically without end. Trapped in the foul, blood-soaked halls of McKinley High with no avenue of escape until representatives of some outside agency decide their time has come, the teenagers in the Quarantine novels have morally degenerated into the lowest of the low; at least, many of them have, though one would be remiss not to mention the teens who help hold their microcosmic world together by refusing to completely abandon basic moral principles in spite of the violence reigning all around them. Even in The Hunger Games, the behavior of the teens in the arena is not quite so psychotic as much of what we see in Quarantine, and in some ways this makes Quarantine even more terrifying. There are a few moments to make even seasoned horror readers squirm in The Loners, and such is the case again in The Saints, particularly a calculating little torture scene that takes place in the last several pages of the book. The moment is gruesome, a little more so, in my opinion, than all that came before it in this book, and underscores boldly that whatever temporary conclusion the story has coasted to at the end of volume two, the violence and horror is in no way near an end. There's another book to come, and one shudders to imagine what deviations the authors have plotted for its pages.
David has eluded capture or execution and fled McKinley High along with most of the gang once called the Loners, but his younger brother, Will, isn't so fortunate. He and David's girlfriend (who could also be considered Will's girl, as she vacillated between the two for much of the first novel) remain trapped in the raucous hellhole that is their school, just trying to survive until one or both of them emerge on the other side of puberty and are safe to be reintroduced into the world at large. A fast-acting, horrifically destructive virus eviscerated all the school's adults from the inside out more than a year ago, leaving the students quarantined inside McKinley with nothing but an occasional government-ordered food drop to keep them from starving, and the high-schoolers wasted little time dividing into gangs to ensure their ability to gain a reasonable share of the food, some gangs being more successful than others. David had galvanized a small group of misfits to eventually become a formidable gang, together staving off starvation and violent death before he escaped, but now Will is on his own to continue the brave coalition David made, only with far fewer Loners at his command. Will doubts himself as David never seemed to, and the unpredictability of his seizures casts doubt on if he can take care of himself without assistance, let alone lead others in an ongoing life-or-death struggle.
Something vital has changed about McKinley since David's escape, however. When the emancipated Loners bolted, a new faction of teens from another school wandered in, formerly an interscholastic sports rival and now a deadly adversary to the other gangs in the arena of daily survival. The Saints, as they're quickly labeled because of their old sports nickname, move in and don't hesitate to become the loose, freewheeling, devil-may-care gang that isn't as concerned as the rest over the particulars of everyday internal management. They have a leader in Gates who is just as forceful in his own way as Sam, captain of the Varsity gang, and Sam's popularity with the members of his elite group is waning these days. Sam is nothing short of sociopathic, as we observe from a few key murderous episodes in The Loners, and isn't to be dismissed easily even as he loses respect with Varsity, the strongest of the gangs controlling the halls of McKinley High; yet it appears Gates is destined to move up to a position of popularity never seen in the school, commanding the respect of not only his own gang, but all the other gangs, too. Gates seems to be riding high on the wave of life, not put off in the least by the murky stinkhole of spilled guts and retribution measured in pounds of flesh that the school is. In the aftermath of David's escape with the majority of the Loners, the Saints seize power over the students, and Gates has his own rules and demands of the other gangs and how they will be kept in line, rewards for acceptable behavior and merciless consequences for bucking the trend. Even so, Gates isn't satisfied meekly submitting to the voices from above in the food-drop zone, acquiescing to the control of individuals who have a lot less to lose than the students and whose lives aren't in jeopardy like the ravaged souls trapped in McKinley. When Gates spies a weakness in their ostensible captors' superior façade, he attacks it viciously, and suddenly, improbably, turns the tables on their would-be benefactors from the sky. In a stunning display of audacity not even Varsity may have had the chutzpah to employ, Gates changes everything in a matter of seconds, and life in the brutally sanguine halls of their school can never be the same again.
"Everyone had that thin part of them, where they were defenseless, a spot you only needed to push, and it would break them open."
—The Saints, P. 104
Yet despite what Gates has done for friends and enemies alike, the tension of the situation is rising higher than ever, and the surprising coup announced by the leader of the Saints can't possibly last indefinitely...can it? Gates has all the gall in the world and isn't afraid of slipping up, and that makes him dangerous to his enemies and an unstoppable ally to those with whom he would choose to join forces for the moment. But Gates's steely nerves won't hold out forever; unbeknownst to his throngs of admirers, in fact, his nerves already aren't what they once were. Gates has a haunting past that predates his celebrated stint in McKinley and all he's contrived to alter since arriving. He has seen traumas deeper and wider, perhaps, than even the horrors faced down by the haunted eyes of McKinley teens, traumas so stout as to break even the most brilliant and fearless tactical mind. An outside world revealed to be going at least as crazy as McKinley has supplied mental and physical horrors the likes of which nothing can surpass, where even the innocent suffer in ways unimaginable to the decent side of humanity. Gates has not truly escaped the homicidal outside world, adults eager to spill the blood of infected teenagers to raise their own odds of survival, hardly caring if they end the life of a kid whose only worries a year ago were dating, acne and domestic unrest. Sometimes to survive in a world like that, one has to take chances with safety, chances that can backfire, in the end, so as to make one wish one had died in a fiery explosion or fallen victim to the bowel-chomping splatter of a virus. Meeting a bloody end like that is horrific, beyond what a human being should ever have to endure under any circumstances, yet still there is worse; much worse, and Gates has stood within that hell's fire.
I don't want to go much more into the specifics of The Saints' plot for fear of revealing information the authors would be much better at delivering to readers, but there is something else I'd like to mention. Throughout The Saints and The Loners before it, the gangs take turns engaging in animalistic behavior that is below human standards; or, one could say, below animal standards and uniquely human, as I know of no animal given to the sort of sociopathy taken up by a few of the characters in these books. Sam is the most obvious perpetrator, a vicious killer who will bash in a kid's head with a baseball bat just to prove how tough he is, squashing skull and brain until there's nothing left recognizable as human, but Sam isn't the only one given to such outbursts of conscienceless violence. Hilary is just as contemptuous of the value of human life that isn't her own, the violence she doles out as appalling in its own way as anything instigated by Sam in the midst of one of his fits of rage. Like Sam, Hilary has had a psychologically scarring past with her family, which has done its damage in ways I can hardly begin to tell. But unlike Sam, we haven't seen as much of the human side of Hilary, unless one counts her obsessive vanity about her good looks, and fear of dwindling popularity, as marks of humanity; and perhaps they would be, if Hilary showed even a glimmer of conscience. With Sam, however, there is unmistakable humanity on display in The Saints, as he loses his influence with Varsity and demonstrates a more tenuous grip on his sanity than usual. It's amazing how much can change when one realizes for the first time that one is truly, unconditionally loved by those who matter most, that it isn't coming up big in the championship football game with a late touchdown, qualifying to attend a vaunted university on athletic scholarship so the trip through college will be a financial breeze, or taking charge of a bloodthirsty gang when the chips are down and society has devolved into a primeval mess, that makes one worthy to be loved. Fathers tend to love their sons no matter what they have or haven't achieved; they just can't seem to help it, despite what dreadful or disgusting view of the kid they may publicly espouse. Your boy is still your boy, the miniature bundle of translucent flesh and tiny, fragile bones you held so close on the day he was born, and that kind of connection doesn't dissolve even when the relationship changes as you both grow older and feel a little macho rivalry starting to happen. A terrible father can still have those feelings for his kid, despite a pitiful lack of showing or even telling them so. In the midst of the most barbaric, physically and mentally torturous crisis in all of U.S. history, there are still small moments that prove to us that not all humanity has gone to hell in a handbasket. There's still hope for tomorrow, and hope for today. The question is, can Will, Lucy and their closest friends at McKinley High School survive long enough to see the reestablishment of that hope?
"'Cause, you know, sometimes it's easy to make too much, like way too much, about the past, when the future is literally wide open. Right in front of you..."
—Lark, The Saints, P. 279
Reading The Saints is, at times, a little like drinking hydrochloric acid. It's definitely just as messy, even if all the gore springs solely from the reader's imagination. The writing is high-octane, absolutely relentless as it drives the plot forward at crazy speeds, not appearing to care if the whole thing spins out and crashes and burns because the authors have taken a curve at too high of velocity. It's easy to read a couple hundred pages of The Saints in a single day, to read until one's brain is too tired to take any more, and even then it's hard to put down the book. Lex Hrabe and Thomas Voorhies are extraordinarily versatile in their use of language, coming at us with strings of gross, disrespectful profanity only a few paragraphs before painting for readers an enchanting, delicate description of a flower in bloom rising bravely against the backdrop of an uncaring world, standing tall and lovely in contrast to the mayhem around it, not willing to give in to filth, putrescence and evil run amok. The authors perform with rare sensitivity to their subject matter, meeting the challenge wherever the story leads them in the moment, not shirking one type of descriptive writing in favor of another. As much as they may desire to appeal to an audience of ribald teen boys who typically scorn reading and wouldn't pick up a novel by Louisa May Alcott or Katherine Paterson unless you paid them, Lex Hrabe and Thomas Voorhies never forget that unless the story is ultimately one of hope, there's nothing to be taken from the book except a few dark thrills. The Saints is not purely horror, as horrifying as it is; there's hope here, found in places both obvious and totally unexpected, and it's why the novel is the remarkable work of literature it is. I know I wouldn't hesitate to rate it three and a half stars.
Lex Thomas, the pen name of authors Hrabe and Voorhies, is the real deal. They know how to write, and they don't apologize for taking breaks from the gory action to patiently develop characters and plot. Their writing is disciplined and, in an obscured sense, even dignified, and no amount of grotesque human splatter or sadistic torture scenes can negate that. I've made it through two books of this, and I can make it through a third. As unpleasant as the experience can be while reading, I know I get a lot of good out of it, and I look forward to the trilogy's conclusion, The Burnouts. Here's to you, McKinley High.
David has eluded capture or execution and fled McKinley High along with most of the gang once called the Loners, but his younger brother, Will, isn't so fortunate. He and David's girlfriend (who could also be considered Will's girl, as she vacillated between the two for much of the first novel) remain trapped in the raucous hellhole that is their school, just trying to survive until one or both of them emerge on the other side of puberty and are safe to be reintroduced into the world at large. A fast-acting, horrifically destructive virus eviscerated all the school's adults from the inside out more than a year ago, leaving the students quarantined inside McKinley with nothing but an occasional government-ordered food drop to keep them from starving, and the high-schoolers wasted little time dividing into gangs to ensure their ability to gain a reasonable share of the food, some gangs being more successful than others. David had galvanized a small group of misfits to eventually become a formidable gang, together staving off starvation and violent death before he escaped, but now Will is on his own to continue the brave coalition David made, only with far fewer Loners at his command. Will doubts himself as David never seemed to, and the unpredictability of his seizures casts doubt on if he can take care of himself without assistance, let alone lead others in an ongoing life-or-death struggle.
Something vital has changed about McKinley since David's escape, however. When the emancipated Loners bolted, a new faction of teens from another school wandered in, formerly an interscholastic sports rival and now a deadly adversary to the other gangs in the arena of daily survival. The Saints, as they're quickly labeled because of their old sports nickname, move in and don't hesitate to become the loose, freewheeling, devil-may-care gang that isn't as concerned as the rest over the particulars of everyday internal management. They have a leader in Gates who is just as forceful in his own way as Sam, captain of the Varsity gang, and Sam's popularity with the members of his elite group is waning these days. Sam is nothing short of sociopathic, as we observe from a few key murderous episodes in The Loners, and isn't to be dismissed easily even as he loses respect with Varsity, the strongest of the gangs controlling the halls of McKinley High; yet it appears Gates is destined to move up to a position of popularity never seen in the school, commanding the respect of not only his own gang, but all the other gangs, too. Gates seems to be riding high on the wave of life, not put off in the least by the murky stinkhole of spilled guts and retribution measured in pounds of flesh that the school is. In the aftermath of David's escape with the majority of the Loners, the Saints seize power over the students, and Gates has his own rules and demands of the other gangs and how they will be kept in line, rewards for acceptable behavior and merciless consequences for bucking the trend. Even so, Gates isn't satisfied meekly submitting to the voices from above in the food-drop zone, acquiescing to the control of individuals who have a lot less to lose than the students and whose lives aren't in jeopardy like the ravaged souls trapped in McKinley. When Gates spies a weakness in their ostensible captors' superior façade, he attacks it viciously, and suddenly, improbably, turns the tables on their would-be benefactors from the sky. In a stunning display of audacity not even Varsity may have had the chutzpah to employ, Gates changes everything in a matter of seconds, and life in the brutally sanguine halls of their school can never be the same again.
"Everyone had that thin part of them, where they were defenseless, a spot you only needed to push, and it would break them open."
—The Saints, P. 104
Yet despite what Gates has done for friends and enemies alike, the tension of the situation is rising higher than ever, and the surprising coup announced by the leader of the Saints can't possibly last indefinitely...can it? Gates has all the gall in the world and isn't afraid of slipping up, and that makes him dangerous to his enemies and an unstoppable ally to those with whom he would choose to join forces for the moment. But Gates's steely nerves won't hold out forever; unbeknownst to his throngs of admirers, in fact, his nerves already aren't what they once were. Gates has a haunting past that predates his celebrated stint in McKinley and all he's contrived to alter since arriving. He has seen traumas deeper and wider, perhaps, than even the horrors faced down by the haunted eyes of McKinley teens, traumas so stout as to break even the most brilliant and fearless tactical mind. An outside world revealed to be going at least as crazy as McKinley has supplied mental and physical horrors the likes of which nothing can surpass, where even the innocent suffer in ways unimaginable to the decent side of humanity. Gates has not truly escaped the homicidal outside world, adults eager to spill the blood of infected teenagers to raise their own odds of survival, hardly caring if they end the life of a kid whose only worries a year ago were dating, acne and domestic unrest. Sometimes to survive in a world like that, one has to take chances with safety, chances that can backfire, in the end, so as to make one wish one had died in a fiery explosion or fallen victim to the bowel-chomping splatter of a virus. Meeting a bloody end like that is horrific, beyond what a human being should ever have to endure under any circumstances, yet still there is worse; much worse, and Gates has stood within that hell's fire.
I don't want to go much more into the specifics of The Saints' plot for fear of revealing information the authors would be much better at delivering to readers, but there is something else I'd like to mention. Throughout The Saints and The Loners before it, the gangs take turns engaging in animalistic behavior that is below human standards; or, one could say, below animal standards and uniquely human, as I know of no animal given to the sort of sociopathy taken up by a few of the characters in these books. Sam is the most obvious perpetrator, a vicious killer who will bash in a kid's head with a baseball bat just to prove how tough he is, squashing skull and brain until there's nothing left recognizable as human, but Sam isn't the only one given to such outbursts of conscienceless violence. Hilary is just as contemptuous of the value of human life that isn't her own, the violence she doles out as appalling in its own way as anything instigated by Sam in the midst of one of his fits of rage. Like Sam, Hilary has had a psychologically scarring past with her family, which has done its damage in ways I can hardly begin to tell. But unlike Sam, we haven't seen as much of the human side of Hilary, unless one counts her obsessive vanity about her good looks, and fear of dwindling popularity, as marks of humanity; and perhaps they would be, if Hilary showed even a glimmer of conscience. With Sam, however, there is unmistakable humanity on display in The Saints, as he loses his influence with Varsity and demonstrates a more tenuous grip on his sanity than usual. It's amazing how much can change when one realizes for the first time that one is truly, unconditionally loved by those who matter most, that it isn't coming up big in the championship football game with a late touchdown, qualifying to attend a vaunted university on athletic scholarship so the trip through college will be a financial breeze, or taking charge of a bloodthirsty gang when the chips are down and society has devolved into a primeval mess, that makes one worthy to be loved. Fathers tend to love their sons no matter what they have or haven't achieved; they just can't seem to help it, despite what dreadful or disgusting view of the kid they may publicly espouse. Your boy is still your boy, the miniature bundle of translucent flesh and tiny, fragile bones you held so close on the day he was born, and that kind of connection doesn't dissolve even when the relationship changes as you both grow older and feel a little macho rivalry starting to happen. A terrible father can still have those feelings for his kid, despite a pitiful lack of showing or even telling them so. In the midst of the most barbaric, physically and mentally torturous crisis in all of U.S. history, there are still small moments that prove to us that not all humanity has gone to hell in a handbasket. There's still hope for tomorrow, and hope for today. The question is, can Will, Lucy and their closest friends at McKinley High School survive long enough to see the reestablishment of that hope?
"'Cause, you know, sometimes it's easy to make too much, like way too much, about the past, when the future is literally wide open. Right in front of you..."
—Lark, The Saints, P. 279
Reading The Saints is, at times, a little like drinking hydrochloric acid. It's definitely just as messy, even if all the gore springs solely from the reader's imagination. The writing is high-octane, absolutely relentless as it drives the plot forward at crazy speeds, not appearing to care if the whole thing spins out and crashes and burns because the authors have taken a curve at too high of velocity. It's easy to read a couple hundred pages of The Saints in a single day, to read until one's brain is too tired to take any more, and even then it's hard to put down the book. Lex Hrabe and Thomas Voorhies are extraordinarily versatile in their use of language, coming at us with strings of gross, disrespectful profanity only a few paragraphs before painting for readers an enchanting, delicate description of a flower in bloom rising bravely against the backdrop of an uncaring world, standing tall and lovely in contrast to the mayhem around it, not willing to give in to filth, putrescence and evil run amok. The authors perform with rare sensitivity to their subject matter, meeting the challenge wherever the story leads them in the moment, not shirking one type of descriptive writing in favor of another. As much as they may desire to appeal to an audience of ribald teen boys who typically scorn reading and wouldn't pick up a novel by Louisa May Alcott or Katherine Paterson unless you paid them, Lex Hrabe and Thomas Voorhies never forget that unless the story is ultimately one of hope, there's nothing to be taken from the book except a few dark thrills. The Saints is not purely horror, as horrifying as it is; there's hope here, found in places both obvious and totally unexpected, and it's why the novel is the remarkable work of literature it is. I know I wouldn't hesitate to rate it three and a half stars.
Lex Thomas, the pen name of authors Hrabe and Voorhies, is the real deal. They know how to write, and they don't apologize for taking breaks from the gory action to patiently develop characters and plot. Their writing is disciplined and, in an obscured sense, even dignified, and no amount of grotesque human splatter or sadistic torture scenes can negate that. I've made it through two books of this, and I can make it through a third. As unpleasant as the experience can be while reading, I know I get a lot of good out of it, and I look forward to the trilogy's conclusion, The Burnouts. Here's to you, McKinley High.
April 3, 2019
I make no secret that though I am many years past the target demographic; I have a great fondness for certain teen dystopias such as Michael Grant’s GONE series, and the QUARANTINE series by Lex Thomas. I have finished with the former’s original books, and having read and reviewed the first QUARANTINE novel some time back, I have finally gotten around to reading the second book, subtitled THE SAINTS.
The first QUARANTINE book did a very good job of setting the table for the series, as an entire student body of a suburban Colorado High School is infected with a deadly virus that kills anyone who has passed puberty – the government seals the school off from the rest of the world to contain the outbreak, with snipers shooting any kid carrying the virus who tries to escape. Inside McKinley High, it quickly becomes LORD OF THE FLIES, as various cliques form into gangs that war with each other for scarce resources; naturally, the jocks and pretty girls come out on top and make life hell for everyone else – it’s basically high school on steroids with the kids in charge. The first book followed two brothers, David and Will, and the girl both of them have feelings for, Lucy, as they try to survive in this hell on earth. The first book ended with David narrowly escaping McKinley when he began showing symptoms that the virus is about become active inside him.
The second book follows Will and Lucy, who attempt to go on with life without David, but without his older brother to lead them, Will cannot keep his gang together, and he and Lucy go their separate ways, even though they are clearly attracted to each other. For a moment, it looks like the kids are going to escape their prison, but it turns out to be a fake out, but this allows for the introduction of a new gang from the outside, The Saints, made up of kids from a nearby private academy, led by an unstable charmer named Gates. These newcomers shake things up, disturbing the status quo, and managing to blackmail a group of parents, who have taken over managing the school from the military, into providing things like liquor, video games, and other luxuries. Will becomes best buds with Gates, while Lucy undergoes a harrowing initiation into an all female gang called The Sluts. But things take a turn, and Will and Lucy are fleeing for their lives by the last chapters.
One thing every reviewer of this book has mentioned is the sex and gory violence that pops up regularly in the story, much more so than the first book, which was not shy about it to start with. I have the feeling that an editor told the authors to “take it up a notch” to make the story stand out in an increasingly competitive market filled with YA teen dystopias. There is also a lot of hard profanity, which used to be verboten in teen books, but times have changed. There is attempted prostitution, alcohol and drug abuse, outright sadism, some pretty graphic sex scenes, and some animal cruelty. All things that teens would indulge in if left on their own – at least in popular dystopian fiction. None of this bothers me, but parents should be warned that this is not a series for sensitive younger kids.
In Will and Lucy, the authors have created protagonists we care about and root for; we worry for them when they make poor choices, and we are happy when they have a moment of intimate pleasure. But the standout character in this volume is Gates, who is something of a YA trope – the troubled kid from the private academy. Gates is the guy who shakes things up, who brings the party with him wherever he goes, the guy who is always fun to be around, at least at first, before the darkness inside him begins to come out. Then there is the dethroned jock, Sam, and his former best girl, Hilary (who has an interesting quirk), both of them mean and loathsome, yet the authors make us feel for them at some point in the story. And though this book is an installment in a series, it does have an arc that plays out to completion, and one that left me satisfied. There was no treading water the way some series books do while making the reader wait for the finale.
All in all, I think I liked QUARANTINE BOOK TWO: THE SAINTS better than the first book, it’s a quick read and the pace never lags, and though the POV changes often, I never got confused as to who’s eyes the story was being told through at any given moment. But I do note that this book came out six years ago now, and I do wonder if it’s sometimes frank and brutal sexuality might draw condemnation in a changing era of hyper criticism, where “activists” daily point their fingers online and seek to dictate to the rest of us what will be permissible in the popular culture. Oh well, QUARANTINE BOOK TWO: THE SAINTS left me wanting to read more, so as far as the duo known as Lex Thomas is concerned, mission accomplished.
The first QUARANTINE book did a very good job of setting the table for the series, as an entire student body of a suburban Colorado High School is infected with a deadly virus that kills anyone who has passed puberty – the government seals the school off from the rest of the world to contain the outbreak, with snipers shooting any kid carrying the virus who tries to escape. Inside McKinley High, it quickly becomes LORD OF THE FLIES, as various cliques form into gangs that war with each other for scarce resources; naturally, the jocks and pretty girls come out on top and make life hell for everyone else – it’s basically high school on steroids with the kids in charge. The first book followed two brothers, David and Will, and the girl both of them have feelings for, Lucy, as they try to survive in this hell on earth. The first book ended with David narrowly escaping McKinley when he began showing symptoms that the virus is about become active inside him.
The second book follows Will and Lucy, who attempt to go on with life without David, but without his older brother to lead them, Will cannot keep his gang together, and he and Lucy go their separate ways, even though they are clearly attracted to each other. For a moment, it looks like the kids are going to escape their prison, but it turns out to be a fake out, but this allows for the introduction of a new gang from the outside, The Saints, made up of kids from a nearby private academy, led by an unstable charmer named Gates. These newcomers shake things up, disturbing the status quo, and managing to blackmail a group of parents, who have taken over managing the school from the military, into providing things like liquor, video games, and other luxuries. Will becomes best buds with Gates, while Lucy undergoes a harrowing initiation into an all female gang called The Sluts. But things take a turn, and Will and Lucy are fleeing for their lives by the last chapters.
One thing every reviewer of this book has mentioned is the sex and gory violence that pops up regularly in the story, much more so than the first book, which was not shy about it to start with. I have the feeling that an editor told the authors to “take it up a notch” to make the story stand out in an increasingly competitive market filled with YA teen dystopias. There is also a lot of hard profanity, which used to be verboten in teen books, but times have changed. There is attempted prostitution, alcohol and drug abuse, outright sadism, some pretty graphic sex scenes, and some animal cruelty. All things that teens would indulge in if left on their own – at least in popular dystopian fiction. None of this bothers me, but parents should be warned that this is not a series for sensitive younger kids.
In Will and Lucy, the authors have created protagonists we care about and root for; we worry for them when they make poor choices, and we are happy when they have a moment of intimate pleasure. But the standout character in this volume is Gates, who is something of a YA trope – the troubled kid from the private academy. Gates is the guy who shakes things up, who brings the party with him wherever he goes, the guy who is always fun to be around, at least at first, before the darkness inside him begins to come out. Then there is the dethroned jock, Sam, and his former best girl, Hilary (who has an interesting quirk), both of them mean and loathsome, yet the authors make us feel for them at some point in the story. And though this book is an installment in a series, it does have an arc that plays out to completion, and one that left me satisfied. There was no treading water the way some series books do while making the reader wait for the finale.
All in all, I think I liked QUARANTINE BOOK TWO: THE SAINTS better than the first book, it’s a quick read and the pace never lags, and though the POV changes often, I never got confused as to who’s eyes the story was being told through at any given moment. But I do note that this book came out six years ago now, and I do wonder if it’s sometimes frank and brutal sexuality might draw condemnation in a changing era of hyper criticism, where “activists” daily point their fingers online and seek to dictate to the rest of us what will be permissible in the popular culture. Oh well, QUARANTINE BOOK TWO: THE SAINTS left me wanting to read more, so as far as the duo known as Lex Thomas is concerned, mission accomplished.
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