Resistant

Resistant #1

by Ryan T. Petty

The light of freedom. That is all Jennifer remembers before she escapes a secret compound deep in the wooded terrain of Arkansas. Eluding her captors, she finds a world in ruins.

Abandoned cars on the interstate act as tombs for the dead, and many of those left living have been mentally altered by what the survivors call the SA8 virus.

When Jennifer comes across a group of survivors, she thinks she’s saved, until her blood is tested for the virus and the results are inconclusive. Will the survivors allow her into their community? What about the one man who is willing to sacrifice everything to help her find the truth behind her diagnosis? Is she resistant to the virus? Does she hold the cure for human survival?

Genres: Dystopia

212 pages, Paperback

Published July 19, 2016

About the author

Ryan Petty is a high school social studies teacher from a small town in northeast Texas. Ryan started writing his first book, The Life He Never Knew, a historical fiction dealing with the battle of Shiloh during the Civil War. His second book, Finding Hope in Texas, a young adult fiction, comes out in 2014. Petty is a teacher in northeast Texas, and in his spare time enjoys participating in the hobby of Civil War reenacting. He also enjoys spending time with his wife and two beautiful boys.

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Resistant is the story of Jennifer, a girl who escapes a secret compound deep in the woods of Arkansas. She doesn’t know who she is or how she came to be there. All around are deserted cars and buildings, many filled with corpses, and those living people she does come across are either crazy, or violently crazy.

Eventually stumbling upon a group of survivors, Jennifer learns that the SA8 virus has swept the world, leaving few survivors. Before she can enter the stronghold the survivors have taken for their own however, she must pass a blood test, proving she hasn’t been exposed. But Jennifer’s test comes back inconclusive.

Jennifer doesn’t know what the future holds for her, but the survivors don’t want her there. Will the one man who stood up for her risk his own life to save hers?

This was kind of a neat take on a post apocalyptic world. I don’t want to give away too much about what the virus does and how it affects people, but I thought what the author did was really creative. Trust me, it’s cool.

Things were a little slow to begin with, which is common for me for stories in which the character is all alone. The pace picked up for me once she was able to interact with other people. I wish we knew more about Jennifer and her past, but I’m sure that will come with the subsequent books in this trilogy.

I think the reason I can’t give it a higher rating is just that I’m sort of over dystopian universes right now. The other people I know who read this were RAVING about it. So really, if you’re into dystopian / post apocalyptic worlds, give this one a try. Download the sample and see if it’s a good fit for you.

[Laura Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This dystopian read started out a bit slow for me. However, I feel that the author did this intentionally as his worldbuilding revs up to a growing crescendo and you find it difficult to put down.

His take on the virus and its effects on people was creatively done. Be prepared to encounter overwhelming desolation and miles of corpses in this well-rounded read.

{I requested a copy for reviewing purposes and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed herein are unbiased and my own.}

[Christopher Carrolli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young woman hides in an abandoned car. A skull from a long dead skeletal corpse stares back at her. She has taken refuge in the car, alongside the deceased victim. She walks along the abandoned interstate, ditching and dodging her pursuers and hiding among the dead. The post apocalyptic world around her is desolate, devastated, and the dead fill the interstate, still in their cars that have entombed them. But what happened to the world she once knew? What brought about the world she wanders lost and confused in? She has no memory. She doesn’t even know her name. All she knows is that she flees her hazmat-clad pursuers in fear for her life.

So begins Ryan T. Petty’s new novel, “Resistant,” a post-apocalyptic, Sci-fi masterpiece that is page-turning from beginning to end. Petty clearly displays himself as the best in up and coming, Sci-fi Indie authors. The plot is flawless, the intrigue consistent, and unexpected twists and turns fill the pages.

The young woman takes flight into woods, continuing her escape from her anonymous captors. Soon, she fights off flesh-eating zombies, only to be captured by a rogue group of violet killers who are hell bent on holding her a captive slave. After being rescued by unknown saviors, she’s taken to a facility where she heals, but her new captors persist in finding out why her blood work is different than everyone else’s. She is not infected.

A super plague has destroyed the world that she once knew. It is a virus that affects different people in different ways, and Petty’s conception of such a virus is ingenious. It is a well-conceived and brilliantly plotted explanation for the devastated world that exists in the story. The young woman, who learns her name is Jennifer, soon discovers that not only is she not infected, but she is resistant to the virus.

Jennifer’s new home in the unfamiliar sanctuary spawns the rest of the story’s characters, all of which are real, believable, and uniquely fitting. The man who rescued Jennifer is the captain in charge, a slightly older man who becomes her love interest. Their attraction is obvious from the start. Their love-hate relationship soon blossoms into something undeniable. Michael’s sister, Sergeant Clarissa, is the book’s antagonist, jealous and suspicious of Jennifer like many others. They want to know why she is not infected, but when they learn she’s resistant, their attitudes toward her change. Jennifer may well hold the key to the virus’ destruction.

Jennifer works her way up within the sheltered community, still suffering from memory loss. Her entire past has been wiped away. A series of twists and turns unravels. Battles are fought to maintain the compound facility. The falling action keeps the reader glued to the pages until the very end, where a second book is not only obvious, but anxiously awaited.

[Mat Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started at quite a pace and I was left feeling like my head had been assaulted (which is a good thing in the case of a new book)

Once I had read more, and the story had become clear to me; I found I was able to really get into it and relax into the characters which were well rounded and likeable (well some were!)

Overall it is a good story and I was loathe to put the kindle down (always a good sign).

The way the book ended has left me desperate to read the next in the series.

Thank you Ryan!

[Tony Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arkansas. Mounds of bodies lay everywhere you went or looked.
Jennifer thought she had endured the holocaust. Later she comes across a group of survivors.
Blood samples were drawn/tested for the SA7 virus but the results come up inconclusive.
Jennifer (C1) soon met Alex.

4 more assailants were beating the hell out of him.
Damien informed her Alex later died from the SA8 virus.
Next Jennifer meets Michael (aka Captain), & Sergeant.
Clarissa (aka Clar-bear) was putting Michael (SA7 virus) under quarantine.
Block A is for the women, Block B is for children & small families & Block C is for the men.
Jennifer next meets several PPL & council members: Vicky, Stacey, Gloria, Dr. Swanson (Professor, PhD, American & Constitutional theory), James Allen, Jacob Stevenson (aka Viceroy), Lieutenant Rodriguez, Lieutenant Higgins, Maria, Hector Brady, Sam & Bastrop.
Dr. Wellstone explained the different types of viruses: Synchronized Amalgamation (SA); SA1, SA2, SA3, SA4 (B-) virus SA5 AB +, SA6 AB -, SA7-SA8 are the zombies & killers (O blood type) that attacked everyone to Jennifer. They are also called Déraciné.

It was found out later the East Coast was almost virus free.
The Déracinés were preparing to attack the Alamo.
Lieutenant Rodriguez, Lieutenant Higgins were now the 2 co-leaders.

Who will survive & who will perish from the attack of the Déraciné.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A fairly well written dystopian book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great dystopian adventure movie, animated cartoon, or a mini TV series. It was not exciting as I was hoping so I will only rate it at 3/5 stars.

Thank you for the free Story Cartel; Fire & Ice YA Melange Books, LLC.; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Reader Views · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Chris (age 16) for Reader Views (11/16)

“Resistant” by Ryan T. Petty is about how a girl named Jennifer, who is initially held captive, escapes her captors, and travels through Arkansas and Texas trying to find safe places to hide. A virus called Sa8, wiped almost everyone out and now people are labeled by an SA number just in case they contract the virus. Jennifer tested inconclusive for the virus.

The author was very good in carrying out the purpose of the story, although there were small bumps where it felt like the storyline was going off track, as well as the characters were getting mixed up with their emotions and what they were doing at the moment. The author writes well and provides great imagery for the reader, with images such as those on the cover and the infinity sign, symbolizing something important with the human race that is alive. It struck in me a resemblance with the hanging tree as portrayed in “The Hunger Games.”

The book is generally for adults and young adults ages 13 and up, that are interested in suspense and adventure. Although I have no personal experiences related to the topic, I feel as if I was living through the eyes of Jennifer as she went through the adventure of the Sa8 virus. My favorite part was when Jennifer became a part of the community where there was no virus and she was accepted even though she was inconclusive for the virus. My recommendation pertaining to the editing would be to proofread before publishing.

I loved the way the author referenced and tied the Alamo into the storyline. Jennifer was a very intriguing person to read about and I could relate to her personally when she was going through hard times and trying to thrive while living her life. I enjoyed “Resistant” and the way Ryan T. Petty wrote and exemplified the novel.

[Anne (w/ an E) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really did like this story. It was different from most of the scifi/apocalyptic stories I have read. I liked the explanation for why the infected were acting the way they were and there were no unexplainable or boring parts. I only noticed 2 mistakes. Also, the fact that one of the main characters "comes back to life" (a few times) is somewhat hard to believe, but hey, this is scifi and it might just be me. I did like the ending.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

The way the virus behaves in the infected is unique and makes for an intriguing story. I definitely want to read more in this series.

I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways.