Six Days

by Philip Webb

In a ruined future, an extraordinary artefact from the past lies buried. Everyone wants it. But why? What is it? And how can it save them all? For scavs Cass and Wilbur, slaving to dig it up, there are no answers. But when two strangers from another time turn up claiming to know about the lost relic, their world will change for ever. "Six Days". If you thought you knew how the world began ...think again.

Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fantasy, Post Apocalyptic, Adventure, Middle Grade, Young Adult

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2011

About the author

At the age of 10 I wanted to be a) an astronaut, b) winner of Wimbledon, and c) an author. In that order. Turns out I hate long-haul flights and I'm rubbish at tennis. But fast-forward 35 years and I did become an author.

As a child I spent many happy days exploring a local rubbish dump, playing out all kinds of post-apocalyptic adventures with friends. This is how I came to write my first book, Six Days - a dystopian sci-fi tale set in a future London.

I've had lots of jobs: a (very bad) waiter, programmer, software designer, seller of beers on the beach, apple picker, postman, subtitler of TV programmes for the hard of hearing, user experience consultant, small business owner. And now a writer. Not exactly a clear career path, I know, but good for picking up material for stories.

Where The Rock Splits The Sky is my second book - a sci-fi Western. I like mixing up genres - it's a chance to break the rules and hopefully come up with something fresh.

My next book is a horror sci-fi historical romance comedy thriller about cookery and espionage... Not really.

If you like fast-paced, surreal action with a sci-fi twist and characters that get on and do stuff instead of moping about falling in love, then you've probably come to the right place.

Reviews

[Tina ♥ Bookaholic · Rating 4 out of 5]

English Review:
Right at the beginning I‘ve thought to myself ‘oh no, this won’t be something for me’ because it is written very youthfully. And with that I literally mean not only like other YA books, but really a young YA book! I would say that the book is exactly for the recommended age, which is on the threshold of children’s book to YA book. So approximately 12-13 years, if I can properly rank it, and therefore the age information with 12-15 fits quite well.

After I’ve got over the first shock regarding the sloppy writing manner, I must admit, that it was really a nice and thrilling entrance, into this postal-apocalyptic world. I got directly thrown into the life of Cass and her brother Wilbur and there I also got to know her surroundings and her hard fight to survive in a hopelessly appearing world.

I had no idea what this book really is about, before I started to read it, but the further I read, the more I could find out about the background story. I got some answers of the questions, like: “Why it has come to this dystopischen world? Why was there a war with the Russians which they won and which lead the new circumstances, which are now ruling in London, where Cass lives?”
Cass, her brother and her father are scavengers and they have to find something special for the Vlads, the so-called Russians, a certain, very powerful artifact and nobody knows exactly what it looks like or how it works. Only her younger brother Wilbur comes up over and over again with new ideas, where to find the artifact and irritates with his chimeras especially his big sister Cass, because he often goes on his own investigations and then endangers himself with that.
Till one day Cass and Wilbur meets Peyto, and later also Erin, and now Wilbur’s chimeras are all out of a sudden not at all so impossible anymore, but they perhaps even can lead them to the mysterious artifact – which would be great, because without it, this world will be destroyed in the next 6 days.

Sounds quite well and interesting at this point, I think and I must admit that I’ve liked it surprisingly much and better than I’ve thought at the beginning, although the language was really written for very young readers. But it was throughout the story very gripping and I could get well into the story and have felt with the characters. What I’ve like most was at the beginning the representation of this new future and how the life is for the people who are living in London.
Also up to the middle it was still very good, I’ve liked the idea and I also would have almost rated the book with 4 stars, but then the plot has changed more and more into a Sci-Fiction story, what I’ve not liked so much, but here everybody must decide for themselves if they like that or not. Another reason for the decreased rating was that though there was a concluded end without leaving open really important questions, it happened too fast for me and out of a sudden. Though the end was finished and nice, but for me too laxly and without getting answers to some open questions, which would have interested me, because I wanted to know what becomes of the characters afterwards.

Now we are at the right subject –the characters, which were there throughout the story very likeable. They were great and partially they have also fitted to the descriptions of their age. Cass was the central figure and was of course developed the best, but also Peyto or Wilbur could shine and belong to my favorites. Of course the characters are younger than in other YA books and therefore there isn’t a real love story in it, because the focus is laid on the exciting part – the rescue of the world and the artifact – but, nevertheless, there is also a briefly excursion to the world of the feelings and‚ flirtation‘. This wasn’t really necessary or important for the plot, but I found it suitable and cute described and I’ve liked that much because I’m just the romantic type.
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Deutsche Rezension:
Gleich zu Beginn habe ich mir gedacht ‚ Oh nein, das wird jetzt nichts‘, weil es wirklich sehr jugendlich geschrieben ist. Und damit meine ich jetzt nicht für Jugendliche, sondern für wirklich junge Jugendliche! Ich würde sagen das Buch ist genau für jenes Alter, das auf der Schwelle von Kinderbuch zu Jugendbuch über geht. Also ca. 12-13 Jahre, wenn ich es richtig einschätzen kann, und so ist auch die Altersangabe 12-15 ganz gut getroffen.

Nachdem ich den ersten Schock bezüglich der saloppen Schreibweise überstanden hatte, muss ich zugeben, dass es ein wirklich schöner und spannender Einstieg, in diese post-apokalyptische Welt einzusteigen. Man wird direkt in das Leben von Cass und ihrem Bruder Wilbur hineingestoßen und lernt ihre Umgebung und ihren harten Kampf kennen, um ihr eigenes überleben zu sichern, in einer trostlos erscheinenden Welt.

Ich hatte keine Ahnung um was es sich hier genau handelt, aber je weiter man im Buch liest, desto mehr erfährt man die Hintergründe. Warum es zu dieser dystopischen Welt gekommen ist, vom Krieg mit den Russen, deren Sieg und zu den neuen Umständen, die nun in London herrschen, wo Cass lebt. Sie, ihr Bruder und ihr Vater sind Räumer und müssen für die Vlads, die sogenannten Russen, ein bestimmtes Artefakt finden, wobei aber niemand weiß um was es sich genau handelt. Nur ihr kleiner Bruder Wilbur kommt immer wieder mit neuen Ideen wo sich das Artefakt befinden könnte und nervt mit seinen angeblichen Hirngespinsten seine große Schwester Cass, besonders weil er gerne auf Eigenerkundung geht und sich damit selber in Gefahr bringt. Solange bis Cass und er auf Peyto und später auch auf Erin stoßen und plötzlich sind Wilburs Hirngespinste gar nicht mehr so unglaubwürdig, sondern können sie eventuell sogar zum mysteriösen Artefakt führen – was auch gut wäre, dann ohne diesem wird die Welt in den nächsten 6 Tagen untergehen.

Klingt doch ganz gut an dieser Stelle, finde ich und ich muss zugeben, es hat mir überaschenderweise auch viel besser gefallen als ganz am Anfang gedacht, obwohl die Sprache wirklich für sehr junge Leser angepasst wurde. Ab es war durchwegs immer spannend und man konnte sich gut in die Geschichte einfinden und mit fiebern. Was ich zu Beginn ganz toll gefunden habe, war die Darstellung dieser neuen Zukunft und wie das Leben der dort in London lebenden Menschen aussieht. Auch bis zum Mittelteil war es noch immer sehr gut, mir hat die Idee gefallen und ich hätte auch fast 4 Sterne für das Buch vergeben, aber dann hat sich die Handlung immer mehr in eine Sci-Fiction Story gewandelt, was mir persönlich nicht so gefallen hat, aber das muss dann jeder für sich entscheiden, ob das etwas für einem ist. Ebenfalls zur verminderten Bewertung hat geführt, dass es zwar ein abgeschlossenes Ende war, ohne wirklich wichtige Fragen offen zu lassen, es aber trotzdem sehr rasch und plötzlich passierte. Zwar war es abgeschlossen, aber doch war es für mich zu locker beendet, ohne noch einige Antworten zu bekommen, die mich interessiert hätten, um zu erfahren was dann aus den Charakteren wird.

Wo wir auch schon beim Thema wären – und zwar bei den Charakteren, die durchwegs dazu da waren, um sie ins Herz zu schließen. Sie waren wirklich sympathisch und teilweise haben sie auch von den Beschreibungen gut zur Altersangabe gepasst. Cass ist natürlich die Hauptfigur und wurde am besten entwickelt, aber auch Peyto oder Wilbur konnten heraus stechen und gehören zu meinen Lieblingen. Natürlich sind die Charaktere jünger als in anderen Jugendbüchern und es kommt keine richtige Liebesgeschichte vor, weil der Fokus auf den spannenden Teil – der Rettung der Welt und das Artefakt – gelegt ist, aber trotzdem gibt es auch kurz einen Abstecher zur Welt der Gefühle und ‚Liebelei‘. Das hätte jetzt nicht unbedingt sein müssen, aber ich fand es passend und lieb beschrieben und es hat mir als Romantikerin natürlich speziell gefallen. :)
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[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Six days is a dystopian sci fi adventure which is aimed at a younger YA audience. If you enjoyed Beth Revis's Across the Universe you will definitely enjoy this one too.

I must admit the start of this book left me a little confused. You are thrown in at the deep end in a world which is different from our own. The London you are in has been totally annililated by some kind of biological weapon and then by scavs tearing the place apart searching for an "artifact". The people are living are tough lives ruled by a upper class who treat them like slaves. The language used in the story by the main characters very much reflects their social position within this world and takes some getting used to but by the end becomes part of its charm as well.

The main characters in this book are a sister and brother called Cass and Wilbur and you follow the story through Cass's eyes. They come from a scav family and have spend much of their lives searching for the artifact. Whilst Cass is a realist who gets on with it, Wilbur is much more of a dreamer and has ideas about using his comic books as clues to help him find the artifact. When you first meet them this is in fact what he is doing despite being told not to wander off. Whilst off hunting he has an accident and is saved by his sister and a mysterious stranger who is more than meets the eye and from then on the adventure really kicks off.

What I liked about this book is that it was both dystopian and sci fi and as I said it did remind me in many ways of Across the Universe with the sci fi elements. I'm not going to tell you anything specific about the storyline itself but I will say that once the action and adventure kicks off it keeps you engaged throughout and wanting to read page after page to find out what happens next. I loved following the main characters in their hunt for the artifact and loved seeing what the author did with the plot as I was surprised throughout in the way in which it turned out.

All in all a really enjoyable book which is exciting throughout and would appeal to both dystopian and sci fans.

[Sjule · Rating 4 out of 5]

überraschend spannender und interessanter SciFi Jugendroman, aber die Stimme des Hörbuches geht einfach gar nicht.

[Jalen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book “Six Days” wrote by Philip Webb is a mystery adventure themed book that will always have you guessing. Even the complete unexpected is a possibility in this thrilling, action packed book. This was a very enjoyable book to read on my free time. One of my favorite parts about this book is that you can’t ever predict what’s going to be on the next page. The one problem about the book is that in the beginning it is hard to understand, but as it progresses it becomes easier to understand.

The two main characters are Cass and her little brother Wilbur. They also meet two strangers that later on become a big part of the story. Cass is more of a realistic character that is independent, and likes to keep people in-line. On the other hand, Wilbur is a day dreamer. He loves to read his comic books and always has his head in the clouds. Cass always tries to tell Wilbur to stop daydreaming and focus on working but it seems to never work.

The book is set in a future version of London, all torn down and destroyed. They are searching for the special artifact that is said to hold special powers that nobody has ever experienced. Nobody knows what the artifact looks like, but it is said when you hold it in your hands, you will know you have found it. The catch is they only have six days to do so. Will they find the artifact and save the world. Looks like you’ll need to read the book in order to find out.

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this aloud on a road trip with my 12 yr old son. We liked it okay, but were surprised how much language was in it for having picked it up off the children's shelf at the library. The story was cute enough, but as my son said, "weird." I found that he kept toning parts of it out since he was bored with the pacing of the story.

[LoLa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story started off great but then just kept going and going. I could not even get to the end of the book. The story line is creative but as the reader I got bored because half way through the novel the story became completely different.

[Mira de la curiosithèque · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un très bon roman sf jeunesse qui m’a tenu en haleine jusqu’au bout et qui fait réfléchir sur la différence entre survivre et vivre. A lire !

[Pacg__nkg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my vibe but it was cute.

[Books_Fan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Je n'ai pas beaucoup aimée ce roman
L'histoire est difficile à suivre et ne donne pas envie de continuer pour connaître la suite.😔

[Amandine · Rating 4 out of 5]

On entre vite dans cette ambiance post apocalyptique, et on se laisse porter par les personnages et leur histoire.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zitat
„’Aber es gibt niemanden sonst! Ehrlich, Sie müssen diese Leute in Ruhe lassen. Die wissen rein gar nichts über das Artefakt.’ Ich habe dermaßen weiche Knie, ich würde mich am liebsten in den Modder werfen und Serowa anflehen. Ich darf die Leute nicht im Stich lassen.“

Inhalt
Cass lebt mit ihrem Vater und ihrem Bruder Wilbur in London. Sie ist eine Räumerin, so wie ihre ganze Familie vor ihr auch. Tag ein Tag aus ist sie damit beschäftigt die Gebäude in London zu durchforsten und Stück für Stück abzutragen, auf der Suche nach dem Artefakt.
Was genau das ist? Das weiß niemand, doch die Russen, die nach dem Krieg die Macht an sich gerissen haben, wollen es um jeden Preis haben. Deshalb räumen seit Generationen die Menschen in London ein Stadtgebiet nach dem anderen, um es zu finden.
Wilbur ist ein aufgeweckter Junge und er ist der Meinung, dass er weiß, wo sich das geheimnisvolle Artefakt befindet. Ein Comic gibt ihm dabei Hinweise, wo er suchen muss. Als der Junge bei einer Schicht verschwindet muss Cass ihn suchen, ehe dem Kommandanten irgendetwas vom Verschwinden auffällt. Sie gerät in das Abenteuer ihres Lebens, bei dem am Ende nicht nur ihr eigenes Überleben auf dem Spiel steht, sondern das Fortbestehen der Menschheit und der Erde selbst.

Zum Buch
Das Äußere des Buches wirkt ziemlich geheimnisvoll und das war es auch was mich an diesem Buch so angezogen hat. Die Skyline mit den zum Teil gerosteten Hochhäusern zeigt wohl das London, wie es Cass kennt und das verlassen da steht und immer mehr zerfällt und abgetragen wird. Über der Stadt prangt wie eine Leuchtreklame der Titel. „Nur 6 Tage“ Eine passende Darstellung als hell leuchtende Erinnerung, denn mehr Zeit bleibt Cass nicht, um die Welt zu retten. Aus diesem Grund finde ich nicht nur die Covergestaltung, sondern auch den Titel sehr passend. Im Inneren wird der Eindruck aber gleich etwas getrübt. Die gewählte Schriftgröße und Aufteilung der Seiten ist zwar für ein Jugendbuch recht typisch und auch wenig störend, doch die Schriftart sagt mir persönlich gar nicht zu. Die Seiten wirken dadurch so abgehakt und weniger flüssig, als wäre das Buch in Times New Roman gedruckt, wie die meisten Bücher. Auf der anderen Seite passt sich diese Schrift an das Thema an. Sie ist eben etwas anderes und verkörpert das Leben in einer anderen Welt.
Die Charaktere muss ich sehr unterschiedlich bewerten. Cass war zu Anfang ein eher platter Charakter, der Power hatte, die aber bei dem Geschriebenen nicht wirklich zu mir durchgedrungen ist. Erst im laufe der Geschichte wurde das besser vermittelt. Die anderen Charaktere erschienen mir ebenfalls etwas flach und ohne Tiefe. Auch bei ihnen musste erst ein Schicksalsschlag oder eine persönliche Geschichte eingebaut werden, damit sie mehr Leben erhielten. Daran ging für mich die emotionale Tiefe auch etwas verloren. Es ist schwer sich mitgenommen zu fühlen, wenn die Gefühle gar nicht wirklich ankommen.
Die Idee und das Thema sind zumindest für mich etwas Neues und auch durchaus gelungen, nur an einigen Stellen für meinen Geschmack etwas zu abgedreht umgesetzt worden. Spätestens als das Raumschiff auftauchte, dachte ich, ich wäre im falschen Buch gelandet. Beginnt die Geschichte ganz so wie die momentan so beliebten Dystopiegeschichten, ist spätestens ab dem Buch eher eine Science Fiction Handlung zu erkennen, die auch im weiteren Verlauf nicht abklingt. Die Idee des Schiffes, das über die Jahre einfach durchdreht finde ich genial, aber irgendwie im Zusammenhang mit dem Rest der Geschichte und vor allem mit den seltsamen Faltern, die dann die Menschen geschaffen haben sollen etwas too much. Spannung wird während dem Plot durchaus aufgebaut, aber da ich vom Alter her wohl nicht mehr ganz in die Zielgruppe für das Buch falle, fand ich einige Wendungen sehr vorhersehbar. So zum Beispiel die Tatsache, dass ihr Großvater für die Russen spioniert und dann erschossen wird. Trotzdem war ein Spannungsbogen zu erkennen, der sich zum Ende hin weiter zuspitzte.
Der Schreibstil des Autors war für mich hingegen wieder eher gewöhnungsbedürftig. Zwar waren die lockeren Ausdrücke in der Jugendsprache für die Thematik und für den Charakter von Cass passend, aber an manchen Stellen hat genau diese Schreibweise Momente eher zerstört. Wenn ihr Kopf bei einer Annährung mit Peyto Alarmstufe Rot hat, dann ist diese Ausdrucksweise für mich der Romantik eher abträglich. Trotzdem lässt sich das Buch flüssig lesen und gerade die kurzen Kapitel tragen dazu bei, dass man die Lust am Lesen nicht verliert.

Fazit
Insgesamt eine runde Geschichte, die durch die Umsetzung der etwas anderen und ungewohnten Thematik überzeugt. Vielleicht nicht unbedingt etwas für Ältere, doch Jüngere, mit Spaß an Abenteuer und neuen Welten, werden ganz sicher Freude beim lesen haben.


Aussehen: ♥♥♥♥
Charaktere: ♥♥♥
Spannung: ♥♥♥
Humor: ♥♥♥
Schlüssigkeit: ♥♥♥
Originalität: ♥♥♥♥
Emotionale Tiefe: ♥♥♥
Schreibstil: ♥♥
Gesamt:♥♥♥

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

Six Days is an intriguing mix of genres – it’s a dystopian, with elements of sci-fi, and the two are very cleverly tied together. The world Philip Webbs creates for us is very different from anything see today – set some time in the future, London is no longer the buzzing capital city it was, but is now just a crumbling wreckage of buildings left over from the Quark Wars, where most people were killed by bio-bombs. Now, the survivors are forced to do “scav” work; they must search through every building, leaving no stone unturned, looking for the mysterious “artefact”. No-one knows what the artefact is, or even what it looks like, but job of the scavs is to find it and turn it over to the Vlads (the rulers of the city) as soon as it’s discovered. Cass thinks they’ll never find the artefact, but her younger brother, Wilbur, is convinced he knows where it is. When Wilbur’s crazy schemes lead him and Cass to two strangers, obviously not from London, slowly the mysteries of the artefact begin to unfold. But with answers comes danger, and Cass, Wilbur and newcomers Peyto and Erin must find the artefact in six days – before it’s too late.

Six Days was an enjoyable book with a very interesting concept. I found it a bit slow to start, but really started to get into it after the first few chapters, where it became much more plot-driven. The main character, Cass, was instantly likeable. The story was told in first person from her point of view, and she used a lot of slang that took a bit of getting used to, but I really, really liked her, and warmed to her immediately. There was something very genuine about her – like she couldn’t be fake if she tried – and she was so funny as well, and also very caring; you could tell she really loved her brother Wilbur, even though she teased him a lot of the time. She had been brought up as a scav, and couldn’t read (or write, I assume), but despite this, she was very clever, and could piece things together very quickly, and often spotted or realised things that the others didn’t. She was good at coming up with plans to help everyone, or get them out of trouble, and she always tried to make the best of situations, which I thought was brave of her.

The two outsiders, Peyto and Erin, were also great to read about. They had been brought up completely differently to Cass and her brother, so a lot of things were very strange to them – for example, the very concept of eating meat was disgusting and something they hadn’t even thought of before . While Peyto managed to adapt to most things, Erin struggled a lot more – even when she was starving, she only ate biscuits, and she missed her home and family a lot which made her eager to find the artefact so she could see them again. Wilbur seemed to find Erin and Peyto fascinating, and initially was a lot more keen to help than Cass was, but as they all got to know each other, I think they started to become friends and grew closer.

Possibly the most interesting character was Maleeva, the daughter of an important woman in the Vlads, who only showed up nearer the end. She seemed wise beyond her years, and was willing to sacrifice a lot to help these people she barely knew, which I thought was courageous of her, and also very kind of her to do. Things also started to speed up when she arrived, and there was a lot of action going on which surrounded her. I did feel that towards the end, things did perhaps happen too quickly, and I had to re-read a few bits to grasp what was going on. I did like the ending though, and it was left quite open, which I hope means there will be another book!

Overall, Six Days was a great combination of sci-fi and dystopian, with a storyline that will never leave you bored. I would recommend it to anyone fans of either or both genres, and if there’s going to be a sequel, then I look forward to reading it! :)

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Da das Genre Dystopie langsam schon ziemlich ausgeschöpft ist, habe ich mich eher von ihnen abgewandt. Doch Nur 6 Tage versprach, eine Dystopie von anderer Art zu sein. Ich habe nicht viel erwartet, nur eben wirklich mal etwas anderes, was mich wieder auf den Geschmack bringen würde, Zukunftsromane zu lesen. Umso überraschter war ich, als ich zusätzlich noch eine gut dosierte und in der Situation nicht unpassend wirkende Romanze bekam und mich ein spannender Roman in den Urlaub begleitet hat.

Vor allem von der Idee war ich von Anfang an überzeugt. Vor mehreren Millionen Jahren wurden 49 Menschen von einem anderen Planeten losgeschickt, um einen neuen Planeten zu finden. Das Schiff, mit dem sie reisen, ist lebendig. Jeder der 49 besitzt einen Falter, der so voller Wissen und Weisheit ist, dass es für einen Menschen kaum zu begreifen ist. Und zwei dieser "Außerirdischen" kommen auf die Erde, weil sie etwas suchen, das sie verloren haben. Aber auch die Menschen auf der Erde sind auf der Suche nach diesem Artefakt. Es beginnt ein Wettlauf mit der Zeit, denn sie haben nur 6 Tage, bis die Welt untergeht.

Diese Geschichte zog mich von Anfang an in den Bann. Der vorerst schwierige Schreibstil, der sehr umgangssprachlich war, da Cass kaum "normales" Englisch sprechen konnte, war sehr schwierig zu lesen und besserte sich erst mit der Zeit. Das war für mich der große Schwachpunkt des Buches. Wahrscheinlich wollte Webb Cass dadurch nochmal stärker hervortreten lassen, aber ich mag es lieber, wenn ich flüssiges Englisch/Deutsch lesen kann, anstatt sich zusätzlich auch noch Gedanken zu machen, was zum Beispiel "ratzen" bedeutet.

Sehr schön waren wiederum die Charakterisierungen der Hauptpersonen. Besonders Cass war sehr greifbar, es war, als stünde sie neben mir, während ich las, was vermutlich auch an dem angepassten Schreibstil lag. Ein temperamentvolles, mutiges Mädchen mit viel Kampfgeist. Aber auch Peyto hat es mir angetan. Vielleicht, weil er nicht so viel von der Welt verstand, auf der er gelandet war.

Vor allem aber wird es niemals langweilig. Es gibt immer etwas zutun, was vor allem durch diesen Countdown ausgelöst wird. Sie dürfen sich einfach keine Pause gönnen.

Fazit:
Nur 6 Tage ist eine sehr aufregende Dystopie voller Handlung. Gut herrausragende Charaktere und eine absolut originelle Idee haben mich überzeugt. Leider war der Schreibstil vor allem zu Anfang sehr anstrengend und umgangssprachlich.

[RJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this but it had lots of adventure and mystery and thats what i like i would rate this book a 5 out of 5. It is a unqie book that is one of a kind book. With all of the detail it had at the end about the skull it just blew my mind i would recomend this book to anyone who loves mystery and exitment.

[Grumpz · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Nur 6 Tage' war mal wieder ein Buch, welches mich gespalten hat. Es ging von "Wow, das ist eine coole Idee" bis hin zu "Och neee, nicht wirklich".

Ich lernte erst mal das Grundgerüst der Geschichte kennen und erfuhr, wie es überhaupt zu der Situation, in der sich die Geschichte abspielt, gekommen ist. Es gab es die Quarkkriege, welche das neurussiche Imperium gewonnen hat und das Leben in London eliminierte. Heute, 100 Jahre später, suchen die Räumer in London nach einem geheimnisvollen Artefakt. Die Protagonisten, Cass und Wilbur, sind Geschwister und sogenannte Räumer. Tagein, Tagaus sind sie auf der Suche nach dem Artefakt und 'räumen' in jedem Winkel von London.

Da kam ich auch direkt an meinen ersten, zum Glück kurzweiligen, Kritikpunkt: Die Art, wie Cass mit Wilbur redet und sich allgemein ausdrückt. Mir ist durchaus klar das Geschwister in dem Alter nicht immer nett zueinander sind oder in Gedanke eine vielleicht nicht ganz so schöne Aussprache haben, jedoch hat es mir hier wirklich null gefallen. Ich denke, man hätte die Reibereien besser formulieren und eine etwas schönere Aussprache wählen können. Das legt sich aber, glücklicher Weise, nach den ersten Seiten. Cass wird auch im Buch erwachsener, das merkt man an ihrer Wortwahl und kann es 'live' mit verfolgen, sie erzählt die Geschichte nämlich aus ihrer Sicht.

Die Geschichte an sich hat mir gefallen. Es wurde alles erklärt, ich kam gut mit und konnte Stellenweise das Buch nicht aus der Hand legen, weil ich wissen wollte, wie es weitergeht. Leider habe ich genauso oft feststellen müssen, dass das Buch oft leider nur das Nötigste erzählt. An vielen Stellen hätte ich liebend gerne noch so viel mehr erfahren. Es beginnt schon bei den Charakteren - einige bleiben leider nur ein kleiner Punkt, obwohl sie eine größere Rolle spielen.

Außerdem liebe ich es, in fremden Welten zu versinken, was bei diesem Buch nicht möglich war. Ich hätte mir mehr Informationen über die Lebensumstände gewünscht, die Schläfer und der Technik.

Fazit:

Dieses Buch ist für junge Menschen ab 12, das merkt man ihm auch an. Zu wenig Information die ich einfach benötige, um in einer Geschichte zu versinken. Für jüngere Leser, die nicht auf dickere Bücher stehen, garantiert eine spannende und gute Wahl. Drei Punkte gibt es dennoch - es war ein schöner Zeitvertreib, welches keinen schlechten Nachgeschmack hinterlassen hat.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

London may have been emptied of life because chemical warfare but it is the Scavs who are tearing it to pieces. Under the orders of the Vlads (their new Russian leaders) the Scavs are destroying everything one brick at a time as they search for a mysterious artifact. No one knows what this artifact looks like or what it can be used for but they know they have to find it if they want the Vlads to leave them in peace. Cass and Wilbur have grown up helping with the search but it is only when they meet a pair of mysterious strangers that they realise just how important the artifact is. Now they have only 6 days left to find it, and if they don't it will mean the end of the world.

When I first picked up Six Days I was expecting a dystopian story but it came as a pleasant surprise to find that it is also science fiction - I loved the mixture of the two genres. Although the story works well as a stand alone I'd be interested in revisiting this world again so I won't be disappointed if I find out there will be a sequel.

Cass is someone I liked from the first page, I loved her cockney accent although I can see that this could be harder for someone not familiar with her way of speech to get used to at first. It was fun watching the confusion her accent causes when she first meets Peyto, he spends quite a lot of time not having a clue what she is talking about so it's lucky her little brother Wilbur is there to translate for them. Cass is plucky, brave and very protective of Wilbur, she is also intelligent and uses her skills to keep her brother safe. In a lot of ways Wilbur is her opposite, he has a different way of looking at things and has always been a bit of a dreamer spending much of his time in his own little world. Cass often things of him as a little bit simple but as the story progresses you get to see just how smart really is.

It took me a few chapters to get hooked but once the story had it's claws in me I didn't want to put it down. It's action packed and compelling and a story I'd highly recommend to both dystopian and science fiction fans. Although the story is aimed at younger readers it has plenty for older teens and adults to enjoy too. A great debut from Philip Webb & I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next.

[Jade Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original review at http://inkscratchers.blogspot.com/

Six Days is a book that I would recommend for any dystopian lover. To me, this book seemed like a younger version of INSIDE OUT by Maria V. Snyder. That's not a bad thing though, while the concepts have a little similarity, the execution is totally unique and fantastically absorbing.

I have to admit that I struggled to get into this, maybe it's because I was halfway through another book and couldn't get it off my mind, but I found that for the first few chapters I had to will myself to read on. That's just a warning though, because about three or four chapters in, the story gets really interesting and after that, I had to will myself to put it down.

What I really liked about this book is that it has that childish vibe, with the adventure and the fantasy, but also appeals to young adult and adult readers, with themes of war, a sweet romance and a little bit of gore. I seem to remember one small swear word, but it was nothing offensive. The characters also appeal to all ages; Cass is rough and tough but also a bit vulnerable, traits that will appeal to older readers, but shes also brave and adventurous, which will appeal to kids. There is a cute romance between Cass and Peyto, which is completely suitable for younger readers but also adorable!

The story is really interesting and absorbing and had me staring at the page and on my edge of the seat, I liked how there was a lot going on but it was very simple and easy to follow, never confusing.

My main issue, as mentioned before, was that it took me a while to get into it. Also, while I really liked this book, I would never say that I loved it.

All in all, a great read suitable for readers of all ages. The story is executed so fantastically that I was laughing one minute and gripping the edge of my seat the next! Despite a few pacing problems, this book is pretty good!


Overall rating: B-

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Future London has been destroyed by bio-chemical warfare and taken over by the New Russians. Under their command, the Scavs search the remains of the city for an artefact no one has ever seen. No one even knows what it looks like. Cass's family do this day in, day out because they know no other way. Then on one shift her younger brother, Wilbur, disappears, believing he's onto the location of the artefact. Cass tracks him down to Big Ben where they come across a strange boy called Peyto. Peyto is from another time and reveals that they have six days to find the artefact otherwise the world will come to an end.

Six Days is an exciting, action packed sci-fi adventure. I found this book a little hard to get into right at the start, I think because it's written from Cass's point of view in the kind of slang you'd expect her to use. It wasn't hard to understand but for me it didn't seem to flow right away. A couple of (short) chapters in, however, I'd gotten used to it and in many ways it added to the story. Plus, the age of the reader this book is aimed at probably wouldn't even notice it's slang.

The story is much more plot based than character based and while the characters were likeable enough, I didn't feel like I really got to know them. Still, the action carried the story along nicely and so mostly the lack of deep connection with the characters wasn't really a bad thing. Don't get me wrong, the characters were certainly well developed in the author's mind and this showed in that they weren't dull or flat. Also, the plot was really detailed so it would have probably been too much to have a lot of in depth character development as well.

A great read which would particularly interest boys of the ten to fourteen age range.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This is a first for me -- a post-apocalyptic techno sci-fi YA novel! Don't be put off by all the futuristic British slang. When you get used to it, it draws you in and rolls you along, and you can't imagine the book without it.

Cass and her younger brother Wilbur work with their dad as scavengers -- scavs -- in London after the Quark wars. What bombs didn't do to the world, radiation and disease did, and London is one of the few places that was not completely leveled.

The scavs work for the Russian Vlads, searching for a valuable artifact that has great power. Life is hard for the scavs, and it doesn't help that Wilbur keeps running off on his own expeditions. While rescuing him from another escapade, Cass meets Peyto and Erin, visitors to London who show great interest in the artifact that everyone is searching for. But there is something strange about them, and it is not long before Cass and Wilbur learn the true value of the artifact.

This teen novel stands out as unique even among the dozens of post-apocalyptic (worlds struggling to survive after war, disease, or other disaster destroys them) and dystopian (worlds with artificially created false perfection) novels that are available for teens today. A little too rough for younger kids, but a memorable work as a YA novel.

[Bethany Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cass and her younger brother Wilbur live in a futuristic London where they work with their father as scavs, scavenging the wreckage of London for an important item known only as “the artifact.” Wilbur is fascinated by the idea that there are clues to the whereabouts of the artifact in the Captain Jameson comic books that he loves to read. One of these clues leads Wilbur to Big Ben, where Cass finds him hanging precariously from one of the hands of the giant clock. Luckily for Wilbur a strange boy named Peyto is there, and he helps Cass bring her brother to safety. It turns out that Peyto is also searching for the artifact though for very different reasons. Cass and Wilbur decide to work with Peyto and his friend Erin to find the artifact, and the search takes them through the remains of war torn London and into outer space.

Though Six Days has an interesting premise, the world building of dystopian London is lacking, the plot is convoluted and the characters are under-developed. The book is action-packed, but the author fails to build suspense perhaps because the events seem so disconnected at times. Cass, the main character and narrator, is not very likable or sympathetic. The book is heavy on dialogue, and the dialect that Cass and most of the other characters speak with is distracting and will be confusing to many readers. Optional purchase.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was okay. It was not my favorite because I have read many books like this. Another reason was because I was reading this book in a rush. I was not reading this book for pleasure, I had to read it to get a good grade. This book was okay because it was fiction and not realistic. I don't have a good time reading books that are too realistic.
This book was about a girl that finds a boy and another girl who come from space. They come looking for a treasure/flindor that is from outer space. The book is about the girl and new friend's adventures. Their journey on how they find it and take care of it. The book tells us what she has to go through to find this magical flindor that has been lost for centuries. The people left on earth have been looking for this treasure for years now and when they see that other people found it, they are upset.
I can relate to this book because this seemed like a big game of hid and go seek. The main characters started off looking for this treasure. Once they found it, they were hiding from enemies and trying to get back to outer space. I, of course, have played hide and go seek many times. This a common childhood game that I used to love to play. Of course their case was much more intense than mine.
This is a fourth quarter book that should count as two books! This is a fiction book!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part dystopian novel and part science fiction, this title imagines a future world where the remaining residents of London spend their days scavenging in search of something that no one has ever seen but many have heard about. Biochemical warfare has killed off much of the population, and London is protected from floods by a huge barrier wall, hinting of the impact of global warming. The story centers around Cass and her brother Wilbur who end up teaming with Erin and Peyto, two aliens who are also looking for the same thing the others want. They need it to repair the ship and supposedly prevent warfare. As all four look for ways to get what they need, they encounter soldiers who consist of pieces of other soldiers but who have now lost their souls and humans cobbled from man-made materials. They don't have all the time in the world either--just six days.

While I liked a lot of the book, especially the first half, the second half seemed more than a little improbable, and some of the science seemed a bit suspect to me. The radical changes in Cass's father and her own willingness to gamble with everyone's lives, while gutsy, was also more than a little disturbing. The somewhat unresolved ending seems to indicate that there will be more to come in this story.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Six Days is an exciting and fast read, a young adult science fiction adventure set in a post-apocalyptic world. My standard for post-apoclyptic young adult science fiction, unfortunately, is set very high: Paolo Bacigalupi's Shipbreaker. Six Days suffers by comparison. My main problem with Six Days is the speed and ease with which the main character, Cass, adapts to an entirely new world with incredible technology. She comes from nothing ... a peasant, basically, with no education, living a life of back-breaking manual labor with no hope for the future ... and yet she steps into a world of interstellar travel and incredible technology with barely a pause to say "gee whiz." And not only that, with no preparation or background at all, she outwits the best minds the future can throw at her. It's so unbelievable you simply have to read it as a fairy tale, not as science fiction. The other characters ... her father, her brother, the two emissaries from outer space, the Vlads ... are cardboard cutouts. In spite of the novel's many weaknesses, it is a ripping yarn, hard to put down. I breezed through its 350+ pages in no time at all ... but I learned nothing from it and by tomorrow I'll have forgotten all about it. Six Days should have been a manga comic book.

[Clarabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nous avons là un roman de science-fiction en plus d'être une dystopie. Quel mélange ! Or, je me rends compte que je n'aime vraiment pas beaucoup la SF. Ce récit n'a fait que confirmer mes craintes - l'ensemble est habile, nous suivons une espèce de chasse au trésor dictée par un auteur de BD qui avait plus d'une corde à son arc, mais cela s'avère lourd, chargé en détails. L'univers dépeint est rustre, grisâtre, Cass parle elle-même un anglais proche de l'argot, c'est une nana habituée à vivre à la dure, aussi sa rencontre avec Peyto offre un joli contraste, surtout au début. Mais, pas le temps de batifoler car la menace est bien réelle. Peyto et Erin ont seulement six jours pour accomplir un miracle, ils seront aidés de Cass et Wilbur, apprendront à découvrir un monde nouveau et étranger, à parer aux trahisons, à découvrir des secrets, etc. Certes, l'action ne manque pas, il y a énormément de détails dans l'histoire, on sent la volonté de l'auteur à vouloir partager ce qu'il avait à coeur de proposer, mais à tel point que le récit perd aussi un peu d'âme. Un bilan mitigé, donc, après ces 380 pages de lecture.

[Emily Rozmus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I was expecting and that is a good thing. The cover of this is terribly misleading - it looks like juvenile fiction and the drawing resembles anime. In truth, this is a YA book and is not anything close to anime. It actually reminds me more of Reeve's Mortal Engines series with a hint of A Wrinkle In Time thrown in. This is a good book, but I am afraid it will be overshadowed by other titles, namely because the cover just doesn't do the book justice. This is a somewhat steampunk, apocalyptic story of a teen girl and her brother who have to save the world in six days with the help of two strange teens who are clueless about London, scavenging and the artifact that the Russian Vlads are set on locating. What lead to the current chaotic situation is not discussed at length and is relatively unimportant. What happens to the four in the plot is important and somewhat mind-blowing as well. The Wrinkle In Time part of the story is what kicks this book up a notch and makes it not only enjoyable, but compelling as well. I wish the cover were different. I just don't know if this book has a shot...

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook, and I loved the narrator. She reminded me of the narrator for Lily Melkun's character in Raiders' Ransom. So with the combination of the narrator's voice, the broken-down futuristic London, and people all searching for one important artifact, I totally expected the book to be like Raiders' Ransom. Makes sense, right? Well, I was totally wrong. Okay, maybe not totally wrong, but throw in a spaceship and visitors from another galaxy, and you'll be closer to the truth. So, let's just say it was not what I expected. But I was still a big fan. I think the story was well thought out, and I really liked the characters. (Well, most of them anyway - Erin was a bit boring, but still important to the story.) Parents and teachers may want to be aware that this is a British book and has more swearing than most American kids' books. (That seems fairly typical for a lot of the British kids' books I've read, but those who aren't aware might be quite surprised.)

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story set in the far distant future London. There have been wars that have almost destroyed all of England. Those left are forced to brick by brick crush London in search of an "artifact" that the Vlads (Russians) think will bring everlasting life. Cas, her brother Wilbur and their father are part of the scavs (scavengers) being forced to search. Until one day Cas & Wilbur met a young man in Big Ben who is nothing like any scav they know.

The story is has slang and language that may be difficult for the younger reader to understand & so not able to follow the story. But it is a great treasure hunt with robots, space ships and a heroine that is willing to risk everything to save her brother.

[Tina Lowen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping this would be a great dystopian novel to recommend to 5th, 6th, and 7th graders, given the more mature content of books like The Hunger Games and Ship Breaker. But Six Days, for me, feels like it lacks identity, like it's trying too hard to be too many things. It's a little dystopian and a little science fiction (sometimes weird science fiction) and a little adventure with a little romance added at the last moment. The futuristic British slang made it difficult to get into a "reading rhythm," but after 25 pages or so I was able to follow events without a problem. Ultimately, this isn't a title I will go out of my way to recommend to young readers.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really more of a 3 1/2 stars. But not close enough to a four to round it up. The story was interesting, Maleeva and Wilbur were interesting characters. The main kids Cass, Peyto, and Erin were all selfish and annoying. There were romantic situations between Cass and Peyto that were totally not believable. There was absolutely no chemistry between the two. There are obviously more books to come as the final sentence was, "What's next?".
Sometimes I just really wish an author (and publisher) would just write one book that could stand on it's own without having to leave things hanging open for a sequel or two or three.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This children's SF drama throws in everything but the kitchen sink - it's a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world with grubby urchins teaming up with visitors from outer space to search for a missing relic that may give eternal life. Add a sentient spaceship, a cyborg, evil (very non-pc)Russian villains, fish-out-of-water comedy, romance (which I couldn't really get into, given that the audio book reader gave the romantic hero a reedy, high-pitched voice like a five-year-old) and a plot which goes on and on. This literary melange makes for an entertaining read but it lacks the momentum and tight plotting of more focussed novels.