Seth Fishman

Exciting and Original - But Not Without Its Flaws

(Full disclosure: I received a free ARC for review through Library Thing's Early Reviewers program.)

To her classmates at the super-ritzy Westbrook Academy, sixteen-year-old Mia Kish will forever be known as "Baby Mia" - nevermind that she's a star swimmer who can hold her own with the guys. "Baby Mia, who fell down a well." That was nearly 12 years ago, but it's a faux pas that the rich kids just won't let this townie forget. That is, until a show more mysterious virus sweeps through Westbrook, causing accelerated aging in its victims and ending in a premature and rather undignified death. (Spoiler alert: bodily fluids are involved.) Now "Baby" might be the school's last best chance at survival.

To find answers, Mia and her friends break quarantine and head for the Cave. Home of Fenton Electronics, this is where Mia's father - ostensibly a computer engineer - spends his days. Their quest isn't without its obstacles, however; and for Mia, this means confronting the darkness that's long since haunted her. In the churning waters of a frozen winter lake; within the secret passageways of an old manor; inside Fenton, Colorado's imposing aqueduct; and in the heart of the Cave, which houses a secret of its own. All roads lead to the well's end.

Equal parts medical mystery, coming of age story, romance, and scifi/fantasy, The Well's End is a rather original piece of ya fiction that's not without its flaws.

The pros: Exciting and fast-paced, The Well's End is difficult to put down. (I think I read it in three sittings.) Mia and her clique of townies make for compelling characters, and the sexual harassment and social ostracization that Mia experiences at Westbrook is all too believable. Even though Westbrook is overwhelming white (a fact not taken for granted, but specifically signaled out as if for criticism by the narrator), we have two characters of color in the form of Rob (his mother is Korean) and Jimmy (Latino). I also love that in Mia, we have a conscientious young woman who's actually cautious about breaking quarantine because she doesn't want to infect others. (Flash back to The Culling, where we see a CDC scientist boarding an international flight while infected with the bird flu. Ugh!)

The cons: To say that the romance between Mia and newcomer Brayden is awkward is entirely too kind. It's also weird and uncomfortable and not a little unbelievable. I mean, copping a feel while your parents are being held captive and dying by the second? Really? Teenagers may be renown for their raging hormones, but come on! I also don't buy that her friends would steer her so terribly wrong. And what was with that locker room scene, where Mia wished that Brayden would walk in on her changing on purpose? Sexual harassment is such a turn-on, y'all!

Once Mia and her crew reach the Cave, the story veers in a direction that's a little too fantastical for me. The ending is left wide open for a sequel - a little too wide, perhaps. I suspect that many readers will be put off by the lack of resolution. I'm still not 100% sure how I feel about it.

Normally I have more to say in book reviews, but I can't seem to muster strong feelings either way on this one. It was a fun read, thrilling while it lasted, but not the type of book that's likely to hold me in its grip long after I've turned the final page. Still, I'll probably give the sequel a try when it's released.

http://www.easyvegan.info/2014/03/21/the-wells-end-by-seth-fishman/ show less

I had trouble categorizing The Well's End, which should tell you this is quite a unique piece of YA fiction. Part science fiction and fantasy but also a bit of mystery and thriller, the book is a fast-paced adventure that sets itself apart with an imaginative scenario and memorable characters.

The book follows Mia, whose fall down a well when she was four years old made her a local celebrity. Twelve years later she is still known to everyone in town and at the exclusive Westbrook Academy show more where she goes to school as "Baby Mia". The experience left her with a fear of water and dark tight spaces, which only led to my increased admiration for her as I watched her fight through the many frightening situations that popped up during this story.

Mia had even joined the swim team and become its star swimmer. On the eve of a big meet though, a sudden emergency causes Westbrook to go into lockdown, the cause of it being a deadly virus that speeds up the aging process in its victims prematurely, so that those infected die within hours. In light of this, it feels a bit wrong of me to say it, but, NICE! A story about a killer virus and quarantine in a YA novel that isn't related to zombies for once.

Once the news breaks about the virus, that's when the plot really takes off. Seth Fishman nails the atmosphere of Westbrook and makes the social aspects of the school very believable (when I was a teen I spent a couple years overseas stuck in a high end international school and a lot of the different cliques and students' attitudes were actually a lot like what I saw here). Some of the best scenes were at the beginning of the novel when the students first learn that they are not allowed to leave the campus, involving the utter chaos that ensues from the reactions of privileged kids used to getting their own way. It was ugly, it was intense, and it was brilliant.

The book only had a couple weaknesses, one being the uneven pacing of the storytelling which slowed down a little as Mia and friends escape the school grounds and start heading towards the Fenton Eletronics company in "the Cave", a front for where her father works. There's a burst of excitement again when the teens hit up the aqueduct and run into all sorts of trouble there, but it calms down again once they find the Cave and realize it's not what they thought it was at all. The explanation for the virus situation felt a little drawn out and there was also a sudden shift in perspective here that might jar some readers. There were also a few interactions between the characters that felt off, especially the one between Mia and the new kid in town Brayden. Their relationship felt a bit awkward, as well as too fast and too sudden, though as the story played out I thought I started to understand why it might have been that way.

The big reveal about the Cave was a real game changer though, ratcheting the excitement up a few notches. As the pieces of this puzzle fell into place, all the strange things that had baffled me finally made a lot more sense. Here we tread further into fantasy territory, and with the secret nature of the Cave still mostly unknown, the stage is set for all kinds of possibilities.

In the end this debut by Seth Fishman did not disappoint. I'd first heard of him because he's the agent of a couple of my favorite authors, so he definitely knows what a good story looks like. His first book was indeed a promising start to a new series though be aware that the ending is very abrupt, leaving things open for an inevitable sequel. There's no question I'll pick it up though; I'm invested in the story and these characters and I'm eager for answers. show less

Rating: 3 of 5

Fast-paced science fiction best suited for ages 11-17. I found the teens in this book rather boring and mostly interchangeable with one another. The virus was only moderately scary which might have to do with the fact that it's not given much face time. But the weakest element of the story was the romance between Mia and Brayden. There was no chemistry and it just felt bleh. I would've rated the book 3.5 stars had the author left it out completely. On a high note, I enjoyed the show more "truth" behind the Well's End plot, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is the first in a trilogy or an ongoing series. show less

A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars is so adorable! This book helps children think of the world larger than just their classroom and home, for those who haven't left their hometown yet. This children's book also gives information about the world that the children can actually grasp and can help compare some things to other things.