No Safety In Numbers

Kk This book was fun! Great premise. About 1/4 of the way Imin I got bored, set it down, and didn’t return for years.

By then I had forgotten there were four different perspectives. It was a bit of a jolt to get back on the train. However, once ai did I remembered why I had set it down in the first place.

The characters are shallow. It’s almost as if the author is trying to hard to make them “real”, but fails in trying so hard. The characters are unrealistic, lame and VERY stereotypical. “Cabin in the Woods” stereotypical. Cringe-worthy.

That being said, if you can get past that, read a little faster and just enjoy the ride…it’s fun! You know the animatronics in Disneyland will never truly attack you, so you pretend and show more scream for fun. Treat this book like that and you can enjoy it.

I did. show less

Just another Day at the Mall

Throngs of hysterical shoppers. Public bathrooms overflowing with human filth. Teenagers running wild and free. Yup, it’s just another day at the Westchester “CommerceDome” – until an unwitting teenager discovers a biological bomb strapped to the mall’s HVAC system.

Between Masque of the Red Death, The Uglies, the Tankborn trilogy, Mortal Instruments, and The Hybrid Chronicles (etc., etc., etc.), No Safety In Numbers wasn’t even on my YA radar – that is, until I won the follow-up, No Easy Way Out, through Library Thing’s Early Reviewer program. At the time I requested it, I’d somehow managed to overlook the fact that it’s a sequel – and, not wanting to jump in mid-story, I decided to show more pick up No Safety In Numbers asap. I found myself pleasantly surprised: set in a rather mundane (even hated) locale (ugh, I shudder to think of the arduous task that was gift shopping, pre-Internet!), No Safety is un-put down-able.

Upon the discovery of the bioweapon, the mall’s immediately placed on lockdown; the occupants, quarantined indefinitely. The feds cut the land lines, jam the cell signals, and even block news channels inside the mall to keep everyone – both the captives within and concerned friends and family without – from communicating. The story follows four teens as they try to navigate this terrifying new world: exposing cover-ups, caring for the sick, and attempting escape. Stories told from alternating perspectives can sometimes take great effort to follow, but each teen and his or her voice is unique enough that they’re immediately distinguishable.

The cast of characters is remarkably diverse (as most casts should be): Marco, a busboy at the Grill’n’Shake, is a lanky, sarcastic, enterprising kid of Costa Rican descent; Lexi (short for Alexandra), is a wealthy yet socially isolated computer geek of color whose mother just so happens to be The Senator (though it’s unclear whether she serves in the state or federal government); and Shay (Shaila), a second-generation native born American, who shares with her elderly Indian grandmother a love of poetry (Tagore) and henna. The only white dude in the bunch is Ryan, the younger brother of a star high school football player who feels torn between his oftentimes cruel older teammates Mike and Drew (and the protection they provide) – and the other survivors, who are at times among Mike and Drew’s victims.

Bullies Mike and Drew are sometimes drawn like caricatures (think of Emilio Estevez and his jock buddies in The Breakfast Club, taping a nerd’s buttocks together for shits and giggles – but worse, and murderously so), and Marco takes an unfortunate detour into “Nice Guy” territory, but otherwise the characters are all interesting enough to hold my attention – and believable enough to lend credibility to the story. Doubly so: the uncaring government bureaucrats.

Told over the course of one week, No Safety In Numbers is tense and action-packed – a great summer read. Additionally, author Dayna Lorentz touches upon issues of race, class, and gender, throwing in the alienation so common to the teen years for extra emotional punch. The result is a highly readable dystopia: imagine THE LORD OF THE FLIES moved into The Apple Store. (Or maybe you don’t have to imagine, if ever you’ve stood in line for the latest iPhone release.)

http://www.easyvegan.info/2013/06/19/no-safety-in-numbers-by-dayna-lorentz/ show less

[July 19, 2012] This novel is basically a variation on "isolate everyone under dire circumstances and watch society break down." I could comment on the implausibility of the story, or the lack of a satisfying resolution, but my main problem with this novel has to do with how the story is presented to its intended audience - teenagers.

Most stories of this type are very clear in what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior by the characters and what drives them to take matters in their own hands. The best stories of this type depict the regret and remorse of those whose actions don't truly reflect their true nature. In this novel, however, while the dire circumstances under which people find themselves is shown to influence their show more behavior, the inappropriate behavior by the adolescents in the story (for example, bullying, sexual innuendo, shoplifting, disrespect for authority) is glossed over as if "that's just the way kids are these days." While this may or may not reflect teenagers in real life, the lack of consequences for unacceptable behavior suggests that this behavior is "okay." Even aside from consequences, the very descriptions of these actions suggest no ethical standards.

The purpose of the novel may not be to moralize, but should we suggest, by not drawing a line between right and wrong, that "anything goes"? The bottom line is, I'm a pretty liberal-thinking adult, but I wouldn't want my teenage kids reading this. There are so many better YA novels for them to read, none of which is marred as I feel this novel is. show less

(originally reviewed along with Monument 14 on Book Sp(l)ot Reviews)

Life As We Knew It meets Lord of the Flies in a mall that looks just like yours.

When a biological bomb is discovered in the air ducts of a busy suburban shopping mall, everyone inside is in danger. But almost no one knows it. With the entire mall quarantined, no one even knows for sure if the bomb is dangerous, but then people start getting sick.

Told through four teenage narrators, No Safety in Numbers shows us their attempts to deal with being stuck inside a mall, their attempts to escape, to deal with the rapidly changing environment and how the situation changes everyone. Not all changes are what they - or readers - would expect and not all are changes for the show more better.

With even adults behaving badly, can the teens make it through?

No Safety in Numbers is one to make you second guess that next trip to the mall. What starts out as an average day for everyone - a quick trip to pick up shoes, to spend time with friends or see a movie - soon turns into something drastically different.

It's great that we're introduced to all of the narrators in the calm, 'before' time. We get to see more of who they usually are, outside of such an extraordinary situation. As things gradually get more tense, more unsure and everyone starts to get more worried and more frenzied, we're then able to see how each of them reacts and see the changes in them. Seeing the changes is much better than just being introduced to them after the worry had set in.

Alternating perspectives also allows us to see the characters through other characters eyes. The different characters meet and interact with each other throughout the novel, allowing us to interpret their actions not only based on our own feelings, but those of others in the mall. Lorentz found realistic ways for their paths to cross, despite the number of people in the mall, and those interactions kept the story moving and gave insight to the characters.

There was not a lot of tension in No Safety in Numbers - despite the sickness, bomb presence. It was more about the characters and their tension, want to get leave. There was enough to keep you wanting to know if they'd manage an escape, if they'd get sick, if the quarantine would last, etc.

An enjoyable, quick read - I'm really hoping for some more from Lorentz!

Rating: 8/10

Pair them up:

Monument 14 and No Safety in Numbers are great to read one after the other - or close together. One has a world where the outside is the danger and the inside is safe; one has a world where the outside i safe and the inside is the danger. In both, everyone needs to stay in but really wants out.

Filled with great characters most of whom are together by circumstance, both books leave you wondering what will happen from one page to the next. There's tension and suspense in them both.

If you like one, I highly believe you'll like the other. show less

I arrived at work today to find a package of No Safety in Numbers waiting for me in my mail slot. I had never heard of it, but, inside the package, I found a face mask and a bottle of hand sanitizer, which, luckily, piqued my interest. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the cover art on the galley I was sent. Personally, I think a black background with a red title would look cleaner. The crinkled yellow background that it features now makes it look almost childish, not serious, which I feel would be more fitting of the plot. BUT if you find the cover off putting like I did, whatever you do, don't dismiss this debut!

I love the concept of this novel, though it isn't necessary something you've never seen before. It's a movie plot that's show more been done more than a few times and is being pitched as Contagion meets Lord of the Flies, though, in all honesty, it leans a bit more towards Contagion then the latter. Still, Dayna Lorentz focuses on a group of teens trapped in this dangerous situation, which keeps what could be tired idea fresh.

I don't know a lot about biological warfare, or warfare in general, but I know enough to be terrified of the possibilities it could create. The setting of No Safety in Numbers makes the idea more present and realistic. The reactions of those quarantined, with little explanation and virtually no information, were, simultaneously, understandable and unbelievable. Being an outside observer, while still being able to put oneself in the position of the character, the reader is at an interesting crossroads. I realized that I would probably try some of the same things if I were trapped inside, but I also know, as the reader, it would all be pointless and lend itself to chaos.

I appreciated that each of the characters had relatable and realistic feelings about the situation. At one point, one yearned for a leader, even one lacking stability, one wanted to help others, one didn't want to feel alone, and another felt separate from everyone else... The next moment feelings would seem to switch between the characters as more unforeseen events developed, lending the characters greater personality.

No Safety in Numbers is the first in a planned trilogy, but the ending of book one wrapped up nicely while still leaving me craving the continuation. Towards the end of this book, I was feeling more of a Lord of the Flies vibe, which definitely caused some excitement and leads me to believe the next installment promises good things. I'd definitely add this one to your 2012 to-read list... you'll never think of a weekend trip to the mall the same way again! show less

This series of books is all the rage at my son's middle school, with many kids (not him) finishing the series last year.

I finally got to this one (his request). I found it quite good, and definitely with more mature themes and vocabulary than he usually chooses, so yay!

Rather dystopian in nature, this book follows 4 teens who are trapped in a mall after a flu is sent into the ventilation system. They have been sealed in by the authorities, and the book follows the fights, the relationships, the fun, the fear, and the flu as it spreads.

There are some gaping holes (with so many exits, public and not, it is hard to believe that no one ran when they announced the event); how could they be running out of food after 3 days; how could there show more be no communications, etc etc. Perhaps some will be addressed in book 2? We shall see. show less

A bomb with an unknown payload (probably biological) is found hidden in the parking garage in a suburban mall, resulting in the building being locked down and quarantined. For at least a week.

At least? Yeah, because this is BOOK ONE and the first book is only a week, and it takes FOUR DAYS before the rioting and looting starts. Mall employees continue working, and caring about working the registers and busting shoplifters. Suspending as much disbelief as this book requires is HARD. Big plot holes. And seriously, nobody noticed that easily a thousand people had disappeared out of the mall? And nobody tried busting into the ice rink just because there was a sign up that said it was broken or closed or whatever? Really?

Promising premise, show more poor execution. Things dragged and I think we could have easily made this a stand-alone; the ending really should have been maybe the halfway point. I like the idea of a small-scale apocalypse, affecting a closed community (like Megan Crewe's The Way We Fall), but this fell way short of the mark for me. show less