The Roar

Clayton has the good sense to start her novel about the point where others would end it: Ellie Smith climbing into a Pod Fighter to escape the wonderfully named Mal Gorman. She doesn't make it; doesn't get back to her family beyond the Wall that surrounds the moldy, industrial enclaves man huddles in after the Animal Plague; she doesn't get to share the Secret it will take us the rest of the book to learn. After the first three chapters, most of the story shifts to her twin brother Mika who just knows that Ellie didn't drown as the government says, knows that she's still alive. And, to find her, he'll have to choke down the supplements and drugs the Youth Development Foundation (YDF) is handing out at school, horrible gym classes - also show more courtesy of the YDF, compete in a tournament that starts out as a mere arcade game but then sinisterly transforms into something else, deal with a bully who also happens to be tough opponent in those games, and juggle the complexities of unfortunate friends, loving but clueless parents, and something like young love.

The story moves quickly. Clayton's style is mostly smooth except for the very occasional metaphor that jars a bit in the context of the story and some odd shifts in viewpoint. Certainly the ending sets up the story for future sequels and leaves many plot elements unexplained, but it also raises some nice dilemmas after the Secret is revealed.

The characters are all stock. In addition to the clueless parents and bully, we get an eccentric, grandmotherly old woman who seems to know the Secret. The villain not only has villainous designs. He just can't seem to relate to children on the simplest levels. Most significant, this story is in the long tradition of science fiction stories about mutant children who are misunderstood and persecuted - and probably the ultimate saviors of humanity. The charitable interpretation of this sort of story is that youngsters often feel misunderstood and persecuted. The more uncharitable truth is it's a story element that often seeks to bond with a narcissistic, vain element in the reader.

Adults will almost certainly guess what the YDF is up to - though they will also find it all too plausible in its combination of government hectoring, marketing campaign, and outright coercion. The details of the Secret may surprise. Adults will not find any attempt to teach about the world of real science and technology as the juveniles of Robert Heinlein often did. Some of the book's mystical elements are unexplained and a bit hackneyed.

But young readers will see an exciting story about a brother who misses his sister, a world of school and games which is not what it seems. show less

In the Earth of the future, an Animal Plague has led humans to destroy most of the planet. The entire population is now crowded behind a wall surrounding the top third of the world. There are no animals, there is very little sunlight unless you're rich, there isn't real food to eat, and everyone feels pretty hopeless and helpless. Ellie and Mika live in this world. Ellie was kidnapped about a year ago. She has learned to do fabulous things, but she still only wants to go home. Her parents believe she's dead, but her twin brother, Mika, feels that she's still alive somewhere. He's getting teased at school, frustrating his parents, and just generally being miserable. One day, his gray, damp, moldy classroom is lightened up with cupcakes show more and balloons. They are starting the Fit for Life program, sponsored by the Youth Development Foundation. Mika is suspicious of the program, but eventually goes along because he believes he might learn what happened to Ellie. As part of the program, the kids play a video game called Pod Fighter that can lead to fabulous prizes for them and their families. Everyone rushes to compete, but Mika has a feeling there's a lot they aren't being told.

From the beginning with Ellie's heart-pumping race to freedom, to the ending where you can't believe there just aren't any more pages, the action is almost non-stop in this book. It's a pretty long middle-grade novel at 488 pages, but those pages fly by. I can't wait to read the next one!

I like Ellie, Mika, and Audrey a lot. I'm curious to find out more about Leo and even to find out what's going on with the jerk, Ruben. But Mika really stood out for me. The story is told mostly from his point of view and his reactions all feel real. He wants to be good for his family, but he isn't stupid and he knows the government is covering up something. When he has the chance to find his sister and help improve the family's lives at the same time, he pours his heart and soul into the effort.

This is a dystopian novel, and I can have trouble with those, but I obviously ate this one right up. It was a world that I, scarily enough, found very believable.

For a fast-paced adventure story for both boys and girls, give this one a try. Young readers (and not-so-young readers, for that matter) should love this one! show less

The Roar is not a little reminiscent of Ender's Game; children playing arcade games in training for some mysterious mission the government has planned for them. But the comparison wasn't too startling that I couldn't suspend my indignation and become completely involved in the story, in the very believable character of Mika, in the world of animal plague and mould-made 'fab food'. This was really very good, to the point where I felt willing to forgive the very abrupt ending and the myriad questions left unanswered.

I enjoyed reading it very much, even though I think there are some pretty major plot holes. I certainly hope it has a sequel, because it ended in a supremely unresolved state. In fact, if she can pull off resolving it believably, I will be profoundly impressed and intrigued, but I have a feeling that she will do it.
It reminded me a great deal of Ender's game, but lacks the finesse. On the plus side, the book has strong male and female characters.

I admit it-- I took my time getting to this book. The cover didn't catch me, nor did the blurb on the back. Months of it hanging over my head, I finally gave in and I'm quite glad I did! This book turned out to be much more than I expected. It was a page turner, despite the lack luster cover.

The story follows Mika, a pre-teen boy who's sister disappeared a year prior and is believed to be dead by everyone but himself, as he finds himself involved in things much larger than he ever expected. Mika lives behind the protective Wall put up fifty years ago to save people from the dreaded and highly televised animal plague. After a new Pod Fighter video game is put up at the local arcade, Mika and his classmates are encouraged to play, as show more well as take a nutrient drink that is supposed to help them grow big and strong. But for what? That mystery propels this young adult novel. What is behind the wall? What has the government been hiding? What is the purpose of the new 'fit' regime and, most importantly, how do Mika, his sister, and his friends fit into that plan?

I couldn't put this YA novel down and recommend it those who might not be ready for Enders Game, Hunger Games, or The Uglies Trilogy yet, but want something that is fully planted in Science Fiction. show less

I really liked The Roar and was anxious to read the sequel The Whisper. Anxious enough to buy it online and read it on my iPad while at a conference out of state. But, I was very disappointed!

Let me start back at the beginning again.

The Roar is the story of a horrible world future. In this world an animal plague was turned loose and pets attacked and killed their owners. In order to keep humanity safe - an enormous wall was built encircling the globe just a little south of England. All humanity was secured behind the wall and all life outside the wall was destroyed - a vast wasteland.

A very odd thing happened after this event - no children were born for years and the first offspring were born with strange appendages and mutant traits. show more Life continues in this horrible concrete pen until the children are 12. And then...

The head of the Youth Development Organization, Mal Gorman, has a new idea - a way to take over the entire remaining world. He must figure out a way to control this children and mold them into his very own army. The first step is to kidnap Ellie and figure out her special talent of moving things with only her eyes. Ellie disappears and her twin brother Mika is left alone, the only one who believes she is alive.

He continues to believe in her even as weird things begin to happen to him - like a strange dog that appears first in his dreams and then by his side, a feeling that he is connected to Ellie and finally his uncanny ability to fly the new space ships in the local game room. Those space ships are not only a game - instead they are all part of Gorman's master plan.

That sets the stage...a pair of twins, a kidnapping, a secret and a mad man. It seems like a perfect plot. And honestly throughout The Roar I agreed. I rooted for the kids and their friends as the evil plot unfolded.

Then I started reading The Whisper.

Honestly - I felt like I was reading a rough draft about a book rather than the actual book. The conversation was stilted and the plot quite predictable. I was sorely disappointed.

The story does resolve itself - but by the end I just wanted it to be over.
Too bad!! show less

I got this book as an Advanced Reading Copy from the Amazon Vine program. This was an interesting book with a few creative elements and many not so creative elements.

Ellie has been kidnapped by a man seeking to develop her "powers" for some unknown purpose. Mika is her twin left behind; everyone believes Ellie is dead except for him. They both live in a world where the northern hemisphere of the earth is walled in order to protect humans from the evil Animals infected with the Animal Plague a generation before them. Ellie it trying to get home and Mika is trying to find a way to get to Ellie despite the fact no one believes she is alive.

This was a fast paced, engaging read. It had some creative elements in the idea of an Animal Plague show more wiping out half of the earth. Unfortunately it had more uncreative elements in it. For example trapping a subset of humanity behind an enclosure and telling them they are all that is left is a concept explored in many novels. Also genetically modifying kids to develop special talents for fighting or humans morphing to a new species are also both topics that have been overdone in both books and film. Still, if you like reading novels about these types of things this could be the book for you. Personally I thought that this story rehashed a lot of the stories out there. If you are interested in this type of story I think Storm Thief, The White Mountains, The Hunger Games, and The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer (Bantam Spectra Book) do this type of story in a more creative and better way that this book does. A lot of people also like The City of Ember (Books of Ember) (although it wasn't a favorite of mine) and this explores a similar type of story.

What really got me about this book was the end. The ending is rushed and very unsatisfying. This book is either blatantly setting up the reader for a new series or the author just had absolutely no idea how to end the book. Many of the main events in the book were left unresolved and other events are only partially or quickly wrapped up. Nothing about this book was surprising mainly because there are already so many books like this available; especially in the young adult category.

This book is a quick read about isolating humanity in a post-Armageddon type walled city; it is also about genetic modification. If you are really into these topics this isn't a bad read, but it is not an especially mind-blowing or enlightening read either. I personally don't think I will be looking into any more of Clayton's work; it just wasn't creative enough. show less