The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
400 Pages
No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.
The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.
When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
400 Pages
No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.
The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.
When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?
Arclight was a fascinating look into a terrifying new world. Josie McQuein spins an unforgettable debut that left me on the edge of my seat. I don't read very much science-fiction, but it's books like this make me question my hesitancy towards the genre. McQuein's story is absolutely compelling.
I was immediately impressed with Arclight. This author builds a strangely entrancing story that makes the book fly by so quickly that it seems short. It's truly difficult to explain the novel, not only because the minor details are important to the whole plot, but because I'm left a bit dumbstruck about what happened. It makes a whole lot of sense when it is being read, but as soon as you sit and think about it, your brain gets twisted and there is a lot of head-scratching involved. (At least, that's how it is for me.)
The logistics of this novel are a teen girl, Marina, doesn't remember anything about her life before she was wandered into the Arclight. Now that she has come into this new human colony, she is struggling to fit in, especially with the Fade, dark and parasitic creatures, launching more attacks since her arrival. No one trusts her, and she's not even sure of the truth herself. The more she learns, the more she wonders: Who is Marina?
These characters were so… different. (Again, I'm really worried that I'll say something and ruin the book for someone.) Just know that I liked them (for the most part). And their differences made for a really insightful story--and it goes just beyond the characters and says some things about human nature as well. It's fascinating!
There is a love triangle in this novel, that I'm sure will be expanded on in future books. I liked both of the love interests, but I could only see one as a good romance for Marina. The only was just nice on his own. And the one I liked, no one else did… So… I'll be heartbroken in the end, I'm sure. Either way, the romance isn't fully formed on either side during this book. The surface is just skimmed and Marina's history takes precedence. I was surprised how much I enjoyed that because usually, I'm a romance junkie.
The plot moved reasonably, though there were a few times when I felt that it needed a bit of a push. It's level of entertainment is high, even through the low points of the story. It's amazing that even with the minor predictability, I couldn't put the book down. It's a thrilling read that provides an amazing new world--seriously, I was absolutely blown away by the world-building. The depth of it was amazing and I can't wait to read more of it!
Ms. McQuein has completely blown me away with this debut. Will I be reading her future work? Heck yes! (And as soon as I possibly can!) Arclight is a debut that I think all sorts of readers can enjoy! Readers will be anxiously vying for the sequel!
I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review via Edelweiss.
*I have had this review for months and just realized I never posted it here. Face, meet palm.
I was super-excited to hear that there's going to be a sequel to Arclight. I mean, I liked the open ending, but the story and writing are so compelling, that I'll read whatever else she wants to tell me about Marina's world. :)
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