The Loners: 1 (Quarantine) Paperback – 10 Jun. 2013

MY REVIEWI purchased this paperback from Amazon.co.uk for myself as a birthday treat. It has been on my wishlist for quite a while, from before it came out in paperback. So I finally bought it for myself.The cover shows a wrecked section of a school, which depicts the book well. The cover fits the post-apocalyptic/dystopian style of the book well. On the cover of my paperback is a quote from another well known author, which is one of my pet hates as I think such quotes belong on the back cover or inside sleeve of the book. On the book pictured above is the totally relevant byline "Graduate . . . . Or die trying". So would I pick this book up form a store shelf? Yes I would, the cover would do it's job in making me pick up the book, then the byline of "Graduate . . .or die trying" would intrigue me with the blurb finally selling the book to me.So the two main characters are brother David and Will Thorpe. It will be Will's first day at the high school, and David is determined to look out for his younger brother. David used to be one of the popular sports guys. Until their mother died, then he just lost interest. Just as David is thinking of going back and re-joining the team, he commits an unforgivable act and fights with the new team leader Sam. Now there's no way he'll get back on the team.There's a loud explosion at the school and a whole wing of the school blows up. The teachers start to collapse and die, soon there's only the teenagers left. There's some sort of virus that teen's carry, one such infected teen has run into the school and infected them all. The only thing the teens have to look forward to is graduation. The army has installed a booth, with a fingerprint scanner within it. When it's your turn to graduate you enter the booth, put your thumb on the scanner, a sign tells you if you have graduated and a small compartment open for the graduate to enter, he/she then is removed from the school and taken to a medical station and later released into the community. You see once you leave your teens and graduate the virus leaves your body. If you don't graduate and leave then the teens surrounding you that have the virus will infect you and you'll die.Of course there's lots of teens that won't graduate for sometime there's also the problem of food and survival. The army drop a large package of food and other items needed for survival onto the football quad on a fortnightly basis. Obviously the food is literally grabbed and definitely not shared out! It really is survival of the fittest. The school splits up into groups. there's The Pretty One's - all the popular pretty girls are in this gang, and they only date and are therefore protected by The Varsity - The Athletic Boys. Then there's The Sluts - the not so pretty girls who can look after themselves. Then The Nerds, The Freaks, The SkaterBoys and anyone that's left is on their own and termed a "scrap".Life would have been so much easier for David if he had made it back onto the team, then he would have been part of The Varsity group . . . but he hadn't got back on the team, and he had Will to look after so that made them Scraps. Obviously there's fights between gangs and people. Petty arguments before the explosion become the difference between being in a team and being a scrap. So David and Will are basically up against Varsity. Varsity are the strongest group, so no one wants to cross them at all. David finds himself up against Varsity with just his brother for help . . . and then before long the scraps begin to from their own "club/gang", they want David as their leader. There's an incident involving a girl thrown out of The Pretty One's and David ends up with the whole of Varsity wanting a piece of him, and its the fortnightly struggle for food and supplies. David can't afford not to do the run for food but he can't afford a broken leg either what is he going to do? Let's just say that help comes from an unlikely source.I could go on and on there's so much more to the book than what I have given you a taster of above, but you really should read it and discover it for yourselves.So did I enjoy the book? Yes, initially the book seemed a little slower paced than I liked and I began doubting my book choice, but once the pace picked up and after the explosion and the gangs were formed I became more drawn into what was happening and started caring about the characters. I loved all the different personalities and character traits of the Scraps. Would I recommend the book? Despite thinking perhaps I'd chosen a not so great book at the beginning yes I'd recommend it and tell you the slower paced part is all about setting the scene and learning about the teens before the explosion. So Yes I'd recommend it! Would I read the next book in the series? Yes and luckily I have just had a request for Bk#2 Quarantine: The Saints accepted so I will be reading and reviewing Bk2 for my blog etc. Would I read other books by Lex Thomas? I would certainly take a closer look at anything by Lex Thomas after reading Quarantine: The Loners so I guess that means yes!

verry good

So I was looking through a section of my public library and saw the title of the book. Picked it up looked at the cover, then started reading the blurb. As soon as I saw that it mentioned a school being quarantine I had to read it, I wanted to know why and what the heck was going to happen within the school now.I have to say it was pretty good. We meet David who use to be a part of the football team so when his actions one night brings him back to reality he is not too keen on going to school. It is his brother Will's first day of high school and so David has to go. Only maybe they should have stayed at home since it seems they aren't at school very long when it happens. The school becomes quarantine and you are left wondering why? We get told a small bit of what might have caused this but that is much later on within the book when they bring in the machine that will let you know if you are infected or not.Within the school it has become a fight to live, everyone is in some type of gang. You have nerds, sluts, geeks, varsity, pretty ones, freaks, skaters, and then the scraps.It is amazing to see how each person is able to survive in such conditions. The only food they receive is what is dropped from the military in an effort to make sure the kids do not starve but we never learn how the people on the outside of the school is handling it all.David and his brother Will do not belong to any gang and take care of each other though we slowly get to see Will become a rebel towards his brother and his actions will pay a price but for just a little bit.It seems that being locked up within a small space will eventually drive anyone to go crazy and this is what we slowly see. Sam who is on the varsity gang has it out for David but what happens when David stands up for what is right? We see how it can go all crazy within just a moment between gangs and people.Even though David insist on his brother and himself staying away from the gangs and trying to stay alive it seems that some people rather David be a leader to them give them a voice.There is so much that goes on within this book that I could continue to write and write a review and I still can not put it all together.Characters were good the only one I didn't like was Lucy minus of course Hilary and Sam. Lucy comes into David and Will's life and there is just something about her that I just really did not like. I am not sure if it is because she plays ditzy or what but she rubbed me the wrong way.Now this virus or illness whatever it is seems to kill adults and the seniors that graduate are considered adults but who will make it out alive? As it seems that once you are an adult you have to stay away from the younger folks as you get to close you can die. I felt okay with not truly knowing what caused this craziness to happen as I can only hope the answer will come to light in the later books.I say pick this book up, there is some violence but nothing too gory I wouldn't think there is drama and plenty of action.