Outpost (The Razorland Trilogy, 2)

Title: Outpost Author: Ann Aguirre Rating: 4.5 Stars My Review This may be my last review for quite a while. I have too much on my plate and may even have to cut back on writing for a while, but definitely can't keep reading and reviewing like I'd like to. That's ok, though, because this is a great "last gasp" before I take a break. I really loved the first book in this trilogy, Enclave. If you haven't read it, go DO it! (But be warned it is a zombie book, but more on this later.) It features a kick-butt female MC, a ton of zombie-butt-kicking action, and a nice romance to boot. Outpost picks up where Enclave left off. Deuce, Fade, Stalker, and Tegan have arrived at a safe haven aboveground: a settlement named Salvation. For a short time, they get to settle into the relative safety of others' protection. Except, that "settling" isn't really in any of their natures anymore, least of all Deuce. She finds herself completely out of place in a society that is a conservative religious throwback. They want her to wear skirts and be quiet and listen to men and know her place. Riiiiiiiiiiiiight. That's not really going to work out for a Huntress. Being a Huntress is all Deuce knows and her daggers, worn strapped to her thighs (like Sara's), are as much a part of her as her own hands. She feels naked without them. In fact, you find out later that she sometimes wears her own clothes and daggers beneath her skirts (there is a funny tie to my WIP on this actually, couldn't believe it when I read it). She struggles to fit in and feels distanced from the other three in her little "group," well, except for Stalker. I know a lot of people didn't like Stalker, and I don't blame them, but I did. I think I saw where Aguirre was going with him. When Deuce teaches him to read (though she's not that good at it herself) in Enclave, you see the broken boy who grew up fighting to survive amongst slavering wolves. Was he a completely reprehensible human being who allowed Tegan (and others) to be raped and beaten? Yes. Was that the world that he knew and Tegan's ultimate fate whether it was his gang or another? Yes. The world that they all live in is horribly broken and any semblance of humanity is stripped away. That is why Deuce and Stalker feel so out of place in Salvation. They've never known kindness. They've never known family. Even Fade (whose situation in Salvation is complicated), has had a better life at some point. He remembers having loving parents, as does Tegan. So fitting back into a society with families is a little more comfortable for them. All Deuce and Stalker know how to do is be incredibly frightening. Fade - Sigh. Fade, Fade, Fade. He's a weird combination of strong and weak. He allows himself to really feel his emotions in ways that Stalker and Deuce kind of...don't. And so he's something of a wreck a lot of the time. He's in love with Deuce still, but believes her to be in love with Stalker (or at least hooking up with him, which she's not despite Stalker's love for her). Deuce thinks he likes Tegan, but she's wrong. He doesn't come to her and straighten it out because he's an IDIOT! (Sorry, mad at Fade there for a minute. Deuce is always honest and all he had to do was ask, but Noooooooooo, he got all mooney and wouldn't talk to her and wouldn't explain himself.) Of course, it gets straightened out. Sort of. The love triangle (and it is a bit of a triangle) got a little bit tiring in this one. Just a tad. That's one reason why I didn't give 5 stars. There came a point when I was like, oh for goodness' sakes...work it out already. It mostly is worked out in Outpost. Mostly. Salvation - This is one of the only reasons I didn't give 5 stars as well. I mostly "got" Salvation, but I think I didn't really understand the seriousness of their conservatism. Aguirre says in the end that they're descended from the Amish, but I didn't get THAT old-fashioned a vibe from them for some odd reason. I guess because the whole world is destroyed and everyone has no electricity or communication, and has to farm and hunt...I guess I just saw them as pretty conservative and survivalists, but I didn't really get that they were THAT restrictive. Not sure why I didn't totally get that because you do see the conservatism, particularly in relationship to women. I just thought it was kind of that attitude because so much of the world now required physical strength...like people just fell back into old roles in that way. Men are strong, women keep the house and raise the kids. I mean, without the society we have with white-collar jobs, there would be some of this natural parsing again anyway. Men do the strong stuff, women do other stuff. It's not until the end that I REALLY understood that this was a FAITH, not sort of a cultural thing. The MUTIES! - The people of Salvation do not call the zombies "Freaks" as Deuce does, they call them MUTIES, which is foreshadowing that Aguirre tells you more about at the end of the book. I think she's parsing hairs on this one (zombies vs. mutants), but that's ok with me. They are SO much more frightening in this book. They've evolved at levels and in ways that Deuce could never have imagined and there is a moment at the end (no spoiler) when you'll just about drop the book (or your phone in my case) in surprise. I like the tension building as you grow increasingly frightened of them. If you thought Deuce and her compatriots were safe and sound inside Salvation, you have another think coming. Deuce - I LOVE her. I just love her. She upsets every apple cart she can get her hands on without even meaning to...she's just being herself. The society believes that women shouldn't be like her at all and though she tries to fit in a bit, ultimately she knows she's better at defending Salvation from the Muties than most of the men (and a million times braver too). She pushes them to let her fight, pushes them to fight themselves, and eventually, pushes them all too far. Fortunately for the people of Salvation, over time she's come to let down her guard and develop deep and meaningful relationships with some of them, and she doesn't want to see them be overrun and killed. So she fights like mad, puts herself in danger over and over again, and ultimately accepts a mission that will determine the entire fate of Salvation in the end. Outpost has twists and turns, deepening of the key characters, and a ton of great action. I've been waiting excitedly for it and I wasn't disappointed. I am really jazzed up to read the next one.

This is the second book in the series and I loved that one as well. This is an amazing action adventure series about a time after the 2nd holocaust where groups of people either live underground in subway tunnels under the city or in abandoned buildings topside in order to survive creatures called freaks or muties who are flesh eating mutants. The only living survivors are 4 teenagers who must journey to the north to the outpost in dangerous and life threatening situations. This story about Deuce a 15 yr. old huntress and Fade her 17yr. old hunter partner from College Enclave who meet Teagan a kidnapped victim and Stalker a topside gang leader who journey to the outpost . The story is so filled with peril, danger, excitement and romance and it is riveting and compelling. I love how the 4 teens despite their differences and backgrounds work together to accomplish a common goal- survival and reaching the outpost, a fortress in the wilderness. The life in the outpost is different and comparisons with Deuce's life in the enclave have some similarities but it is a community with schools and everyone has a specific job. Deuce, is adopted by Edmund, the shoemaker and Momma Oakes, a kindly couple, however, her huntress mindset keeps her from fitting in. Teagan is adopted by the Doctor and his wife, where she learns about healing and medicine. Stalker is adopted by Smith the blacksmith where he learns to make bullets and other metal crafts. Fade is taken in by Jensen , the drunken , violent stable man caring for his horses. The Outpost is called Salvation and is constantly being attacked by the Freaks/Muties, only these creatures are more intelligent and start to change tactics. Deuce learns to shoot from Longshot, one of the elders and survive while in Salvation however, a siege is coming and The four are sent to get help before it is too late. There are zealots and despicable characters in Salvation and there are Freaks outside constantly attacking. This is a pretty good adventure story and I can't wait for the next one.

[...] Reading a good book is just like being whisked away to a whole other world, full of adventure and romance and goodies you can't seem to tear yourself away from. With all the college craziness going on in your typical senior's life, an awesome book is something of a magic portal. Seriously, I think it's the one thing that helped keep me sane these last few months! "Outpost", the sequel of Ann Aguirre's riveting "Enclave", helped me do just this, and I could crawl into Deuce's skin and enjoy being free (or as free as she can be, given her circumstances!). Though I--and Deuce!--had to face flesh-eating Freaks besieging your foster hometown, threatening to kill and devour everyone you've grown to care about into shreds. But hey, beggars can't be choosers, right? Deuce's whole world has changed. Not only is she the odd one out in the ultra-conservative town of Salvation, being far from a feminine young lady a girl ought to be, but her hunting partner Fade is keeping her at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven't changed, but his cold attitude confuses and hurts her. Frustrated, Deuce jumps at the chance to join the summer patrol, protecting the planters from the Freaks. But the Freaks are changing, watching, waiting and becoming smarter and smarter as the days pass. Salvation can't survive for much longer, and it may take a girl just like Deuce to save them all. There's really not much that can beat a kick-ass heroine. Being exiled from the only home you've known? No biggie. Annoying conservatives who viciously blame you for all their troubles? Piece of cake. Cutting down flesh-eating mutants? All manageable! Deuce is such a likable character because she's strong, determined and just plain kicks butt, but at the same time is compassionate and righteous. You just cheer for her whenever she bests a bad guy, and reach out to her when she's feeling hurt or angry or sorrowful. Deuce's narrative voice remains engaging throughout the entire story, and I became so invested in her that I almost felt like I became her. Such a compelling narrator is crucial to any novel, and Deuce was what really drove the events and the emotions throughout "Outpost". Another thing that blew me away and warmed the cockles of my heart was the relationship between Deuce and Fade. The nuances and complexities of their romance made it all the more believable, and there were incredibly sweet moments that made me long for something just what the two have between them. Nothing was too cloying, but was so realistic that you can't help but become invested in their romance. I liked the way their relationship developed both throughout and since "Enclave", and in "Outpost", Ms. Aguirre weaves in layers to their relationship that just fascinated me as I saw their romance morph into something so beautifully real. The other characters in the novel are diverse and distinct in their own ways. I loved Momma Oaks and Edmund so much. They make the perfect foster parents for the battle-hardened Deuce, and the ways they each showed her what familial love in their own ways is were sweet and endearing. Deuce's developing love for her foster family also added to their relationship as well. As for Stalker, I liked how he added a little bit of tension for Deuce and Fade's relationship, but at the same time so, so, so thankful to Ms. Aguirre that she didn't turn it into a typical love triangle where Deuce is confused between the two boys and ends up unwittingly playing with both of them. Please, please don't change that in the next book, Ms. Aguirre! The storyline of the novel was compelling and fast-paced throughout the entire novel, even when, in retrospect, some parts don't seem like they're action-packed (not complaining--every story needs some breathing time!). Which just goes to show how fun "Outpost" was to read--I swear I devoured it in a day, tops! My one complaint is that the climax could've been a little more climax-y. It just felt like it was over pretty quickly. Other than that, though, I was hooked. Overall, "Outpost" is an extremely compelling, wonderful sequel that makes me want to crawl in between the covers and just live with Deuce and Fade. It's a definite must-read for lovers of romance, action or kick-ass characters. And if you haven't read "Enclave" yet, what are you doing still staring at the screen? Get at it! Rating: 5/5

I was a little worried that I wouldn't like this book as much as Enclave. One review mentions filler, to which I say, "Say whaaat?" Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion, but none of it felt like filler to me. I actually think Aguirre excels at writing crisp, compelling prose. I had pre-ordered this book, and it came to my Kindle shortly after midnight last night (today, technically). I started reading immediately, reluctantly had to sleep, and continued reading it all day until I finished. Although I somewhat missed the harsh and frightening world of the enclaves and the ruins from the first book, the author handles the new setting well. Deuce, Fade, Stalker and Tegan's various experiences fitting into life in the settlement, aptly named Salvation, are realistic and further develop their characters. At first I was skeptical of the way the townspeople were against Deuce utilizing the Huntress skills she possessed. It seemed short-sighted and wasteful. But as the history and beliefs of the town unfold, the reader understands this better (though, no doubt, will still disagree with the reasoning.) Like the enclave Deuce came from, there are both good and bad elements to the society she finds herself in. I liked that - Aguirre doesn't seem to be saying one way of life was wholly better than the other, as both had their flaws. Life above ground is easier in many ways, but Deuce must open up parts of herself that she has never developed before, and that is hard in a different way. The author handles issues like forgiveness and trauma with a skillful hand. Hope is there, while never seeming too easy to hold onto. When I first started reading in the dystopia/post-apocalypse genre, I thought Enclave and Outpost would be my least favorite of the offerings I decided to try. (The Hunger Games, Matched, and Divergent were the others.) To my surprise, these books are going to be among my favorites. I have come to love this Huntress girl Deuce. She lives in a world nothing like mine, but I became so absorbed by her life and invested in her survival. Although these are young adult books, I don't know if I'd want my teen to read them, and I'm not sure if I'd have enjoyed them as much at 16 as I do at 32. While not gratuitous, the gore is present, and might be more than some teens can handle. I also don't know that I'd want my teen reading about Fade and Deuce's physical awakenings, even though these aren't explicit and no actual sex is had. More conservative parents might want to read these before deciding if they are appropriate for their teen.

Oh MAN I love this series! I devoured this book, shirked all other responsibility and read it til crazy hours of the night for a few days. I love Deuce, first off. She's been one of my favorite heroines since reading Enclave. I love a strong female lead and it's interesting to see her grow and develop in this story as she's seeing how people act in Salvation. She's falling in love but doesn't want that to be a weakness. She is growing to love her foster family but still wants to be a huntress. Interesting look at changing and adapting while staying true to oneself. The story line fascinates me! I tend to love post-apocalyptic stories anyway but this is an exceptional one. The Freaks are so creepy! I actually found myself a little afraid one night, laying in bed and reading this in a dark room with just a small lamp on. The descriptions are just so believable and realistic. I cannot wait to read the next book and hopefully learn the origins of the Freaks, see if Deuce's group makes it to find help, and see if Salvation survives.

I normally do not take the time to write reviews for books as I have never been very good at it. However, this book (and the rest of the trilogy) were so engrossing that I felt they deemed themselves worthy of my attempt. Outpost was a welcomed sequel to Enclave. It answered a couple of lingering questions for me that I had after completing Enclave. Outpost also came through once again with extremely vivid descriptions of the surroundings and the world as it has now become. I enjoyed watching as the main characters grew even more (Duece mostly). There was part that I found very disturbing and completely out of character of our heroine.. which is the reason for the one star deduction in my rating. The unbelievable high school-like drama that develops once our troupe reaches Salvation. So many chapters could have been deleted and not affect the main storyline if the author would've done away with the ignorance between Duece and Fade. This was unforgivable in my mind. After all that these two have been through, lived through and come out of together, you would think they wouldn't be capable of stooping as low as to stop talking to each other and doubting themselves about the other. Given what we had come to know about Duece and Fade in the first book.. this was simply ridiculous. Other than that issue (which blotted the pages sporadically for about a third of the book), I still enjoyed Outpost and completed it within thirteen hours of continuous reading. Mainly because of the storyline itself and how it flowed so easily, making it a very fast paced and easy read.. and also I felt a little rushed to try to get past the childlike attitudes of Duece and Fade and see them rejoin to face the true enemies.

OUTPOST is a different kind of novel than ENCLAVE. It has amazing character development and a delicious, swoon worthy romance, but it's a bit lacking in action. ENCLAVE was a fast pace survival story. Deuce and Fade literally ran for their lives through most of the book. The story kept me up late at night, glued to the pages, needing to know what happened next. OUTPOST was regrettably easy to put down each night, and left me yearning for harsh landscapes and nail biting action of its predecessor. This sequel feels more like a YA romance. It focuses on character development and relationships instead of conflict. Deuce finds some measure of peace in Salvation. In the relative tranquility of that protected outpost she no longer has to worry about survival, instead she's forced to tackle issues simultaneously more complicated and trivial - boys, school, chores, family, dances, appearing normal to avoid censure from the town matriarchs, and (on a slightly more exciting note) some scouting and guarding. There is no ENCLAVE-worthy action for the first three quarters of the book. Instead the story focuses on Deuce's physiological development: learning to accept care from others and give it in return; how to belong without sacrificing one's identity; and how to be a girl, not just a hunter. This is all good stuff. Necessary even. Deuce needed to grow- her upbringing left her with a singularly skewed world view. The Deuce of ENCLAVE was brave, but she was also highly naive and lacked empathy - a dangerous combination. From her old perspective, the good of the many always outweighed the good of the one. This mindset allowed her to rationalize some pretty atrocious actions committed by elders, companions, and even sometimes herself. She was likeable, but needed maturity to become a truly heroic character. Fortunately creating realistic character development arcs is one of the things Ms. Aguirre's does best. Deuce comes into her own in this novel, and she's not the only one. Fades changes too, whether it is for the better or worse is up to you to decide. Surprisingly, Stalker transforms into a fairly likeable character. He recognizes the grave wrongs her perpetuated in the past, and even apologizes. However their growth comes at a price for you as a reader: the novel feels slow and isn't quite the page turner the first book was. Happily the romance in OUTPOST exceeds all expectations. One of my complaints with the first book was the awkward, somewhat stunted romance between Deuce and Fade. It started off ok, but the end left me frustrated. OUTPOST absolutely delivers on the romance front. The love between Deuce and Fade is epic, heart rending, and beautiful. Things heat up within the first few chapters and don't let up until the very end of the book. And the best news of all? If you shared my concerns about the burgeoning Stalker-Deuce-Fade triangle (former rapist should not be love interests), you'll be relieved to know Stalker is (mostly) eliminated as a romantic contender early in this book. Deuce makes a choice (what a refreshing concept in YA fiction), and handles the situation with tact and honor. For the most part. There are a few unfortunate mistakes made along the way (and one forceful, impassioned kiss), but she remains loyal to Fade, and her feelings for him are unwavering, even in the face of great tribulation. If OUTPOST were a standalone novel, I'd have given it an easy five stars. It's a beautifully written YA love story, set against a back drop of a dystopian world. Unfortunately as a sequel, it was a bit disappointing. Fair or not, the first book sets your expectations for the rest of the series. And ENCLAVE set the bar pretty high, in terms of action and excitement. The abrupt change in pace between novels felt awkward, and made OUTPOST seem boring by comparison. I appreciate what Ms. Aguirre was trying to do, but I don't think the YA romance themes in this novel worked for this series. I'd prefer to see Deuce find love and grow as a person while fleeing for her life, and fighting freaks and rape gangs. The Razorland universe is hard, and brutal, and there is no safety - only the illusion of it. Fortunately, the end of this novel holds a promise of dark times to come, and I, for one, can't wait to see what happens in the third book. "I didn't feel secure here anymore-- not that there was safety anywhere. The whole world was a ruin, a place of sharp angles and pitiless lines that could cut you to the bone."

When I finished reading Enclave I was happy to see that Outpost would be coming out two days later. I liked that the first book was so dark and gritty and couldn't wait to see what was in store for the characters in the second book. What I loved so much about Enclave was how Deuce was this strong independent female character who called the shots, used her brain and didn't let love turn her into a whinny teenage girl who could only let their love be a driving factor to the things she did. When the first half of Outpost painted a picture of her becoming a love sick puppy I was worried that all the things that made this such an interesting book would be lost. But as the story progressed I once again found myself glued to find out what would happen to the characters and society they were living in. In the end I did like the way Ann Aguirre put in the love story and surprisingly found myself hoping different relationships would blossom. I was defiantly left wanting more at the end of Outpost, in a good way. I would say I would defiantly recommend this series to anyone who likes strong female characters, dark end of the world stories with a slight love twist. I can't wait for the next book.

Good continuation,however the story line seemed to lean heavier towards a romance novel. Had a bad feeling the events were becoming predictably a little more impossible and the adversaries developing too quickly. Wasn't the page turner like the first book.

My friend and I had been waiting for this book for months! Ms. Aguirre did not let us down. I found the relationship between all the characters heartwarming and at times heart wrenching. But they have been through such a lot at a young age that I could understand why they were acting the way they were as none of them were above the age of 18, yet they had seen and done a lot more than the people at Salvation. It's worth every penny I spent on it! Looking forward to Horde! I know it will be totally different than I imagine but will still be amazing! I have and will keep promoting this series to everyone I know :)

Ein Buch, auf dessen Erscheinen ich gefiebert habe, und bei dessen Kauf sich jeder ausgegebene Cent gelohnt hat!! Nachdem ich schon vom 1. Band, "Die Enklave", hellauf begeistert war, war ich gespannt, wie sich die Geschichte in diesem Band entwickeln würde. Eigentlich bin ich auch davon ausgegangen, dass die Spannung der Geschichte etwas ruhiger werden und abklingen würde, da die Hauptcharaktere ja nun in eine Zivilisation und an einen geschützeren Ort kämen. Auch die Kurzbeschreibung, dass die Freaks an Scharfsinnigkeit und Gefährlichkeit zugenommen hätten, hat mich nicht vermuten lassen, dass etwas vom 1. Band unabhängig ganz Neues mit neuen kribblig-spannenden Situationen kommt. Aber: so war es! Ich kann nur sagen, dass das Buch wirklich ganz anders ist als das 1. Band; nichts wiederholt sich, die Charaktere entwickeln sich weiter, z.T. auch in eine andere Richtung und ihr Bild wird mit viel Mühe weiter vervollständigt. Die Handlungsstränge sind sehr kreativ (wie schafft die Autorin das?!), abwechslungsreich und fesselnd; die Entwicklung der Geschichte ist nicht vorhersehbar. Ich könnte jetzt noch weiter schwärmen, aber ich denke, ich habe meine Meinung zur Genüge kund getan, deswegen kurzum: Ich liebe dieses Buch:) Fazit: Ein besonderes Buch, lesenswert bis zum letzten Wort. Und: anders, aber in seiner Genialität und Originalität mit der Serie "Die Tribute von Panem" auf gleiche Stufe zu setzen (für mich sind diese beiden Serien die besten Dystopien, die derzeit existieren). Für Fans von "Die Tribute von Panem" sowieso ein absolutes Muss.

Fantastic book, I loved it!

Loved the continuation of this series. A nice change of pace for me, and thoroughly enjoyed it