Book Review: Safe, Dawn Husted

Title: Safe
Author: Dawn Husted
Published: 2013, Amazon Digital Services Inc
Pages: 272
Source: review copy received via author
Format: Ebook
Rating: 3/5

Post-apocalypse; Penelope Evans is eighteen, living in the Colony along with her family and other survivors. She finishes a day in the laboratory when her identification card begins flashing. This flash starts an upheaval of events leading further from her normality and towards the epic truth. James Garak is attending the Academy where he works on achieving a higher rank. Nobody ever expects Penelope and James' relationship to last long. A year later, they're still together. But when they are forced to run, Penelope's world turns upside down as she discovers the truth that changes their life forever. with lives at stake and guards on their trail, will they make it to safety? Will the dishonest lies behind the island's buraeucracy shatter her existence or give her the drive to find a sister she never knew existed?

Safe begins with Penny and James celebrating their one year anniversary.  The next day Penny's ID card flashes read signalling a compulsory meeting for all residents of the Colony.  At this meeting the residents are required to give a blood sample to be tested for a suspected plague.  Penny fails this test and subsequently goes on the run with James.

I quite liked Safe.  It was an interesting read and it was also a nice quick read for me.  Safe is told via the point of view of Penny allowing you to get a slight insight into her character as well as her thoughts and feelings.

I did like the characters, although I wouldn't say it was love as I didn't feel I knew them well enough.  The main characters to the story are Penny, James and Lucan and they each had their own individual strengths.  James was the strong one and knew how to fight as he had trained as a guard.  Lucan knew more about the wilderness (not sure that's the word I was looking for but it does the job) as well as electronics.

I liked Penny mainly because she didn't complain once about being on the run.  So many books have whiny female characters and I was worried this would be the same.  It wasn't! So major plus!

I also thought I knew where the story was going.  But there was a huge twist that had me slightly gobsmacked.  I did quite like the direction the story then took as I didn't know what to expect.  However, I felt the ending was quite abrupt.  It sort of had a that's it feeling to it.  I don't know if that's because there will be a sequel but if there is I would definitely read it.

Overall, I liked Safe.  It was a nice quick read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes YA dystopia novels.

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