Book Review / Giveaway: The Farm by Emily McKay

By: Emily McKay

Published by: Penguin

Released on: December 4th, 2012

Series: The Farm #1

Source: book from author to review

4 Stars: I Enjoyed It

Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Life was different in the Before: before vampires began devouring humans in a swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up and quarantined. These days, we know what those quarantines are—holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the undead monsters, known as Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other…

And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible.

Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices—like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won’t be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help…

Carter was a schoolmate of Lily’s in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race... -quoted from Goodreads

Romance, danger, vampires and a whole lot more! This book was packed full of surprises, twists, and one seriously awesome butt kicking heroine who will do whatever it takes to protect to her twin sister. This book was not at all what I was excepting it to be, it was so much better. When I sat down to read this book I wasn't sure what I should except, and I can tell you I wasn't excepting to be hooked from the get go, to read it in one sitting, and to fall in love with some of the characters. Emily McKay's The Farm is an awesome read and one I really enjoyed it. 

One of the things I liked about this book is you don't have to be a fan of vampires to enjoy it. Sure vampires are in this story, but the main characters aren't vampires. Set in a world that's best described as a cross between a paranormal nightmare and a well crafted dystopian one, everything has been devastated by vampires and ticks, zombie like vampires. People are wiped out in some areas. Families are driven apart, homes and cities are destroyed, and parts of the US are in ruins. Teens are all that seem to be left, and they are sent to farms. Nope, I'm not talking farms that grow fruits and veggies on either. At the heart of this dark, troubled and dangerous world is where we meet Lily and her twin sister Mel. Forced to live on the farm, a place where survival of the fittest is key, Lily does everything in her power to keep her sister and her safe. She's even devised a plan for them to escape, and all seems like a go until Connor, Lily's crush from the Before arrives, and he's looking for her. 

I adore Connor! I love the relationship that he and Lily have. It's complex, and it's realistic given the history between them and all that's going on around them. There's a few things I'm leaving out to avoid spoilers, but their relationship and the relationship he has with Lily's sister Mel is fabulous! Mel is different, and I loved that while Lily is so busy trying to keep her safe, Connor bursts onto the scene and immediately gets through to her. Mel is a character I fell in love with right of the bat. Through she doesn't communicate how we do, she's a character her sees a lot that goes on around her, and understands way more than Lily thinks she does. I love how protective Lily is of her sister. Lily herself is a tough cookie. Part of me felt bad she had to be that way and another part of me admire her for it, because she is the protector. She's fearless, and isn't afraid to kick some butt. Connor, well he's a strong hottie with a secret agenda. I love that Connor and Lily both throw each other off their games a little it. It's fabulous! 

Being that the story is told from all three of their points of views makes this story that much more addicting! It wasn't confusing, nor did it ever hinder the flow of the storyline. It added depth to the characters and I liked getting to see them from three different points of views. The paranormal elements in this story are frightening, creepy, exciting and intriguing. I like there's this mix of humans, "special abilities" and vampires. The world building is fabulous. It's meant to be a little dark, laced with danger, and has this unknown feel to it. It's unknown what lies to the north, and what's going to happen to them now that they're on the run after their escape from the farm and yet there's this hope that Lily, Connor and Mel find and cling to. 

This is a story of survival at it's finest. It's driven by will, made possible by sacrifice, and touched with love and the will to endure. There's plenty of danger, fabulous character chemistry and some great action packed twists that kept me hooked with this book. Oh that ending! Just as I thought I had the very end of the book predicted, Emily throws in a twist that might have left me a little teary eyed. I need the sequel like now. This is a great read and one I'd recommend reading. There is a tiny bit of gore, and some very mild language through out the book.

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The Giveaway: Thank you to Emily, I have a sweet giveaway today! I have a limited pack and SIGNED copy of The Farm to giveaway! My computer is currently being a bit wonky, and I'm not able to post a picture of the items, but I will have the pic up as soon as I can. 

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