Title: The Call (#1)
Author: Peadar O'Guilin
Published by: Scholastic Inc.
Released: 2016
Source: Library
Summary: Imagine a world where you might disappear any minute, only to find yourself alone in a grey sickly land, with more horrors in it than you would ever wish to know about. And then you hear a horn and you know that whoever lives in this hell has got your scent and the hunt has already begun.
Could you survive the Call? (Synopsis from Goodreads)
My Thoughts: I don't know why I waited so long to read this and I didn't expect to be so terrified of it. The Call wasn't what I was expecting it to be, it was crazy! I really, really enjoyed it, but at the same time, I was terrified. It reminded me a bit of Battle Royale, just in the feel of it. Also, a little bit of The Hunger Games in the hopelessness of it. The Call was an experience. Who knew I could be so frightened of fairies.
One aspect of The Call that I really enjoyed was this post-apocalyptic version of Ireland. It was just an interesting element, imagining Ireland cut off from the rest of the world, having to find ways to stretch resources that can't be replaced, and just the hopelessness of their dying population. Also, because of these limited resources, medical care was decided by who was useful to the continuation of the nation, and who was not. That's terrifying. These Sidhe were mean, and they meant business when they decided to punish Ireland.
The Survival Schools were another interesting facet to the story. All these kids were being taught any skill they could to survive the Call: physical fitness, fighting skills, ruthlessness, conditioning of the soles of their feet, the Sidhe language, anything to survive. These kids were killing machines which was good in some cases, bad in others.
I was genuinely terrified imagining being called to a place like the Grey Land. Knowing that I was being hunted and that only 1 in 10 has managed to survive. It was very thrilling and scary.
I also didn't expect how gory this was going to be. It just made it that more intense and scary.
Nessa as a main character was interesting to follow. She's a disabled character, had Polio when she was younger, making her legs weak. Just knowing that her parents considered doing what they thought was the humane option and killing Nessa before her Call came. That's dark. But Nessa was determined not to let her disability stand in her way, and worked harder to be in the best shape she could. Nessa was strong and she was impressive. She didn't want anybody's pity.
The whole idea of the Call was terrifying. Never knowing when or where you would be pulled from and then being on the run for your life. Terrifying landscape, creatures that can melt your skin with a touch, and take great delight in killing. It's all just craaaazy!
The Call kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to it's crazy end. I want to know what happens next, so maybe it's a good thing I waited so long to read it, because that means I didn't have to suffer that horrific wait for the sequel. I'd definitely recommend this, but be warned, it's gory, scary, hopeless, and a lot of people die in it, but it's good!
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5
Who knew I would be so terrified of woodland fairies
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