Gruesome and unusual; an interesting read

Wisteria (Wisteria #1)

By Bisi Leyton

 
About:

Sixteen year old Wisteria Kuti has two options—track the infected around the Isle of Smythe or leave the only known safe haven and face a world infested with flesh eating biters. But even with well-armed trackers, things go wrong and Wisteria ends up alone facing certain death, until she is rescued by the mysterious Bach. Uninfected, Bach is able to survive among the hordes of living dead.

Eighteen year old Bach, from a race known as The Family, has no interest in human affairs. He was sent here to complete his Great Walk and return home as a man—as a Sen Son. The Family regard humans as Dirt People, but Bach is drawn to this Terran girl, whom he has never seen before, but somehow knows.

Hunted by flesh eaters, cannibals, and the mysterious blood thirsty group called Red Phoenix, Wisteria and Bach make their way back to the Isle of Smythe, a community built on secrets and lies

Source: Goodreads

My rating: 4/5

My Thoughts:
Wisteria lives in one of the few safe havens left. She is training as a tracker, which involves shooting those infected with the Nero disease: something her people call 'curing'. The disease is caught by someone who already has the disease biting you, and then you become one of them; a flesher.

Then enters Bach, one of the 'Family' who stumbles against Wisteria as she is fighting off the fleshers that are trying to eat/kill her. Bach is generally disgusted by humans, or 'Terrans' as they are known by his kind but there is something familiar about Wisteria, like he has met her before but cannot remember...

It was an interesting story, with plenty of action and gruesome scenes, which is not great when I am reading whilst having my brekky :s


Wisteria's mum was a bit too cold...she continuously lied to Wisteria, and didn't seem the slightest bit sorry about it. I understand she did it to protect her, but encouraging her daughter in a dangerous way of living, and not even giving her the real reasons seems a bit too cruel for me.

I am not quite sure whether I like Bach or not. At times he would do something heroic, but at other times he seemed too self-absorbed for my liking, although Wisteria brought out some very positive changes in him.
Garfield (what a name!) was a cute character, and surprisingly loyal too. I feel he will have a larger part to play in the next Wisteria books, maybe even fall for Wisteria although I wonder how Bach would take that. Yikes!Overall a good read though it could have done with a little more humour....

Zed (:

Favourite Quotes:

"Jake, you start singing and I'll boil your face in oil when I get back," her mother replied.

He wanted to follow her.
"Bach, let her cool off." Garfield stopped him.
"No," Bach replied, feeling frustrated. "Why is she still upset? I have apologised!"
"She's a girl. They don't behave like human beings." Garfield shrugged his shoulders.

"People are dying outside these walls." Bach halted and rubbed his eyes in frustration. "Why would you think the social order of your artificial society is something I will even think about?"

"Sorry. Let's go to school. Once Mr. Cheung screams and threatens our dead loved ones a little, you'll feel better and forget about Bach..." Garfield trailed off.

She wanted to understand how her mother did it. Did she lie so much that she was able to lie to herself? Perhaps her mother could also be crazy?