Review: Silver - Chris Wooding

Silver by Chris Wooding
Genre: YA, horror
Published on March 25, 2014
Published by Scholastic Press
Pages: 320
Read From: 10.24.14 - 10.27.14













SYNOPSIS

Paul is the new kid at Mortingham Boarding Academy, and he has a dark secret. 

Caitlyn admires Paul from afar and resents that he only has eyes for Erika. 

Erika thinks that she and Caitlyn are best friends, but she's wrong. 

Adam is a bully with a major chip on his shoulder. 

Mark is outgrowing his old friends but doesn't know how to make new ones. 

In a few short hours, none of this will matter. 

Without warning, a horrifying infection will spread across the school grounds, and a group of students with little in common will find themselves barricaded in a classroom, fighting for their lives. 

Some will live. 

Some will die. 

And then it will get even worse.

Review

Cover Blurb: Yes or No? Yes, I like the cover art. Simple, creepy, intriguing. Always my favorite kind.

Characters: This isn't a character-driven book, but I actually did get rather attached to the characters. Paul was my favorite; quiet, golden-hearted, a natural leader - he was always doing things for other people. I felt sorry for Erika, as she was stereotyped by everyone because she was a class-A student and pretty. Her personal view was that she was useless, because that's what everyone saw her as. It took me a little while to like Adam, but once his temper was put to good use, I did. Mark was an adorable nerd, and Caitlyn caused a lot of her own problems, but she was still somehow sympathetic.

The Romance: Sure, there's a bit of a love triangle going on: Caitlyn likes Paul, but Paul likes Erika, and Erika doesn't notice him. It's not focused on a ton, but it's there.

Plot: Mortingham Boarding Academy is an exclusive, rural school for the rich and super smart. It's the beginning of winter break, and everything seems like another normal day. Until a strange metallic bug is found by the lake. And then suddenly, they're everywhere. The world they knew no longer exists - and it's taken away in a single night of nightmarish proportions. You've probably noticed that I'm trying not to say what's going on this book. I really don't want to say, because not knowing adds so much more to this book. It's like a super-creepy Doctor Who episode, and the closest thing to zombies I'll get to liking (but it isn't a zombie book!). Seriously, [Spoiler] cyborg zombies are way awesome. I feel like a total nerd saying that, but I found a zombie-like twist that I actually enjoyed. [End spoiler] Silver starts out outlining our five main characters' stories and backgrounds. But it doesn't take long for it to launch into the action at all. And the quiet, "oh, it's a normal day" beginning actually helps to create a much darker, creepier atmosphere, as the Reader knows that something is going to happen. And once the plot takes off, it goes at a pretty quick pace and doesn't slow down.

Believability: Not applicable.

Writing Style: Third person, past tense. Not necessarily anything special, but it worked fine for the genre of the story.

Content: None.

Conclusion: I'll grant you, the plot's basic structure isn't anything new, and the ending might leave some Readers unsatisfied because it's very open-ended (and I don't think there's going to be a sequel; it so doesn't need one). But I loved it! Creepy, awesome, and fun.

Recommended Audience: Guy-read, seventeen-and-up, fans of horror/zombies/cyborgs/science fiction.