Stung by Bethany Wiggins

Summary: There is no cure for being stung.

Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered—her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right hand—a black oval with five marks on either side—that she doesn’t remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. She’s right.

Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded while a select few live protected inside a fortress-like wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark.

Now Fiona has awakened branded, alone—and on the wrong side of the wall. 

 

Review: Stung was a book with a lot of potential that fell somewhat short of delivering. The beginning was pulse pounding and set up an interesting premise but then slowly began to lag as the story went on. I did enjoy the concepts behind the tattoo and the explanation behind the infection was interesting. The biggest flaws for me in the book were the characters. Fiona was rather bland and I really wanted to like her but I just could not connect to her at all. Bowen grated on my nerves and was overly harsh and mean. I just could not buy their connection it seemed forced and not too to the story or the characters.

I also liked that the book is somewhat timely with the worry about bees dying out and all the other scientific developments that have occurred over the last few years. However, the execution of the story itself and the characters made for a less then thrilling read. The only character I did like was Arrin who was brutally honest and useful as a way to move the story forward by explaining some of the more complex plot elements. Overall, an okay read. 

 

Rating: 3/5 Diamonds

Reviewed by: Jennifer