Review Detail

A great debut by Lee Kelly! City of Savages is a post-apocalyptic story set in the ruins of New York City. In this world, darkness truly rules the city, the streets are empty, the buildings in ruin and the subway tunnels are dark and dangerous. It is the land of nightmares.

Lee Kelly does a fantastic job in throwing the readers into the ruins. There are famous landmarks and sections of NYC that are vividly described in their ruined details. The city is a dark, gray, and desolate setting that sets the events in the story rolling.

The best part of this book is the two main characters, Sky and Phee. The story is told through their alternating points of view. One is observant and dying to get out of the POW camp, the other is a fighter finally finding her place in this world. Phee, while younger, is strong and at times stubborn resorting to violence to solve conflict. Sky, the eldest, lives in a world of books, places that help her escape the darkness she sees everyday. No two sisters could be so different, yet so similar at the same time. Their relationship is real; they love each other, they get jealous of each other, and at times might hate each other. But when something threatens that relationship, nothing will stop them from fighting to save it!

The story is told through two voices- Sky and Phee. Some may find the two narrators repetitive. However, in the big picture of the story, their two narratives are the glue that puts the puzzle pieces together. Mixed in with the great narrations of the two sisters is a voice from the past. Sky discovers their mother’s journal from before the war. Each sister gives her perspective of what is happening in the “now”. However, when the sisters sit down together and read their mother’s writing, a different voice from the past emerges. It is this voice that sparks a mystery and the need to find answers.

City of Savages is a thrill ride of a book that is easy to read and hard to put down. Fans of Dystopian and post-apocalyptic novels will enjoy this one.