Review Detail

In the wake of all the hurricanes, blizzards, tornadoes, and other natural disasters around the world, Orleans possesses an almost frightening reality. Orleans, tells the story of what happens after New Orleans is struck by super storm after super storm. Disease has taken over the city. With the spread of "Delta Fever" , New Orleans is no longer divided by racial differences.Now the only this that matters is blood type. Everyone is literally fighting to stay alive inside the wall.

Sherri Smith is a compelling author that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat by adding unexpected plot twists. I have read other books by Smith and this one does not disappoint. Orleans takes a new approach to the dystopian and reveals a scary, yet realistic, plot twist about what goes on beyond the walls of Orleans. Using Delta Fever as the reason for society's massive shift, it takes a turn away from the typical story lines in the genre today.

The narrator, Fen, is young girl full of fortitude and spunk. Her story of survival is horrifying; yet through it all she remains strong and ready to fight for her life. Fen narrates in dialect, similar to other books such as Blood Red Road and After the Snow, and takes some getting use to. But the dialect adds an extra sense of reality to the book. Just like in real life, people from different areas of the USA speak different- have their own slang or ways of saying things. With Fen, it is the same. She grew up in the Delta, walled in from other parts of the United States. There is a reason for Fen's unusual way of speaking.

Smith takes time to immerse the reader in the setting of the story without dragging the plot to a haunt. This is a rare quality in some dystopian and fantasy novels. She paces the description in such a way that the reader understands what is going on but is still intrigued in what makes this particular society works. Smith is a magician as bits as pieces of this horribly fascinating world unfolds before the readers eyes.

Orleans is a mature read . Although it is geared for ages 12+ it is better suited for older teens. The book has a powerful story and in some parts gets brutally honest when dealing with violence. The redeeming quality about the violent nature of these parts is that those details definitely have purpose in the story and are not just placed to entertain the reader. It helps address the bigger questions about human nature and what we, as a people, are capable of in hard times.

Orleans is captivating and a must read for anyone who loves the dystopian genre. It will keep you turning pages for hours. This is a must read.