Review Detail

There is a lot going on in Stung. The opening scene begins with Fiona waking from a sleep she doesn’t remember and stepping into a fight for her life. The entire world has changed while she has been asleep, and it’s no longer safe for anyone.
Enter the plot complications. Fiona meets someone that saves her life, but asks a high payment for those gallant efforts. In an attempt to pay back her savior, Fiona finds herself in a very bad situation. Things seem pretty bad, and they are-- until Bowen recognizes her. Now that made an interesting addition to the story.
I read somewhere that this was a loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I’m not sure I see too many similarities between the two, so I would not venture to make that comparison on my own. I did enjoy the story and the setting. It was pretty intense. There are these zombie-like animals/people infested with some vaccine gone bad that are ripping people apart. Pretty terrifying. Not to mention the whole black market aspect of the story and what they want to do with these “beasts”. You can imagine.
I think what I did enjoy the most what the subtle way the story unfolded. You get a lot of action in the present, but Fiona is clueless. She has no memory of her past beyond her 13th birthday (and she seems to be about 17 now). As events occur, little pieces of her memory come back until you get a huge realization during the final climatic scene.
I thought the story was pretty solid, until the final page. That was a bit annoying for me and very predictable. I understand what it was meant to do, since it will obviously be what the next book focuses on, but I found the delivery a bit immature and quick.
Overall, I enjoyed Stung. I will probably read the remainder of the series as it becomes available from my library. This wasn’t one that I would pre-order or stand in line for, but a good summer read.