The Fifth Well: Fate of the Future

The story:

Four high-schoolers happens upon five mysterious wells while walking through the woods near their home. Before they know what’s happening, they are all transported to a dystopian landscape fifty years in the future, where they learn that the apocalypse occurred a mere five minutes after they left. While working with the crew of a rundown submarine, they must try to figure how not only how to return to their own time, but to prevent Armageddon from happening in the first place.


What I loved:

The first half of the book was great. The four main characters – Carter, Amber, Ryan, and Patrick – were drawn well enough that I enjoyed getting to know them as they tried to adapt to their new surroundings. The pacing was brisk, with just enough clues as to the cause of the end of the world sprinkled into the narrative to keep me turning pages


What I didn’t love:

I admire any author who attempts to create a story that blends together several genres, but I have come to realize that doing so takes a certain finesse. This book lacks that finesse. The integration of sci-fi (time travel) and dystopian elements in The Fifth Well works well, but the last quarter of the book introduces a fantasy component that feels incongruous with the rest of the story. Additionally, the way the four teens seemed to effortlessly slip into their roles in their new setting felt jarring to me.


My Final Verdict:

While The Fifth Well started off great, I found the ending disappointing. Too much felt thrown in with little explanation (meaning, wait till Book 2). The characters were well-developed and relatable, but it wasn’t enough for me to want to continue with the series.