Outbreak - Book Review

Outbreak by Tarah BennerI was fortunate enough to receive an advanced reader copy of Tarah Benner’s book Outbreak so I thought I would post a review on it. I’ve included her other books on my Things I’m Loving and so she sent me (and Olivia!) an ARC of this newest book. I highly suggest any of her books since they are all a fantastic read.Outbreak is the third book in her Fringe series. The setting is a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has survived a nuclear holocaust by building biodomes and remaining inside for several generations. When students “graduate” they are placed into work programs based on aptitude scores. The main characters, Harper and Eli are both placed into the Recon program. Recon workers are the ones who journey outside the dome in order to scout the area and protect it. I hesitate to tell you too much more of the story since I don’t want to ruin it!This book picks up right where the previous installment left off. If you haven’t read her previous books in the series they are a MUST read before this book. They are (in order) Recon and Exposure.  The story fast paced and the characters are constantly on the move. The author does an absolutely fantastic job of showing you the environment the characters are working in. This lends itself to the reader being completely immersed in a very realistic world.One thing I really love about this series is the unique setting. I’ve never considered what life would be like if I was forced to live inside a self-contained biodome. I also can’t say that I’ve ever read a story with this premise. This in itself, makes for one VERY unique read. The author does an excellent job of detailing what life would be like under these circumstances. Her research in this area really shows through.Another thing the author does exceedingly well with is getting you to really “fall in love” with the characters. You really begin to understand who they are and where they are coming from. You really start to care about what they are going through and you feel their struggles. This makes for a great read in my opinion since I’m all about the character development in ANY story.My one complaint regarding this book (and series) is the amount of language the author uses. I understand she is using them to convey the characters distress and displeasure, but in my personal opinion there are better ways to do so. The amount of language is not enough for me to change my recommendation of the book, however I wouldn’t recommend it for children/younger teens for this reason.Overall this book is an excellent, quick read. You will enjoy the storyline and the characters are riveting. Also the highly unique setting of a biodome is enough to keep any reader glued to the pages.  Definitely a book and series you should pick up!