The Well's End by Seth Fishman Review

The Well's End by Seth Fishman
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile; 352 pages

A deadly virus and an impossible discovery unite in one enthralling can’t-miss read...

Sixteen-year-old Mia Kish has always been afraid of the dark. After all, she’s baby Mia, the one who fell down a well. That was years ago, though the darkness still haunts her. But when her classmates and teachers at ritzy Westbrook Academy start dying of old age from a bizarre and frightening virus that ages its victims years in a matter of hours, Mia becomes haunted by a lot more than the dark. Their deaths are gruesome and Mia worries she and her friends may be next. In order to survive, Mia and her small crew must break quarantine and outrun armed soldiers in hazmat suits who shoot first and ask questions later.

And there’s only one place to go—the Cave, aka Fenton Electronics. Mia knows it’s somehow connected and hopes her dad, Director of Fenton Electronics, who has always been strangely secretive about his work, has the answers she needs, and more importantly a cure to save everyone before the whole town succumbs to the mysterious virus. Unfortunately, it’s not answers Mia discovers, but something far more treacherous and impossible than even the virus itself.

A high-stakes, fast-paced adventure with imagination and heart.

It's funny how a genre that used to bore you as an adolescent, can quickly turn into a favorite when you're an adult.  I used to never be a fan of science fiction.  But I decided I wanted to branch out a bit, and I gave a few sci fi tv shows a chance.  From that point on, I moved on to books and it became a love.  Honestly it's books like this one, that really make me a fan.  I came to realize that it was just I would get confused by science fiction, and that's what was making me not a fan of it.  But young adult novels usually have an easy to follow along with story.

The Well's End tells the story of a sixteen year old girl named Mia who at a young age fell into a well.  She was rescued after a few days, but after media coverage she became known as "Baby Mia".  This is definitely something many people can relate to.  It's never fun to be known for one thing, especially something that happened to you before you could read or write.  Mia attends a prestigious boarding school that's filled with your typical rich kids.  Mia attends on a scholarship, which separates her from the general school population, but she does have friends of her own.  Now when I first started reading this, it had a very contemporary feel.  Which is what I love.  It gave the readers time to get to know the characters before disaster struck.  You see Mia attending class, going to a party, you basically get a good glimpse of how her life is.

But once the outbreak hit, it really hit.  I don't know about you, but if the people around me started rapidly aging I would freak.  And when men in hazmat suits show up, I would all out panic.  Plus it's written in a way where you can feel the characters fear.  A good chunk of the novel is Mia and her friends attempting to escape.  If you like adventure and twist and turns, then you will definitely enjoy this like I did.

I remember about halfway through the novel wondering how Mia's falling into the well could possibly relate to the story.  I knew there had to be a purpose because of the title of the book and because it's just not something you would put in a book without a reason.  Once things start to be explained, and believe me while reading I was impatient for it.  It was one of my driving factors to keep reading.  I really wanted to know what was going on.  My interest was so piqued, that I just had to keep reading.

Now I personally really enjoyed the characters.  Even the shady ones such as Blake Sutton.  Sometimes the villain can be the most intriguing of characters.  Because I honestly don't believe that anyone is just born evil or corrupted.  Normally there is something that triggers a behavior change.  These are the interesting characters.  These are the ones that we love to hate.  As for the romantic aspect, it did seem a little cliche.  New kid at school who has secrets and the lead falls for him or her.  But sometimes you need a cliche.  A little familiarity doesn't hurt.

But my gosh that ending!  Seriously what an ending.  I don't want to spoil it, so I won't say much.  But my reaction was pretty much, "There has to be sequel!  There must be a sequel!  You can't end a book this way!"  

Thank goodness.  There is a sequel!