Review: Stung by Bethany Wiggins

Goodreads Summary:

There is no cure for being stung.

Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered—her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right hand—a black oval with five marks on either side—that she doesn’t remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. She’s right.

Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded while a select few live protected inside a fortress-like wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark.

Now Fiona has awakened branded, alone—and on the wrong side of the wall.

Publication Date: April 2, 2013

I loved how Stung started with a bang! This was a fast-paced read with a heroine who finds the world she knows destroyed and taken over by an infected population who possess the deadly combination of superhuman strength and complete madness.

I tend to lose interest in a book way too quickly these days. I guess it’s because I know I have a ton of books waiting to be read and I want the current novel I’m reading to grab my attention immediately. I loved how Stung started with the heroine waking up with no memory of the past four years inside of her house that has now been destroyed. She’s chased by infected creatures and forced to go into hiding.

The characters were an interesting mix. I thought the author did a good job of portraying Fiona as a thirteen-year-old girl who wakes up in a seventeen year old body. Fiona had a few too stupid to live moments over the course of the book, but it didn’t bother me since her immaturity and nativity was understandable. Arrin was also an intriguing character and I didn’t expect her role in the plot to play out the way it did. I was interested in Fiona’s relationship with her brother and would’ve liked more background on how they were before the spread of the disease.

I wished I would’ve liked Dreyden more and I think I could have if he was introduced in a different way. He was cruel and abusive towards Fiona when he thought she was a boy on the verge of being infected, but did a complete 180 when he found out she was a girl. They fall in love way too quick for believability and without any real time together since they are constantly on the run.

The plot was intriguing, especially the idea of the society being separated by a wall. With all of the news about the honeybee population dying off, I found the idea that the infection stemming from genetically modified bees relevant.

I’d recommend this to fans of YA dystopians who are looking for a quick and action-packed read.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book for review!