Zoo (The Enclosure Chronicles)

When I first stumbled across Zoo by Tara Elizabeth, I knew I had to read it. For me, it seemed to be a book with an interesting premise that was a both different than anything else I have ever read and out of my comfort zone. That was what I wanted.

After adding the book to my to-read list, like others, I was contacted by the author, Tara Elizabeth (who was very friendly), about the possibility of receiving a free copy of her book in exchange for my completely honest review. Excited about the opportunity (this is a first for me), I accepted the offer. This review is 100% my thoughts, opinions and feelings. I hope others find it useful in their journey to decide if this is a book worth reading.

Before I get into my review, I would like to mention that I did NOT read the finished copy of this book. There is a newer version out where the main character, Emma, was tweaked just a tiny bit. Some of the issues that others had with the main character, should no longer exist. With that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Regardless of the fact that changes were being made. I imagine that the new changes would be equally enjoyable to me.

When I don't like a book or can't get into it, I simply can't finish it. When I really enjoy a book, I can't put it down unless I can't keep my eyes open any longer. This was the latter! In fact, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. Honestly, the more I read the better it got. There were several shock moments for me where I realized something big, and I really felt the story.

The writing style is more direct than what I am used to, but I'm not complaining. It flowed very nicely, was easy to understand, had great editing and grammar, and the author told the story quite well. It was a fast paced read, with no hiccups. I would read this author again. In fact, I plan on continuing this series and reading her other one. I would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys a good dystopian novel.

****WARNING****

The rest of this review *may* contain spoilers, so please heed caution before reading any further.

****WARNING****

By now you should have already read the description of the book. A girl dies in a car accident, and wakes up in the future encased in a human zoo, and she tells the story of what she went through. It is true that the main character starts out angry, confused and a bit moody. She is scared, but it is believable. I personally was not bothered by this, because it felt real, appropriate and understandable. It would blow my mind if this happened to me, and I felt for her and the others. I would more than likely react in a similar way. Not everybody can be Katniss, after all, and Emma is entitled to her feelings and should not be underestimated or judged too quickly. She is Emma .. and she is tough.

I do feel like her character greatly improved and had experienced a lot personal growth. Emma is flawed. She is head strong, but insecure. She is independent, but still needs help sometimes, which bothers her. She is smart, but sometimes has poor judgment. Simply put, she is human.. A human that I became to adore and root for. Give her a chance, because she ends up surprising you.. She did for me.

The conflict with James vs. Kale bothered me a little bit, but in the sense that I hated the way that she was blind to what was in front of her. I felt like Kale was mistreated and didn't deserve her attitude toward him. That's not to say that I didn't think the book shouldn't have included the conflict, because It managed to suck out a lot of emotions from me. This is important!

At first I wondered where the author was going to go with it. It wasn't until they were transferred that I got completely hooked. Not because I didn't enjoy the first part of it, but because I wasn't sure what kind of conflicts could happen in the zoo. Once in the big dome, though, the action really picked up. Good call for having Emma and Kale so rebellious, and for introducing a few new characters.

Definitely read this book, and give Emma a chance to warm your heart. I'm telling you, it's a GREAT read.

I was given a copy of this book by the author, Tara Elizabeth.

The concept of a human zoo is not new, think gladiators, but still disturbing. Other reviewers have stated that Zoo has a Hunger Games feel and I agree.

Emma, the main character, starts off a typical 2013 teenage brat. Her enclosure mate, Janice, is still stoned. I guess when they healed her body they couldn't fix her rotted brain. Josephine added humor with her terrible singing, but she also kind and caring. James made me suspicious from the beginning. Kale also made me suspicious but he grew on me once I realized he really liked Emma. Victoria was annoying at first, but she was super helpful since her time period aligned better with their situation than Emma and Kale's.

The love between Emma and Kale went thru the typical dystopian time line: he likes her, she ignores the signs, she likes someone else, he keeps on trying, she finally gets it. But the author makes it new and exciting not typical. I like the last chapter, no spoilers, but its all feels.

The descriptions in the book are great. I could really imagine the enclosures and world outside the domes. I liked that the environments helped the story along and didn't become a character themselves.

The writing is good and the story moves along quite well. There was never a point where I was confused about what was happening. I was confused along with Emma and Kale, but that was required for the story to not be obvious.

I rarely buy self-published books. I'm not sure how I missed that this one was, but somehow I did. Sadly, it's a typical self-published book.

There are many grammar mistakes. For example, semicolons are great tools in writing, but unfortunately the author doesn't know how to correctly use them.

There are many editing mistakes. Sentences are repeated. "Sentence one. Sentence two. Same exact sentence one again." Not a style choice or done for effect, clearly it's a mistake that's easy for a writer to make and easy for an editor to catch. Sadly self-published books generally lack any sort of editor.

The author also does something that's out of place in a book. She writes "F* *k" for curses. No, not the whole word written out and edited for use in this review, it appears in the book with the asterisks.

The writing is hard to read. I often had to stop and reread sentences, attempting to figure out what the author was trying to say.

To say the main character is unlikeable would be an understatement. She's so unpleasant, it was hard to want to read the book.

This was an interesting idea for a book, but based on the writing, main character, and the way the story was handled, I cannot recommend it.

I really loved this story. This book reminded me a lot of the Hunger Games, which i love. I did not like Emma character at the beginning she was annoying and whinny. But she grew as a person through the trails that she faced. You really grow to either hate or love all of the characters in the story. It is a very unique but enjoyable read. The idea that humans would be put in a zoo for other humans to watch is crazy but this story makes it seems believable. If you are looking for a new book about a dystopian society i would definitely give this book a try.

I don't normally read YA Dystopian books, but when I started reading Zoo, I didn't want to put it down until I found out what happened to Emma and Kale. Anyone who has teenagers knows that Emma isn't necessarily a rude person, she is just a typical teen who thinks they are invincible and that things must always go their way. And Kale was there for her when the going got tough. Like alot of females, Emma didn't recognize her feelings for Kale at first. The ending of the book ties everything together.

Tara did a great job with this book and I look forward to reading many others by her.
Shout out to you, Tara!

I loved this book, and I had a lot of trouble putting it down. I found the main character very likable, easy to relate to, and quite amusing. Some of her internal one liners had me laughing for a lot longer than I should have been.

I enjoyed the development of the characters and relationships and thought the flaws were realistic (e.g., SPOILER, Emma holding on to her crush when there were other (read: better) options available).

I think some things were telegraphed relatively early, so it wasn't difficult to figure out how certain things would be resolved. But I feel they were resolved well.

SPOILERS

I did have two hold ups, but one may be explained in the sequel(s).
1. James became pretty powerful in the second enclosure a lot faster than I imagine remotely possible.
2. (The major one...and one I hope is explained later.) If they made it back and met in the current time *after* Emma experienced the future - and were dating in 2013, Kale would have remembered her when he got to the enclosure. I know the book is from Emma's perspective, so it's possible he did remember her and never said anything, but it just seems a little odd that it would never be mentioned. I think it would have made more sense if she had just waited until after he'd died and come back before going to meet him so that question wouldn't be there.

This book is so entertaining that I couldn't put it down...Starting reading and didn't stop til I finished it....loved the Emma...what a strong young woman....its a must read...:0)

I feel it focused to much on relationships than the action. I thought the ending would lead us unto suspense for the next book.

An engaging story...a creative and plausible premise, given the way ever-evolving technology makes the impossible possible. ZOO is a story of time travel, adventure, romance, suspense and personal transformation. Emma, the protagonist, begins her heroine's journey as a typical 17 y/o high school senior ready "to discover who I really am, away from everything I had ever known." She thought in the opening pages of her narrative that this would take the form of attending an out of state college. Instead, she finds herself in an unknown futuristic world, removed from everyone and everything she knows and with a path of self-discovery before her--unlike anything she could have imagined. She cultivates persistence, courage and a maturity of character as her determination to escape captivity brings her deeper and deeper into the alchemy of human pain and drama. Tara Elizabeth is an emergent novelist of merit and deserves ongoing attention for her efforts. For those reading purely for entertainment, this book will not disappoint. I frequently struggled to put it down at the close of each chapter. For those invested in reading a story that evokes inner reflection, this tale touches on the ethical dimensions of technological advancement, human trafficking and the exploitation of some for the entertainment of others. This is a book well worth reading! I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

The only thing that disappointed me about this book is the fact that it took so long before I finally got to read it. I first found out about this book on a giveaway and I knew right away that I would like it.

What I liked the most is how much it makes you think about all sorts of stuff that we do. Not just the obvious of how we treat animals in Zoos, but also how we perceive people, how our decisions affect ourselves and others, among other things.

Emma is hard to like at first, she is very hard-headed and that leads her to make stupid decisions at times. It is very hard for her to adjust to her new life, which I think we could all relate to, I'm sure none of us would want to be stuck in that situation. Emma does grow on you as she herself grows, and by the end you find yourself really concerned for both her and Kale.

Even though you were stuck in the Zoo with Emma, you really got a feel of the world around them. It is a very well constructed world, and very easy to be immersed in. I recommend this for anyone who is into YA books and/or dystopian/utopian novels.