The plot had potential, but the book itself was a disjointed mess. In a better author's hand it could have been great. ( )

The storyline was very interesting - 4 stars. But the writing itself and the character development was lacking - 2 stars. I didn't care when people died because I had no emotional attachment at all. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: This was a unique post-apocalyptic thriller that had good action, and interesting characters.

Opening Sentence: Charlie frowned as muted sunlight leaked through the ragged umbrella of evergreen boughs overhead.

The Review:

Thirty years ago there was a virus that killed 97% of the male population. It was a very fast acting virus that was airborne and if you got infected you had less than 24 hours to live. After that women had to rebuild society and they created a euphoric society with no crime or war. For the last thirty years the world has been at peace, there are still random breakouts of the virus so the male population is still a very small percentage. Males are treated as a lesser being, they can only work in specific job fields and they are basically just sperm donors. Everyone is happier now that there are fewer males or at least the women are.

Kellen Dent is 14 years old and one of the few boys to inhabit the earth. His father was one of the survivors of the male killing virus from thirty years ago. He hasn’t really had much of a relationship with his father since he left to live in a rural community that is made up of mostly males. Kellen is hoping to visit his father this summer, but his mother seems hesitant in letting him go. His mother wants him to stay at home and study for his impending trials. The trials will determine what type of job he can have and his mother wants him to be an influential adult, but as a male that is a hard thing to achieve. Secretly Kellen dreams of living like his father. He wants to be free and live a comfortable worry free life. His mothers boss decides to pay a visit and Kellen overhears a conversation that he shouldn’t have. The virus is heading to the small town his father lives in, and Kellen has to warn him. Kellen has grown up in Utopia but Kellen starts to wonder if the virus was an accident or not. What price was paid to make their world so perfect? Was it worth it?

The story is told from Kellen’s point of view. He had a good strong voice throughout the book. He is a caring person and your average teenage boy. He isn’t the most comfortable around girls but there aren’t any boys around to be friends with. Girls are always looking at him and flirting with him since he is such an anomaly. He had a good personality and can be pretty funny at times. My one problem with him was that at times he seemed so much older than 14 and then other times he acted his age. I wish that he would have been older, I think it would have fit the role he played a little bit better. Overall, I liked him as a character.

Tia is the love interest in the book. Her and her cousin, Sunday, move into the boarding house that Kellen lives in. The group becomes quick friends. Tia is very smart and independent. She has always questioned what really happened when the virus hit, and she wants some answers. She decides to help Kellen warn his father. She is cute and Kellen is instantly attracted to her. I liked Tia. She was interesting and fun to get to know.

This was a fast paced thriller that was interesting and unique. There was good action and a fun adventure. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the idea was different. Unfortunately, I had a hard time believing in the story; it was just a little too far-fetched for me. I just couldn’t get a grip on a world where people would be better off with only one gender. The plot was really predictable as well, so that made the story not quite as intriguing. Overall, I would say that this was a good read but not a really great read. If the synopsis sounds interesting to you and you like post- apocalyptic books you should give this one a try.

Notable Scene:

As he switched it on, he foolishly half hoped for music, but this morning, as always, news filled the airwaves and the plague was all the news. No crime sprees, no crooked politicians, no environmental disasters, no weather, no sports. He imagined empty stadiums. No players. No fans.

Because no plague-related deaths had been reported in almost two days, scientists believed the disease had run its course. For now. Newborn boys were no longer dying. Ships were returning to port. Within hours of one another, the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, all officially noted the cessation of deaths.

FTC Advisory: EgmontUSA provided me with a copy of Epitaph Road. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )

Is it less of a dystopia if this future world is ruled by women?
( )

TL;DR: didn't rock my socks but I can see the appeal, and I wish there had been more exploration of the social and political systems. Elements related to the title seem shoehorned in to give the plot a certain gravity, but are otherwise mostly irrelevant to the story.

Kellen is the one boy for every 13 girls, how the population ratio has been for the 30 years since the Elisha's Bear virus first struck, wiping out 97% of the male population. Now there's another Bear on the way, and it's _targeting Kellen's dad's isolated fishing community. Kellen has to warn his dad, but getting there won't be easy--and what he finds when he gets there could mean he'll never get home again.

Social dystopia in the matriarchal political structure (with 97% of males gone, women hold all the power) and societal rules (boys' career options are far less plentiful than girls'), potentially a commentary on current gender divides. Not much is really explored in the social system in terms of world-building, but the basic ideas are there.

A decent enough pairing with other gender-divided dystopias (Herland, Charlotte Perkins Gilman; Nomansland, Lesley Hauge), The Other Side of the Island (Allegra Goodman) for illness, or Restoring Harmony (Joelle Anthony) for Seattle setting. 7th-10th grade appeal; girls will appreciate the woman-focused society (as wish fulfillment for our current society, perhaps?) and boys will enjoy the action-heavy second half. Brief chapters keep the plot moving briskly and discussions of schoolwork keep the plot at least semi-relatable for reluctant readers. ( )

This is an exciting page-turner, for sure, and it does raise some interesting (if unsubtle) questions about what a world run by women would be like. Unfortunately, it also gives too many easy answers. (Full review at http://www.parenthetical.net/2010/11/06/epitaph-road-by-david-patneaude/) ( )

In the year 2097, most of the world's male population has been wiped out by a virus known as Elisha's Bear. Women rule the world and don't allow many male children to be born and several repeated epidemics of the Bear have the remaining males fearing for their lives. 14 year old Kellen lives with his mother and other women. Then he learns that the Bear was not an accident. Together with his friend Tia, he faces trials as he tries to find his father and save him from the next epidemic. Together they try to find a way to change the future. ( )

In the year 2067, a virus called Elisha's Bear killed 97% of men, leaving the unaffected females to rebuild society. 30 years later, we meet Kellen. His life is tightly controlled by the female-led government who control what men can and can't do, while limiting their procreation. When Tia and Sunday, his cousins, visit from Kansas, they uncover some disturbing secrets about the virus and are caught up in a conspiracy to stop future outbreaks.
While the story is certainly intriguing, the writing done well, and the characters interesting enough, there are some very heavy-handed portions of this book that detract from the good. The future world is clearly imagined as a totalitarian society led by females, which is the most fascinating part, but this social commentary is lost in the adventure story that takes over mid-way through. Still, it's a good read, especially for students grade 7+ who are interested in dystopian fiction, but aren't ready for Divergent or Hunger Games. ( )

In August of 2067, a horrible virus called Elisha's Bear, claimed the lives of more than a billion men in the United States. For whatever reason, females did not seem to be affected by the viurs. Charlie Winters, his sister Paige and his mother have set out on vacation, with Charlie's dad set to meet them later, but later never comes. Mr. Winters becomes a victim of Elisha's Bear.

Fast forward 30 years to 2097, and meet Kellen, Charlie's only son. He lives with his mother and a lot of other women in some sort of community home. Charlie's mom works for PAC, the young government in the United States that is run almost entirely by women. Men still exist, obviously, but not many of them and a number of them have decided to move to the Outerlands, minding their own business. Kellen's father is one of these men, termed a loner. Kellen's mom has told him that she will send him to spend some time after he takes his trials, a set of tests that will determine what Kellen's future will hold.

One day, he and two friends Tia and Sunday, stumble onto a bunch of seemingly unrelated information, but when they put the puzzle together and then do a little more research, they find out that something sinister - something that Kellen's mom appears to be part of - is about to happen. Kellen decides he has to warn his dad, so he and his new friends set out on a mission to let him know what is about to happen, only to find themselves biking into a situation more dangerous than they could ever imagine.

The story is very unique in its premise, and Patneaude has done a great job of creating tension. I've read in some places that readers were able to guess what was going to happen next throughout the story. I didn't feel that way. There were times I could, but other times, I was surprised by what came around the corner. I enjoyed the book and thought it was a good, not great, mystery story. I would recommend it to students in grades 6-10. ( )

This book is interesting thus far, but I am wondering if it is going to really become a page turner so I can't put it down...

2097: A plague has decimated the male population and the main character is an adolescent male... ( )

August 7, 2067: The day Elisha's Bear roared out of the wilderness and decimated mankind. Two weeks laters later, 97% of the male human population on the planet was dead. Fast forward 30 years, where Kellen Dent lives with his mother and various other people in a large house in Seattle. He's unusual in this world as a male, but having a politically powerful scientist for a mother in a world controlled by women smooths the way in most situations. Kellen's father, who survived the original plague, left them years ago, and lives alone on a fishing boat off the Olympic Peninsula. Kellen sees him once a year or so. When Aunt Paige appears, and confronts Kellen's mother about another impending outbreak of the Bear plague -- specifically _targeted for the Olympic Peninsula, Kellen realizes the danger to his father, and he takes off with his two cousins, Sunday and Tia, to warn him. Having two girls with him makes him less suspicious, but it also puts them up against the organization that's masterminding the extermination process... and what they find on the peninsula is even more dangerous than they dreamed possible. Suspenseful, with plenty of good twists, this is an excellent addition to the apocalyptic (end of the world as we know it) fiction that's come out in the last few years. Strong 7th grade readers and up -- recommended for 8th graders especially for the ideas related to the Holocaust unit. ( )

The world, led by men and on the brink of collapse, is struck by a mysterious disease that kills only men--and ends up wiping most of them off the earth. A new world run entirely by women, with controls in place never to allow men in power again, is peaceful and the plagues of the past no longer exist. Some men choose to live as loners or in small communities outside of society where they do not have to conform to the rules--but when any of these communities becomes too violent or powerful the disease-Elisha's Bear-always strikes again. The son of a very powerful scientist, 14 year old Kellen is sure he wants to find his father and become a loner with him. But one day he finds out that Elisha's Bear is probably not an accident, and another epidemic is planned for the area in which his father lives. Kellen and his friends must find a way to save his father and the others before it is too late. Great read, kinda dark, but really sharp look at society. ( )

The future is a world without much violence, without the need for armies, and governed by women. For 97% of the males have been killed by a mysterious illness called Elisha's Bear. Without so many men, the world seems a better place. Though men still exist, they are a small portion of the population and their lives are strictly controlled by the governing women. Epitaph Road, by David Patneaude, forces us to take a look at the role of gender and its effects on the planet.

Could it be that so many of the problems that the world faces today are a result of male thinking? It seems indisputable as the majority of world governments are controlled by men. So would we be better off if women were in control? This is one of the ideas that is explored within this novel.

Kellen, the main character is a boy being raised in a woman's world. His mother is an important official with the government, and his father has left the city to live the life of a loner ( a male who lives outside of the day-to-day restrictions of the governing women). Kellen, of course, discovers something that forces him to seek out his dad, and in doing so come to face with the truth about his world.

The role of gender in the crises facing the earth is explored in this interesting novel. The author clearly blames much of today's ills on the fact that men are in control. How idealistic to think that with women in control our world would be better off.

"Could anyone in his right mind have made a case for going back to a world of poverty and hunger and crime and disease and greed and dishonest and prejudice and war and genocide and religious bigotry and runaway population growth and abuse of the environment and immigration strife and you-get-the-leftovers educational policies and hundred other horrors?" (pg. 26)

This is the way that history is being taught to the Kellen and other students. Like anywhere, history is created by the conquerors, so it is not surprising when Kellen's History teacher points him, and her other students in the direction of alternate understandings that question the means by which the world arrived at it's current position.

I liked this book. It takes an interesting idea and plays with it. It starts strong, but drifts off a little in the middle of the book and becomes just another adventure, coming of age story. The end is a bit stronger, and I found it satisfying.

When so many books are part of a series, it was nice to read one which stands by itself. ( )

What if women ruled the world? Would it be a better place or would war, corruption and politics just be different?

David Patneaude answers this question in a subtle and very straightforward way. Viewing the world through they eyes of one of the few male inhabitants left after an apocalyptic virus kills most others. The fact that this male is a teenager to boot only enhances the progression of the revelations.

The fact that Kellen was assumed to be an impressionable boy made him easily manipulated by the system, or so government officials thought. He was (much to their chagrin) far more shrewd, insightful and cunning than anticipated. These traits allowed him the ability to research and find information that others may not have been as capable of digging out. Add to this the fact that Patneaude wrote a supporting cast of characters that fed into his many other abilities (two teenage girls who were parters in crime, a mother linked to the government’s higher ups, and an aunt who had history and rebellion on her side) enhanced the plot’s mysterious elements.

Patneaude writes about interesting ethical issues such as gender, medical ethics, and politics. Issues teens don’t likely discuss a great deal in their every day lives. In this way I think Epitaph Road has the potential to encourage some interesting conversation and debate. I’d be interested to read it as part of a book club to be able to thoroughly dissect some of the points he’s made related to these issues.

The one weakness Epitaph Road had in my eyes was that the story built a bit too slowly. We didn’t get to the best part of the book until much later than I wanted. I understood why this was done — providing historical perspective, developing characters and relationships, and creating conflict; but it languished just a bit too long in the set up. While, not to my particular liking, it didn’t damage my ability to like the book as a whole. The second half of the story, when Kellen is more action oriented than a passive observer, was very enjoyable.

Being a fan of series fiction I could easily see this book turned into multiple follow-ups. Now that readers know the truth behind events (which I won’t spoil here) it would be interesting to delve into the stories of survivors and those they have lost pre and post Elisha’s Bear.

Good for girls and boys, interesting for young and old, Epitaph Road is certainly worthy or any and all dystopian fan’s attention as well. If you have the opportunity take a look, it’s worth your time. ( )

In 2067, the majority of the world's male population was wiped out almost overnight. Thirty years later, the son of one of the survivors sets out to warn his father of another "event" and in the process uncovers horrifying secrets from the past and present. Engaging but average post-apocalyptic/dystopian teen lit. ( )

Somewhat in the future, a mysterious virus strikes, killing almost all men, but not affecting women. Women take over the world. Wars and crime virtually disappear, but men are second class citizens. Groups of men leave civilization to live their own lives in the wilderness. Believing there is to be another outbreak of the virus, 14-year-old Kellen runs away to warn his father and makes some frightening discoveries. ( )

I've really become a fan of dystopia books and while predictable I really enjoyed this one. The book was paced nicely and the characters were all engaging. The book opens up with Kellen's father as a young boy first hearing about this plague that is wiping out almost every male it comes in contact with. He is out camping with his mother and sister and anxiously awaits to see if his father made it out of town before the plague hits. Then it switches to Kellen's point of view. I found it most interesting that apparently once women were able to be in charge with little influence of men supposedly war, poverty and crime were wiped out. I've sometimes wondered what it would be like if women were in charge. Are we really that different from men once women come to power?

Kellen teams up with two female cousins, Tia and Sunday, who are boarding in his mother's home. Both are spunky characters but you are kept wondering about the feelings of both towards Kellen. It would have been nice to have that more fully explored but the fact that it is not dwelled upon more might make this book more appealing to male teens. Like I mentioned above the revelation about if this disease outbreak was an accident or not was predictable as was what happens in the end but it was still a thoroughly enjoyable read. ( )

Cross-posted at: http://readingisgoodforyou.wordpress.com/2010/04/04/epitaph-road-by-david-patnea...

"A modern utopia where 97% of the men are dead.

Kellen Dent feels all alone. In 2097, he practically is.

Thirty years earlier, an airborne virus nearly caused man’s extinction. Now women rule the world, and poverty, crime, war, and hunger have all disappeared. With tight restrictions on men’s behavior, fourteen-year old Kellen feels like he has no say in his future.

When a rumored outbreak of the virus threaten’s Kellen’s outcast father, he knows that he must warn him of the coming danger no matter what the consequences. During his desperate race to find his dad, Kellen uncovers a secret so frightening that his life and the future of the world will never be the same."

It’s no wonder that David Patneaude decided to cash in on the success of popular dystopian fiction like The Hunger Games and The Knife of Never Letting Go by bringing in his own version in Epitaph Road. The concept of what the world might be like if the majority of the male poplulation was wiped out by a virus was intriguing to me, so much so that I was willing to take a chance on an author whom I had never heard of and pre-order the book on Amazon.

At the risk of giving too much away, I will say that the author tackles some thought provoking issues, such as what sorts of measures ought to be taken when society goes to pot and who has the right to do so, and just because an action makes a situation ‘better,’ does that still make it the right thing to do?

These weighty issues would have made for some compelling reading had Patneaude followed through properly with the execution. As it were, his writing simply lacked sophistication and polish. Most of the time he seemed to ignore that all important ’showing versus telling’ rule and took the easy way out in revealing vital information to the readers by having Kellen just happen to overhear the plotting of possible baddies, just happen to stumble upon unlocked computers just waiting to be pillaged for clues, or just happen to coax said baddies minions to divulge their secrets. It doesn’t seem very likely that a fourteen year old boy would be able to accomplish all this with such ease (not to mention managing to bike from Seattle to the Port Angeles area with the deterent of curfew and roadblocks).

Patneaude still might have managed to save the story had he created vivid, well-drawn characters, but as it stands, the lot of them were little more than cardboard cut-outs. Gosh, they had such potential! I wished I could have known more about Kellen’s mother’s role in this Population Apportionment Council — what was her motivation for wanting to work for them and what exactly she does she do for them? I wanted more to have been said as to whyKellen’s dad, Charlie, decided to hack it out in the wilderness on his own instead of sticking around help raise his son. Why would someone who was so devistated by the loss of his own father at an early age not cherish his own son and make the effort to take a more active role in his life?

I also felt like Tia and Sunday, Kellen’s gal pals from Nebraska, were thrown into the mix only to demonstrate a particular plot point and because of the misguided assumption that the protagonist from every YA novel needs a love interest. Both of them were so bland and generic that I could care less whether they lived or died. With a little tweaking, I think Patneaude could have made their devotion to Kellen believable, but I found it highly implausable that anyone would be willing to risk life and limb for someone they had known only a day or two (or is that just my mean, self-centered side talking?).

It kills me that a book with such potential to be amazing didn’t deliver — I certainly don’t like to waste my time or money, and I don’t like feeling disappointed by reading material. My only hope is that Patneaude will make more of an effort to flesh out his ideas and characters in the next book in the series, but I’m not for certain if I will make the effort to read it or not. Time will tell. ( )

What would you do if years ago a virus killed nearly the whole male population of the world? What if you were one of the few men left in a world of mostly women? What would you do if it was happening again? In Epitaph Road by David Patneaude, it is the year 2067. Woman outnumber men 19 to 1. Kellan Dent is one of the few men left, at only fourteen, he is not ready to take on his education, let alone a gender killing virus. When word gets out that there may be another outbreak of this virus, Kellan, along with two of his friends, decide to bring a stop to it first hand. What secrets will Kellan stumble upon? What will he do when he realizes he might be in over his head? Read the newest novel by David Patneaude, Epitaph Road, and find out for yourself.

Epitaph Road was an amazing post-apocalyptic novel that I could not get enough of. It's hard to imagine a world where women rule and men are scarce, but Patneaude painted a perfect picture. This story was something new and exciting and a refreshing addition to the Science Fiction Young Adult Genre. Patneaude used strong characters, both leading and supporting. For example, in the beginning he wrote about a blind coffee girl. This character was well thought out and well explained, even though she did not have an important role in the rest of the story. The characters of Kellan, Tia and Sunday were so well adapted and structured, that they were these very individual, deep people with very different and interesting views of the world. Never did I think any of the characters were flat or lifeless. The plot was also very different and interesting than anything I've read in a while. The settings were planned out and the experiences were very real and intense. I give this book a hefty five stars and I will definitely recommend it when it is released this month.

Review originally posted on my blog, Draw A Blank

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from EgmontUSA Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” ( )

In 2067, a potent virus known as Elisha’s Bear wipes out 97% of the world’s male population. Thirty years later, women have rebuilt the world into a much better place than it was before the Bear. In this structured world, 14-year-old Kellen Dent feels like an isolated freak, with all the women’s suspicious eyes on him. Part of him longs to head into the wilderness and join his solitary fisherman father.

Then Kellen discovers that a recurrence of the Bear threatens his father at the mostly-male community he lives in. Along with two female friends, cousins Tia and Sunday, Kellen journeys to find his father and warn him of the impending viral outbreak before it’s too late. In doing so, however, they discover the truth behind the Bear, their society as it is, and a future threat that they must stop before all hell breaks loose.

EPITAPH ROAD is an entertaining, though not spectacular, dystopian read that creatively imagines a world gone awry from the actions of men (war, rape, etc.) and rebuilt with the capable—albeit misguided—hands of women. The story is creative, yet feels incomplete in some areas.

Kellen’s world takes a while to build up, but it ends up being a fairly realistic portrayal of what the world could look like if we continue on our irresponsible paths. David Patneaude envisions a world destroyed by the actions of men and turns sexism on its head: it was interesting to see women’s reactions to Kellen, as if he—a rather mild-mannered-to-the-point-of-being-maybe-boring-and-generic boy—could be held accountable for centuries of destruction. While the 21st-century history lessons felt rather laundry listed, they provided a helpful timeline for the reasoning of the existence of Kellen’s world.

Unfortunately, EPITAPH ROAD was not as engaging as I’d wanted it to be, on account of a lack of complete development across all important fields. The concept of Kellen’s world is disconcertingly plausible, but parts of it failed to take into account the believable passage of time—for example, how has the climate changed a hundred years from now? A few fancy electronic gadgets thrown in does not a futuristic world make. In addition, the story seemed to rely too much on the fanciful idea of its dystopia and thus allows neither the main characters nor the plot to be fully fleshed out. Kellen, Tia, and Sunday often felt like stage actors playing their way through the action and narrow escapes, and the majority of the story did not lead up to its “apocalyptic threat” climax.

Ultimately, EPITAPH ROAD is not a standout example of dystopian lit, but its mix of action and “ungendered” interactions (i.e. little romance to “bog it down”) will make it a good read for young male readers who are on the brink of discovering authors like Scott Westerfeld. ( )

In 2067 the virus came. Elisha's Bear. It only affected males and it was deadly. Almost every male on earth was wiped out. Now, thirty years later, Kellen is one of the few boys on earth. He's 14 and hoping to do well on his exams so that he might have some kind of a future. Women run the world and they've eliminated poverty, crime, and war. They also keep a strict leash on all males. When Kellen hears that there might be another outbreak of Elisha's Bear near where his father lives, he knows he has to warn him... whatever the cost. But what he'll discover on his journey will change everything.

I wanted to like this book, but I felt like the action didn't move quickly enough. The interesting premise gets bogged down in the writing. I ended up skimming much of the second half because I wanted it to get to where it was going.

http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/01/catching-up.html ( )