Inhuman by Kat Falls
Kelsey
Grade 12
Rated: 3.5/5
“A sneeze sent people running. A rumour of serious illness, even if it wasn’t
contagious, turned a person into a pariah”. Sixteen-year old’s, Delaney McEvoy (a.k.a.
Lane) life had radically changed in an instant. In author Kat Falls’ novel, Inhuman, life as
Delaney knew it was over.
The America that Lane lived in had been devasted by a biological disaster and the
land was divided between the safe “west” zone and the quarantined, feral “east” zone. A
man-made virus, in which many humans became infected with animal traits and
eventually went insane and hostile, was quarantined in the east end, a forbidden
wilderness that was located east of the Mississippi River. This “feral zone” was contained
by a high wall which was built by the company that created the virus. The wall was heavily
armed and guarded by a private army. Lane had always been curious about the wall and
the stories she heard about the other side.
Lane is busy living her sheltered, happy, teenage life when one day guards whisk
her away from a party she was attending, claiming she has been in contact with a person
who has been infected by the ferae disease. Lane is shocked to learn that her father,
who she thought was an art collector, is a fetch (one who crosses illegally into the infected
area to retrieve lost items for a price). Her father, Lane learns, is on-the-run as he is
wanted by the government for his illegal crimes. In order to dismiss legal action against
her father, Lane must enter the feral land and find her father to ask him to retrieve a
particular item for a government official. Lane does eventually learn that her father enters
the quarantined areas to try to help the infected people and attempt to save humanity.
Lane is left with no choice but to enter the feral land to seek out her father, a task
which must be done within five days. She quickly learns that the bedtime stories that her
father had told her are true events of things that happen on the other side of the wall and
he was preparing Lane if she might one day have to cross into feral land. Her father had
also insisted that she take survival training classes which she discovers are now essential
for her survival as she encounters cunningly savage animals.
While trying to reach the other side of the wall, Lane is discovered by Everson, a
handsome young patrol guard, but instead of turning her in, he tries to help her. While
in the feral zone Lane comes across a young man named Rafe, who is quite the opposite
of Everson. Where Everson is reserved and polished, Rafe is a rough and wild character
who grew up in the zone. Rafe struggles to survive while he hunts down a ferocious
manimal who rips out the hearts of humans and eats them. Lane learns that Rafe knows
her father and Rafe agrees to help her find him. A love triangle develops between Lane
and the two young men during their search for her father.
Throughout their search, there are many twists and turns in events and dangers
that the characters encounter. Lane’s kind-heartedness tends to lead her into harm’s
way.
Inhuman is an entertaining, exciting read with a somewhat sad cliffhanging ending.
The next book in the series is a must-read if the reader wants to find out what has
happened to one of the main characters, who was very entertaining and likeable, in this
novel.