Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld and Alex Puvillano

Summary from Goodreads:

Nobody's ever really explained the Spill. Was it an angelic visitation? A nanotech accident? A porthole opening from another world? Whatever it was, no one's allowed in the Spill Zone these days except government scientists and hazmat teams. But a few intrepid explorers know how to sneak through the patrols and steer clear of the dangers inside the Zone. Addison Merrick is one such explorer, dedicated to finding out what happened that night, and to unraveling the events that took her parents and left her little sister mute and disconnected from the world.

Review:

This was a fun surprise! Also, it’s the perfect gift book for fans of Stranger Things. It has a serious Stranger Things vibe. There’s this kind of sci-fi/other world type element to it all.  It’s dark, suspenseful, mysterious, and fun. I loved the main character. She’s a bit like Katniss in the fact that she’s doing everything to protect her little sister.

I also love that the story doesn’t only center on the main character. There are scenes with the clueless police department. Also, there are scenes with another character from Korea (home of another “spill”). And there are scenes with the little sister and her super creepy, talking doll that gets “re-charged” on trips to the spill zone with big sister.

And the spill zone is beyond creepy. There are floating dead people (very zombie-like) with the possible ability to speak. There are frozen tornados and vicious monsters that look like they are part wolf/part jellyfish.  There are giant rats and frozen swing sets. And the main character makes enough money to support herself and her little sister by taking photos of it all and sending the pictures to wealthy collectors. Their parents were trapped in the middle of the spill zone when all the weirdness began.

And you’d think that the creepiest parts for me would be the terrifying hybrid animals or creepy floating dead people. But nope, the creepiest parts are the scenes with the little sister and her doll. So creepy!

There’s so much I still need to know after finishing the book. This book felt like a major setup for the rest of the series. Not enough happened in it for me. I kept waiting for some bigger surprise or action that never really came. That being said, I know a lot will go down I the next book with the character from Korea. Still, though, I wanted a little more in this first installment.

The art and the world it takes place in is beyond cool though. And it mostly made up for my lack of answers. Mostly. I also loved the characters. I can’t wait to see where all this is going. I give it an 8/10.