Dan Wells (2012)
Genre
Fantasy / Science Fiction / Young Adult / Romance
Reading Time
10-12 hours
Key Themes
See below
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On Long Island, humanity struggles to survive after a war with engineered doppelgängers. A teenager must uncover the truth behind the apocalypse to save both races, blurring the lines between creator and creation.
It is 2076, eleven years after the Partial War and the RM virus outbreak that killed most of humanity. On Long Island, the last known human settlement, the population is around 40,000. Sixteen-year-old Kira Walker, a medic in training, lives under the Covenant, a law stating all women must become pregnant by age 20. This is despite a 100% infant mortality rate due to RM. Kira is affected by her sister's death in childbirth and the futility of their efforts. She and her best friend, Marcus, often clash with the militant Protectorate, led by Commander Booth, who enforces the Covenant strictly. The desperate situation leads Kira to believe that only a Partial can provide a cure.
The shrinking human population and failed scientific attempts to find a cure drive Kira to plan something dangerous: capture a live Partial. She enlists Marcus and another friend, Jayden, to go into the 'Deadlands' outside the Wall. Their mission is risky, as Partials are known to be strong and ruthless. They ambush a lone Partial, who appears to be a young male, and incapacitate him. This capture breaks the Covenant, which forbids interaction with Partials. They must smuggle him back into the settlement without being seen by the Protectorate patrols.
Kira hides the captured Partial, whom she names Samm, in the abandoned subway tunnels beneath the hospital. She begins a series of tense interrogations to get information about the RM virus. Samm is initially hostile, but Kira's medical knowledge and their shared vulnerability begin to form a fragile connection. Samm reveals that Partials are engineered beings created by ParaGen Corporation and are not immune to all human diseases, only some. He mentions a "link" that connects all Partials, hinting at a collective consciousness and a way to track them, but remains vague about the cure.
News of Kira's captured Partial eventually reaches the human Council, led by President Fitzwilliam. The Council is angry, seeing Kira's actions as a reckless danger to the community. They demand Samm's immediate execution, citing the long-standing hatred and fear of Partials. Kira argues that Samm is their only hope for a cure. She convinces the Council to give her limited time to get information from Samm, promising a cure or severe consequences. This decision causes a major split within the Council, with some members, like Booth, openly opposing her.
With the Council's reluctant approval, Kira and Samm, joined by Marcus and Jayden, go into the Deadlands, a desolate and dangerous area outside the Wall. Their goal is to find ParaGen's abandoned research facilities, believing the answers to the RM virus and the Partials' origins are there. Samm's knowledge of the terrain and Partial technology is important, but his distrust of humans remains strong. They face many dangers, including rogue Partial patrols and environmental hazards, testing the fragile bonds forming between them.
Kira, Samm, Marcus, and Jayden reach a ParaGen facility. Inside, they find data logs and scientific records. They learn that Partials were not created as weapons, but as genetically engineered soldiers designed to be stronger, faster, and more resilient than humans. More unsettling, they discover that the RM virus was not a Partial weapon, but a human-engineered bioweapon that went wrong. It was designed to target only Partials, but mutated to affect humans. This revelation shatters Kira's ideas about the war and the Partials' role.
As they examine ParaGen's files, Samm reveals more about the Partial 'link' – a form of collective consciousness, allowing Partials to share information. He explains that Partials have a built-in 'fail-safe': they cannot reproduce naturally, and their lifespans are limited unless they receive specific genetic markers from humans. This truth shows that Partials also face extinction, though by a different means than humans. Their survival is tied to humanity's, creating a complex ethical problem.
With this new understanding, Kira convinces Samm to take them to the Partial enclave. They are met with caution and hostility by the Partial leaders, mainly an old Partial named Heron. Heron sees humans as a threat and is unwilling to cooperate, given the war's history. Kira presents the evidence from ParaGen, arguing for a shared future, but the Partials are skeptical after years of human aggression and fear. Samm acts as a bridge between the two species, vouching for Kira's sincerity.
Kira, understanding the Partials' own struggle, proposes a solution: she will work to find a cure for the human RM virus, allowing human babies to live, if the Partials share the genetic information needed for their own long-term survival. This offer receives mixed reactions from both sides. Heron, though wary, sees potential for his people's future. The human Council, hearing of the Partials' reproductive crisis, re-evaluates their stance, realizing Partials are not just enemies but potential partners.
Back on Long Island, Kira, with limited cooperation from Partial scientists, works to synthesize an RM cure. The process is difficult and has setbacks. She works tirelessly, often for days without sleep, driven by the hope of saving both species. Political tensions between humans and Partials remain high, and Kira is often caught in the middle. The ethical implications of their shared past and future weigh on her, but she continues, knowing that failure means the extinction of both races.
After months of work, Kira synthesizes a working antidote to the RM virus. The first human baby born after receiving the cure survives, a moment that sparks hope among the human survivors. However, this triumph is short-lived. Some human groups, especially those loyal to Commander Booth, see the collaboration with Partials as a betrayal. They fear the Partials and refuse to accept a future where their survival depends on their former enemies, leading to new internal conflict and a potential civil war within the human settlement.
Commander Booth, fueled by his hatred and fear of Partials, tries to take control of the human settlement, refusing the new alliance. Kira, supported by President Fitzwilliam and a growing number of humans who see the wisdom in cooperation, confronts Booth. Samm and other Partials arrive, showing their commitment to the alliance, not as conquerors but as partners. A tense standoff ends with Booth's defeat. The resolution strengthens the alliance between humans and Partials, paving the way for a shared future where both species can begin to rebuild and overcome the legacy of war and disease.
The Protagonist
Kira transforms from a frustrated medic to a courageous leader, bridging the gap between humans and Partials and ultimately saving both species.
The Supporting/Love Interest
Samm evolves from a distrustful prisoner to a crucial ally, helping to bridge the divide between Partials and humans.
The Supporting
Marcus remains a steadfast friend, evolving from a skeptic of Kira's radical ideas to a firm believer in the alliance between humans and Partials.
The Antagonist
Booth remains an unyielding antagonist, ultimately defeated by his inability to adapt and overcome his prejudices.
The Supporting
Fitzwilliam evolves from a cautious leader to one who embraces a risky alliance for the survival of his people.
The Supporting
Jayden's loyalty to Kira strengthens, showcasing the power of friendship in desperate times.
The Supporting
Heron moves from a position of deep mistrust to a reluctant but ultimately necessary alliance with humans for the survival of his people.
The Supporting
Dr. Alex's role is primarily to provide scientific context and support, evolving to accept Kira's unconventional methods.
The book questions what it means to be human, especially concerning the Partials, who are genetically engineered but look human. The Partials' fight for recognition and their unique biological needs make both them and humans confront their ideas of life and sentience. Kira's journey challenges the human belief that Partials are simply weapons, showing their complex emotions, societies, and vulnerabilities. This theme becomes clear when Samm reveals Partials cannot naturally reproduce, making them as vulnerable as humans.
“What makes a person human? Is it the way they're born? Or is it the choices they make?”
At its heart, 'Partials' is a story of survival against great odds. Both humans and Partials face extinction, pushing characters to make desperate and often morally complex choices. Kira's willingness to capture a Partial, defying the Covenant, shows sacrificing individual safety for the greater good. The human Covenant, forcing women into repeated pregnancies despite infant mortality, highlights the extreme measures taken to survive. The alliance between humans and Partials ultimately shows that true survival often requires cooperation and letting go of old biases.
“Sometimes, to save everything, you have to risk everything.”
The deep prejudice between humans and Partials, caused by the war and the RM virus, is a central conflict. Humans see Partials as monsters and the cause of their suffering, while Partials view humans with suspicion and resentment. Commander Booth represents this prejudice, seeing Partials only as enemies. Kira's ability to overcome her own biases and see Samm as an individual is crucial to the plot. The path to reconciliation is difficult, requiring both sides to acknowledge past wrongs and present shared vulnerabilities, leading to a fragile, necessary alliance.
“Hate is easy. It's understanding that's hard.”
The novel explores the dangers of unchecked scientific advancement and biological warfare. The discovery that the RM virus was a human-engineered bioweapon, meant to target Partials but mutated to affect humans, serves as a warning. ParaGen's creation of Partials as engineered soldiers also raises questions about the ethics of creating sentient life for military purposes. Kira's scientific search for a cure happens within this ethical minefield, forcing her to confront the results of past scientific overconfidence and find a way to use science responsibly for healing rather than destruction.
“We created our own monsters, and then we blamed them for it.”
The devastating pandemic that nearly wiped out humanity.
The RM virus is the primary catalyst for the entire plot. It is a weaponized virus, initially designed by humans to target Partials, but it mutated and became lethal to human infants. Its 100% infant mortality rate among humans creates the existential crisis that drives Kira's search for a cure. The virus forces humanity into extreme measures, such as the Covenant, and ultimately acts as the shared threat that compels both humans and Partials to seek cooperation, revealing its true origin as a human creation rather than a Partial weapon.
The draconian law dictating human reproduction.
The Covenant is a law enacted by the human Council on Long Island, requiring all women to become pregnant by a certain age and bear children, despite the certainty of infant death from RM. It serves as a symbol of humanity's desperation and the oppressive measures taken in the name of survival. For Kira, the Covenant is a painful reminder of her sister's death and the futility of their efforts, fueling her determination to find a real solution. It also highlights the societal pressures and loss of individual autonomy in a post-apocalyptic world.
The collective consciousness and communication network among Partials.
The Partial 'link' is a unique biological and technological feature that allows Partials to communicate telepathically and share information, experiences, and even emotions. It provides Partials with a distinct advantage in warfare and coordination. However, it also reveals their vulnerability, as a severe injury to one Partial can be felt by others. More importantly, it is tied to their reproductive crisis; the 'link' is essential for their long-term survival and requires specific human genetic markers, making their fate intertwined with humanity's. It serves as a key plot point for understanding Partial biology and motivation.
The shadowy corporation responsible for creating Partials and the RM virus.
ParaGen is the fictional corporation that bioengineered the Partials as super-soldiers and, inadvertently, created the RM virus. Its abandoned facilities become a crucial location for Kira and her team to uncover the truth about the war, the virus, and the origins of the Partials. ParaGen represents the dangerous consequences of unchecked corporate and scientific ambition, acting as the 'original sin' that led to the near-extinction of both species. The information discovered within ParaGen's archives fundamentally shifts the narrative's understanding of heroes and villains.
“Humanity has been at war with itself for as long as it has existed. We create weapons that destroy us, and then we create more weapons to stop the weapons we created. It's a vicious cycle.”
— Kira ponders the history of human conflict and the creation of Partials.
“The only way to win is to not play.”
— A philosophical musing on the nature of conflict and survival.
“Fear makes people do stupid things. And desperate people do even stupider things.”
— Kira observes the actions of the survivors in the wake of the Partial War.
“Sometimes, the only way to save a life is to risk your own.”
— Kira's internal reflection on her dangerous quest to find a cure.
“We are not our creators. We are ourselves. We have the right to choose our own path.”
— A Partial's assertion of their own identity and free will.
“Hope is a dangerous thing. It can keep you alive, but it can also kill you.”
— Kira reflects on the fragile nature of hope in a post-apocalyptic world.
“The past is a weapon. Use it wisely, or it will destroy you.”
— A warning about the lessons of history and their impact on the present.
“Love isn't logical. It doesn't follow rules. It just is.”
— A character contemplating the irrationality and power of love.
“Truth is a luxury we can't always afford.”
— Kira considers the necessity of deception for survival.
“Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is to forgive yourself.”
— A character struggling with guilt and self-blame.
“We are all just trying to survive, one way or another.”
— A general observation about the shared struggle of humanity and Partials.
“The world isn't black and white. There are shades of grey everywhere.”
— Kira realizes the moral complexities of the conflict.
“What makes us human isn't our biology, but our choices.”
— A discussion about the essence of humanity, especially in relation to the Partials.
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Dan Wells is a speculative fiction author known for his young adult novels. His debut, "I Am Not a Serial Killer," explores dark themes with a unique first-person perspective and gained critical acclaim. He is also recognized for the "Partials" series, a dystopian science fiction saga. Wells holds a Master's degree in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California.
