Quarantine The Saints Analysis

Saintly Appearance

Appearances are but a mask, one which is crafted and molded to our benefit. This is true in everyday eventualities from applying for a job to even hypothetical scenarios such as the apocalypse where survival is a matter of not letting others know your weaknesses. For instance the writers of the series Quarantine: The Saints have adroitly layered out a story filled with half-truths and deceit, but also filled with an honest disposition of the characters trying to survive at all costs. This is especially true the sequel to Quarantine: The Loners. Where ordinary high school student’s lives destroyed in the previous book and now, we see their reactions. They have adapted, overcome and survived. Although if it’s for the better that they die or survive has yet to be resolved.

The Saints picks up almost directly after where the first book ended. With the main characters frantically fleeing towards freedom Will and his entire group of Loners has almost made it out when the inconceivable happens and they sealed back inside. With no food left and his position of power in the schools status quo in ruins: Will, Lucy and the handful of Loners

left, return to the stairwell they call home with the remnants of their gang. Since the majority of the Loners members did make it outside. Will quickly finds himself back on the bottom of the food chain and is close to starvation when the new guy, Gates, who was trapped inside with his fellow outsiders who tried to ram a bus to the inside to free everyone but only ended up trapped as well, he asks Will to join his group The Saints. Tired of living on the outskirts of the campus without allies and having become delirious from the raw hunger clawing at his stomach Will has no choice but to accept. However, acceptance comes with a price and for Will, which might just mean losing his life and the appearance of power.
I for once had the beginning of the book actually escape my memory. The ending of the first book had escaped my memory by the time I had got around to reading the sequel so it took me a page or two to realize what was going on. While the story in Quarantine: The Saints made progress with new characters and a gripping violence filled quandary of survival, I was a bit disappointed that they were still trapped in the school. After 18 months trapped inside their school, infected with a virus and contained by the military it would have been nice to see the main character’s escape only to realize that it was safer to return then try to survive outside. Or if at the very least I would have had them trapped outside, but still essentially in Quarantine as the outside of the school could have contained a monstrous multi-story wall built around the campus.. Then the story could have centered on the tale of the survivors trying to either break back in or find a way out. Now I may sound like I didn't enjoy the book, but far from it the action, violence, and the underlying tones of why people do things kept me reading far past my expectations.
“I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints- the sinners are much more fun” (Joel, Billy np).

The saints and the sinners I could make connections to each throughout the book. Furthermore, Lucy for one, having been the nearly aloof and saintly girl of the loners and eventually becoming one of the scariest members of the gangs to the new character introduced, Gates. An older teen who is infected as well with the virus the rest of the school is. At first he was the likable, popular, ladies’ man everyone seemed to enjoy. That is until Gates effectively creates a new gang in the school called the “The Saints.” With the help of other outsiders who also trapped inside the school campus when the airlock was destroyed, they enforced a form of hierarchy through force with the guns weapons they brought with

them.
So what did I enjoy overall about Quarantine: The Saints? The character Lucy. Just as with appearance being a mask, her character finally removes the shackles that bound her to her sniveling self. The Masquerade is finally broken. This story point and her progression from a member of the Pretty Ones to the loners and finally to the Sluts gang has I feel an overall enjoyable story arc. Her character has moved from the nice, shy one who would let every step over her without so much as lifting a fist in her defense, to the scary psychotic female who if she has a knife or even for instance in the book itself, a pencil, can and will murder anyone for a can of food. As the face ripping, intestinal shredding violence of the series is almost personified by this character and a few others. As well as Lucy, the arc involving Will finally seemed much more fleshed out. In the first book he was more David's annoying little brother. In The Saints he grew from boy to man, quite literally actually. Lastly, I really enjoyed the ending. Those last few chapters were jam packed with action, gore, I'll-intentions, terror and mystery. Also in regards the end of the book, the story takes the series violence to a new level, containing some face ripping, eye gouging, and blood rage. I read and partake of the horror genre like I drink water and even I found myself praising the author's skill at portraying gore in these scenes.
Overall, I'm happy with the sequel. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but it did hold my attention and I easily read it in one sitting quite quickly. With the way the characters are struggling to see past appearances just as people do subconsciously everyday it makes the story hold a certain mystique to it. Although I definitely hold out the hope that the sequel moves out from the school, but even if it doesn't I know I'll still be compelled to read it. I need to know what happens. Overall Quarantine: the saints has turned out to be a nice, horror battle Royale style encounter.