Book Review — Poison Princess

Title:  Poison Princess
Author:  Kresley Cole
Genre:  YA post-apocalypse/romance
Pages:  Hardback, 369
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster, October 2, 12012
ISBN:  978-1-4424-3664-0
Opening Lines:  "She's so lovely, so fragile.  Those haunted eyes.  Those rosebud lips . . . they'll scream so prettily."

Rating

"Sixteen-year-old Evangeline "Evie" Greene heads a charmed life—until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations are actually visions of the future—and the visions are still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate, Jackson Deveaux.

"With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally trust Jack. But if he ever casts that wicked grin her way, can she possibly resist him?

"As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have received the same call. An ancient prophecy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it's not always clear who is on which side . . ."

~Jacket copy

After reading Sarah's review, I couldn't get this book out of my head!  The whole concept seemed intriguing.  As with most books I want to read, our local library didn't have it.  So, as usual, I had to put in an ILL request.  And, once I was able to start reading it, I couldn't put the damn thing down!

Finally home after a summer-long stint in a juvenile mental institution, Evangeline "Evie" is looking forward to starting school and returning to a normal life.  She is eager to put the nightmares and weird hallucinations behind her, with the help of doctors, therapy, and medication.  However, just even everything seems to be starting to return to normal, her nightmares come back, strange visions haunt her in the middle of class, and the newest student, Jackson Deveaux, has caught her attention.

While still trying to determine what is true and keep her head down, the unthinkable happens: the sun's rays blast the earth, killing most of the population, plant life, and evaporating the water sources.  And that's when Evie realizes that her hallucinations were really premonitions of this horrible apocalyptic event and a coming battle.

In an effort to find the information locked in her brain after being institutionalized, Evie goes on a cross-country trek to find her grandmother.  Along with the help of Jackson and three other people, Evie will encounter some strange things that will shake the bedrock of what she's always known.
  

When I started this book, I wasn't even sure what to expect.  Aside from the apocalypse theme, some of the other elements took me by surprise.  Granted, after reading a the review that brought this book to my attention, I fully expected the tarot element; however, it goes way beyond that.  I felt that Cole did a good job trying to imagine what it would truly be like if the tarot did start coming to life, or was, in fact, already here.  In addition, she did a good job thinking about the impact that type of sun damage would have on the Earth and how people would react without law.

In general, I liked Evie okay.  She seemed to react to her circumstances the way a normal girl would have.  Even though she was fairly pampered, to me, that didn't really get in the way of her functioning.  However, that could be due in part of her mother's role.  That being said, I did find her rather dense and a little too vapid.  Also, it seemed as though Cole was trying to hard to make her an approachable stereotype—popular, pretty, but not overly conceited.

From the moment he rode into the picture, I really liked Jackson.  Yes, he is rather rough around the edges and a Byronic archetype, but he embodies every boy I loved as a teenager.  Even though I am an adult now, it's still hard to escape those nostalgic feelings.  Also, given his past, I felt he had a lot more depth than we are shown in the book.  The Cole's dialect writing for the Cajun kids—Jackson in particular—was wonderful and added a different element to the story.  Plus, I love me some good dialect ;)

It was neat to see Evie struggle with her role in the tarot and the coming battle.  I liked seeing that internal struggle with what she wanted to be and what she had to be.  However, her powers kept reminding me of Poison Ivy.  Nonetheless, it was rather spiffy.

With the things she will have to do later on, the next books will definitely be tense and pose different issues.  It makes me wonder if that's why the other characters weren't as fleshed out.  Also, with how it ended, I really wonder how Evie will handle her changing role.

Normally, I don't like the typical YA romance with vapid heroines: however, this one really caught my attention.  I love the whole aspect of the tarot coming to life, this ancient battle, and the apocalypse.  Yes, there were a lot of things in the book that were extremely predictable, but it kept me on the edge of my seat.  And, yes, I can see how the pre-apocalypse section of the book could be considered boring or useless.  All of that being said, I really, really enjoyed this book!  The imagery was beautiful, and I like the story.  Now I am eagerly waiting to read the next book in the series!  Kresley, please release it sooner than October!

Current Pages: 6748
Current Progress:

23/50 books

Book Review — Partials

Title:  Partials
Author:  Dan Wells
Genre:  Post-apocalyptics
Pages:  Hardback, 468
Published:  February 2012
Publisher:  Balzer + Bray
ISBN:  978-0-06-207104-0
Opening Lines:  "Newborn #485GA18M died on June 20, 2076, at 6:07 in the morning.  She was three days old."
Rating:

"The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. our time is running out.

"Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of the battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them—connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew where there."

~Jacket copy

Thoughts:  This was one of those treasures I found while cleaning my house!  This book has been sitting on my wishlist since I first saw it advertised.  First of all, post-apocalyptic books are a weakness of mine.  Second, I loved the whole concept behind the book.

Eleven years ago, a biological weapon was released on the human race that killed nearly everyone.  The primary suspect was the government engineered cyborgs, Partials.  The Partials were created to fight a war with China and Iran.  However, when RM was released, it was feared that they finally decided to turn on their human creators.  Now, after the majority of the human race has died, the survivors are still struggling with the effects of  RM: every baby dies after a few days.  In order to save the human race, the Senate, the ruling body, enacts the Hope Act—a law the forces all women eighteen years and older to have as many babies as possible.  However, even while the Senate is trying to save the human race, the Hope Act threatens to split the people in half and cause a civil war.  After witnessing the death of several infants—and fearing that the Senate will lower the required age on the Hope Act—medical intern, Kira, decides that she needs to try and find the elusive cure for RM.  This sends her on a journey to find a Partial and reveals secrets that nobody is willing to accept, including her.

From the first lines in this book, I was hooked!  After reading many young adult books with insipid heroines who are completely overcome with sexual angst, Kira was refreshing.  She was smart, on an amazing career path in the medical field, and had depth.  Even though she was in a relationship with Marcus, they had a casual ease about them.  There was no sexual tension or angst in their interactions.  It was obvious that they have been together for a long time and had the relationship of adults.  It was nice not to read the angsty drivel that is usually found in young adult books.

In addition, I felt that most of the main characters in the book had a lot more depth than is typically seen.  Granted, I wished the author had spent a little more time with specific characters.  That being said, it was obvious that they all had a back story that helped to create who they were in the present.  Even if the author never gives the back story, as long as he knows what it is, it will come out in the writing.

The world building was simply amazing!  I was totally engrossed in the Long Island of the future and the Partial inhabited Manhattan.  The little touches the author used (clothes, iPods, and so on) helped develop the world further.  Honestly, when the teens came across the panthers and antelope, I was instantly reminded of I Am Legend.  In some ways, that was able to lend credence to the story. 

The author tackled some hard issues in this book.  I felt that he didn't make the subject matter easy or dumb it down for young adults.  The whole concept behind creating the Partials and then forcing them to live in pseudo ghettos, limited their jobs, cutting their wages, and that they could only shop at certain stores reminded me of the Jews in Nazi Germany and how the former slaves were treated in the United States.  Further, the forced pregnancy and experimentation on the babies is another big issue.  These concepts are heavy hitters!  They force the reader to sit down and think about the world they are in.  Also, Kira's willingness to die for the cure asks people how far will they go for something that they know is right.

It was rather interesting to see that most, if not all, of the adults in the book were all about control and rather dimwitted.  Honestly, this didn't bother me too much.  First of all, the adults were still stuck in the old world.  Change was hard for them; however, it was forced upon them with the onset of RM.  They were afraid to look at other possible solutions.  For me, the fact that they called all of the teens plague babies was very poignant.  Sometimes it takes an outside prospective to find the solution.  Granted, I found it hard to believe that some of the adults weren't a little more understanding or ready to think outside of the box.  That being said, it wasn't too far outside of a possible reality.

This book was an amazing read!  It was one of those books that you never want to end.  I found myself slowing my reading down while struggling at the bit to read faster.  Honestly, when the new book comes out later this month, I will have to scrape together enough money to buy it. 

Current Pages: 2273
Current Progress:

7/50 books

Apocalypse Watch Book Review — The Eleventh Plague

Title:  The Eleventh Plague
Author:  Jeff Hirsch
Genre:  YA Post-apocalyptic
Pages:  Hardback, 278
Published:  September 2012
Publisher:  Scholastic Press
ISBN:  978-0-545-29014-2
Opening Lines:  "I was sitting at the edge of the clearing, trying not to stare at the body on the ground in front of me."
Rating:

"America is a vast, desolate landscape left ravaged after a brutal war, two-thirds of the population are dead from a vicious strain of influenza. People called the sickness the Eleventh Plague.

"Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn was born after the war and only knows the life of a salvager. His family was among the few who survived and took to roaming the country in search of material to trade. But when Stephen's grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler's Landing, a community that seems too good to be true. There Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. When they play a prank that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler's Landing—and their lives—forever."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts:  Honestly, the description of this book reminded me of so many that have come before it.  However, the endorsement by Suzanne Collins caught my attention.  I loved the Hunger Games!  In addition, something about biological weapons will usually catch my attention.  For me, aside from war, it seems to be a likely occurrence.  That being said, I had a hard time getting into this book.

The book opens with Stephen's father digging a grave.  After surviving for over a decade in a broken, nonexistent America, his grandfather finally succumbed to the plague.  Now Stephen and his father are faced with the reality of survival without the "iron-fisted" guidance of their patriarch.  While Stephen's dad seems to be optimistic, the boy is very doubtful.  Unfortunately, he is right to have his doubts.  When his father makes a rather stupid move, Stephen is left to deal with his father in a coma and in a town where he is not welcome.

I found Stephen to be rather stiff and one dimensional.  At some level, there is a reason for his reservation; however, I felt that the author carried it too far.  He became rather boring and bland.  It got to a point that Stephen was not a very sympathetic character.  Unfortunately, I felt that Stephen's reservation also bled onto the other characters.  Some of them—such as Violent and Marcus, Sam, and the teacher—could have had very interesting back stories; however, I felt as though they were lost.  Further, for someone how has lived through so much, Stephen's father seemed to be rather stupid. 

The author spent more time fleshing out the landscape and not enough with the characters.  Further, I felt that the whole concept of the slavers wasn't developed.  I wanted to know why the soldiers had a tendency to turn into bands of wandering mercs and/or slavers.  Also, if places like Settler's Landing exist, why don't the slavers find them sooner and raid them for supplies/people?

One of the things that upset me was Stephen taking over the weekend classes.  Here is a kid that never went to school, only read whenever his parents would read with him—and when he was able to find a book or two—and basically had no real book or school knowledge.  After the teacher is injured, he suddenly takes over teaching the little children.  I couldn't quite understand the reasoning behind this move.  It was rather unbelievable.

To me, this book was okay.  It took a bit for me to get into it; however, it did pick up.  The character development was seriously lacking, and the author didn't really think too much about the stuff he threw into the book.  He could have done a lot of things with characters, the storyline, etc.; however, I felt he just let it drop.    

Current Pages: 15,404
Current Progress:

51/50 books

Apocalypse Watch Book Review — The Other Life

Title:  The Other Life
Author:  Susanne Winnacker
Genre:  Post-apocalyptic
Pages:  Hardback, 254
Published:  May 15, 2012
Publisher:  Marshall Cavendish
ISBN:   978-0-7614-6275-0
Opening Lines:  "3 years, 1 month, 1 week, and 6 days since I'd seen daylight.  One-fifth of my life."
Rating:

"Sherry has live with her family in a sealed bunker for more than three years. Her grandfather's body has been in the freezer for the last six months, her parents are at each other's throats . . . and two minutes ago, they ran out of food. Sherry and her father must leave the safety of the nunker. What they find is an empty Los Angeles, destroyed by bombs and haunted by "Weepers"—savage humans infected with a rabies virus.

"While searching for food, Sherry's father disappears and Sherry is save by Joshua, a hunter. He takes her to Safe-haven, a vineyard where a handful of survivors are picking up the pieces of their 'other lives,' before the virus changed everything. Sherry must find a way to help her family, stay alive, and decide whether Joshua is their savior or greatest danger as his desire for vengeance threatens them all."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts:  To be honest, I knew absolutely nothing about this book.  When I decided to do an apocalypse themed reading month, this book came to my attention.  The idea of a virus turning most of the population into mindless killing machines is awesome!  It is close enough to zombie fiction that you will get me every time.  However, when I read about a savage rabies virus, I instantly thought of Quarantine with Jennifer Carpenter (And, yes, I was the only person that laughed when that was revealed.  I got rather strange looks from the other two people in the audience . . .).

 The book opens with Sherry counting the years, months, weeks, days, etc. since she has last seen daylight, and the startling realization that her family of six has just ran out of food.  During the next few pages, the audience learns that the citizens of L.A. were told to barricade themselves in their bunkers until the military told them everything was safe.  However, it doesn't appear as though they fully know why.  Regardless of that, after the military radio message has stopped, Sherry's family remained in their bunker.  Unfortunately, with the last can of food already gone and the family facing slow starvation, Sherry and her dad must leave the safety of their bunker to brave an unknown L.A. in order to find food for the family.  What they didn't expect is coming across weird, furry humanoid creatures with a milky white substance leaking from their eyes and an insatiable desire to ingest their flesh.  And, if that isn't bad enough, Sherry's father is abducted by these creatures and taken to their food stores.  However, Sherry is lucky to be rescued by Joshua—the typical Byronic Hero of YA fiction—and taken to a Safe-haven of other survivors.  This begins their quest to save Sherry's family and rescue her father from the Weepers.

Honestly, even though this book was rather formulaic and predictable, I enjoyed it!  Sherry's constant counting of time started to get on my nerve; however, after being locked in a bunker for over three years, it seemed inside the realm of possibility.  Further, it kind of appealed to my OCD.  In a lot of ways, Sherry was the classic teen figure in YA fiction.  However, I did appreciate that the author didn't make her perfect.  Her inability to fire a gun under pressure, using too much ammo, etc. was believable to me.  Even going through a lot of target practice, faced with shooting somebody, especially in an intense situation, does not guarantee that you will be a good shot.  However, that did improve as the story progressed.

I wish the author had spent a little more time developing the supporting characters.  Their lack of development made them feel more like scenery.  It was worse with Sherry's grandmother.  When one of the characters died in the book, I didn't feel any real loss.  And, sadly enough, I felt Sherry and the other people had the same reaction.  That really distressed me as a reader.  Further, since Joshua was important to Sherry, the author should have spent a lot more time on him and fleshing out his back story.  Granted, I understand that she was pulling the classic Byronic Hero, but he needed more.

Despite its formulaic plot, this book was enjoyable!  I loved where Safe-haven was located, the surveillance was awesome, and it was just fun.  It appears that the next book should be published in March, and I honestly cannot wait that long.

Current Pages:14,817
Current Progress:

48/50 books

Apocalypse Watch Book Review — This World We Live In

Title:  This World We Live In
Author:  Susan Beth Pfeffer
Genre:  Post-apocalyptic
Pages:  Hardback, 239
Published:  2010
Publisher:  Harcourt
ISBN:  970-0-547-24804-2
Opening Lines:  "I'm shivering, and I can't tell if it's because something strange is going on or because of the dream I had or just because I am in the kitchen, away from the warmth of the woodstove."
Rating:

"It's been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth's climate. For Miranda Evans, life as her knew it no longer exists. Her friends and neighbors are dead, the landscape is frozen, and food is increasingly scarce.

"Miranda and her two brothers spend their days scavenging for food and household items, while their mother stays at home and desperately tries to hold in to the ordinary activities of their previous life. But they all know that nothing is truly normal in this surreal new world they live in.

"The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda's father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and has Miranda's complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts:  Wow, what a difference it makes going back to Miranda being the narrator through diary entries.  Honestly, it was hard to tell the difference between this book and Life As We Knew It.  Aside from adding Alex and Julie to the story, I felt as though the transition between the first book and this one was pretty seamless.

According to Miranda's first diary entry, this book picks up about a month after the first one ended.  The family is still getting weekly food deliveries; however, survival is extremely hard.  In some ways, I didn't feel that the characters developed too much beyond the end of the first book.  Even though he is now 15, I found Jon to still be extremely juvenile and babyish.  Matt continues to be a asshole, and he still tries to exert control over the family.  As time goes on, I think he is more hell bent on running the family.  It was obvious that he tried to step into his father's role when he left; however, he just ends up being an ass.  That being said, their mom isn't always the most logical thinker.  And, on top of that, Miranda is still struggling with her new life and identity.  She can no longer be a kid, but she is desperately trying to keep some sense of normal.  While I might be able to see the argument that all the characters are seen from Miranda's view point, I felt that the character development was either stunted or non-existent.

It seemed that the author was trying to throw a few things into the mix and spice the story up a little; however, she didn't really have good follow through.  The addition of Syl seemed extremely frivolous.  Near the end, it becomes apparent why she was there; however, it almost would have been better if she had just been someone passing through.  Unless it dealt with things like Horton and the catalyst for the occasional fight, she lived in her bedroom.  As one review pointed out, it almost appeared as though she was meant as a sinister element; however, nothing came of that.  In addition, her rapid religious conversion had me extremely confused from quite some time.  It wasn't until Miranda mentioned it several chapters into the book that it was marginally explained.  Even then I wondered why she would so quickly change from worshiping Diana to being a born again Christian.  It was rather odd.    

Aside from the weather changes, the inconvenience of biking into town for the food, and the addition of new people, there really was no danger.  In a post-apocalyptic world, I would think there might be bands of roaming maniacs, disease popping up when the weather got warmer, etc.  There was nothing.  It was rather anti-climatic.  Honestly, I think the tornado was the only big event in the book, and that lasted only about a page.

In some ways, I found Alex to be far more anal and unbelievable in this book.  Granted, I understand holding onto his religious upbringing—especially living in a post apocalypse world—but his insane goal to bring Julie to the convent was a little out there.  Even though Carlos was adamant about Julie going to the convent, I think he might have agreed that Julie was better off with Miranda's family.  At least there she was guaranteed some measure of safety, she had a family, and she was looked after.  There was no way to even be sure the convent would take her.  Further, for someone who is supposed to care of the well being of his sister, Alex was a major ass.

Even though I had some issues with this book, I did end up enjoying it.  Had life not happened in abundance, I would have tore through it in about a day.  It was nice that Pfeffer was able to return to the same mood of the first book.  After the horrible disappointment of the second, I was extremely reluctant to read this one.  And, despite my issues, I was pleasantly surprised.

Current Pages:14,563
Current Progress:

47/50 books

Apocalypse Watch Book Review — The Dead & the Gone

Title:  The Dead & the Gone
Author:  Susan Beth Pfeffer
Genre:  Post-apocalyptic
Pages:  Paperback, 308
Published:  2008
Publisher:  Graphia
ISBN:  978-0-15-206311-5
Opening Lines:  "At the moment when life as he had known it had changed forever, Alex Morales was behind the counter at Joey's Pizza, slicing a spinach pesto pie into eight roughly equal pieces."
Rating:

"Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life as We Knew It enthralled and devastated readers with its brutal but hopeful look at an apocalyptic event--an asteroid hitting the moon, setting off a tailspin of horrific climate changes. Now this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as they unfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Alex Morales. When Alex's parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland, and food and aid dwindle.

"With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful new novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities."

~ Goodreads

Thoughts:  After reading this book, I have one question: what happened?  When I finished reading Life as We Knew It, I was desperate to read the next books in the series.  Once I started this book, I constantly found myself wondering what happened.

The Dead & the Gone follows Alex and his two sisters fighting for survival in New York City following the asteroid knocking the moon out of it's orbit.  Like Miranda in the previous book, the Alex and his sisters struggle with food shortages, no electricity, no communication, and just about everything that goes along with an apocalypse.  However, unlike Miranda, Alex and his sisters are alone; they must rely on each other for survival.  Throughout the book, Alex is trying to find ways to provide for his sisters and find an escape from the city.

Unlike the first book, this one is not written in journal entries.  Further, it is not told from Alex's POV.  The author takes a third person limited perspective.  The story follows Alex, his thoughts, concerns, and motivations.  To me, the impact of the first book was primarily due to POV.  I couldn't figure out why Pfeffer decided to take such a huge step back from the main character.  In addition, the first book did a good job giving the supporting characters some depth.  This book really lacked in that regard.  At some level, Alex was fairly one dimensional.  His sisters were stock characters, the priests were too stereotypical, and so on.  To me, the only character that stood out was Kevin.

From the start, this book was rather stilted.  The conversation was too forced, canned, and scripted.  Really, if I am too be honest, the whole story was too formulaic.  There was nothing that surprised me, I never felt impacted by the events in the book, and didn't feel anything for the characters.  Honestly, I could have cared less whether they lived or died.

The ending was extremely anti-climatic.  I found myself flipping through the extra material in the book, because I was convinced I had missed something.

This book was extremely disappointing.  Life as We Knew It was amazing, well thought out, and brilliant.  With this book, I am not sure what happened.  At some level, I wonder whether Pfeffer should have just started and finished the series with the first book.  After finishing this book, I am very timid about picking up the third book . . . If you're looking for an awesome continuation of Life as We Knew It, be ready for disappointment.  Unless the third one really makes up for this book, I would suggest not reading The Dead & the Gone.

Current Pages: 14,324
Current Progress:

46/50 books

Apocalypse Watch Book Review — This is Not a Test

Title:  This is Not a Test
Author:  Courtney Summers
Genre:  Post-apocalyptic
Pages:  Oversize paperback, 322
Published:  June 2012
Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
ISBN:  978-0-312-65674-4
Opening Lines:  "Lily, I woke up and the last piece of my heart disappeared.  I opened by eyes and I felt it go."
Rating:

"It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?"

~ Goodreads

Thoughts:  Honestly, I wasn't sure to expect when I started this book.  Reading the description, it looked as if it might be an interesting adventure.  It seems as though a lot of young adult books are focusing on the apocalypse and/or the aftermath.  To me, that it an intriguing concept.

At the start of the book, the audience meets Sloane while she sits in her bathroom thinking about her sister and the veins in her wrists.  From her internal dialogue and her father's reaction to her, the audience learns that Sloane lives inside a nightmare—she is abused by her father, her sister left her, and she has decided to kill herself.  As she puts it later, she died a long time ago, her body just hasn't caught up.  And, from there, the zombie apocalypse hits her. She finds herself with a group of five teenagers trying to survive in their old high school.  All the while, she is struggling her with her own internal battle, her desire to end it all, and whether there really is a reason to continue trying.

This book was raw, heartbreaking, gritty, and real.  In some ways, out of all the books I have read this year, This is Not a Test has been the hardest.  Since the book is all written from Sloane's perspective, the audience is inside her head.  It was hard to live inside her nightmare, watch her relive her abusive past, struggle with trying to love someone, and trying to work out a way to die.  When she is offered a kind, gentle touch or some love and compassion, she is quick to shy away from it.  She makes comments that it is so foreign to her, she is unsure how to even respond.  On a deep level, I was able to connect with her.

I felt the author did a good job trying to flesh out the other characters and their interactions.  It was apparent that the teens really didn't know each other before they were thrust together.  While Sloane had spent the night at Grace and Trace's house, they were, at some level, still strangers.  They all knew Cary was a dealer and a slacker; Rhys hung out on the corner and smoked; and no one really knew Harrison.  However, even though they didn't know each other, they were all able to form some sort of bond due to the circumstances they were facing together.  The author did a wonderful job portraying that.  Even though it got hard to read and a little annoying, the tension between Trace and Cary was well done.  Honestly, at times, I wondered whether they would end up killing each other.

Most of the book is spent inside the school.  While the teens usually didn't stray too far from the auditorium, it was obvious that the author had a full blueprint of the school in her mind.  I loved how the school—and their previous classmates—became pseudo characters.  When they were going through the lockers, I found it a nice touch that Sloane and some of the other teens felt as though they were doing something wrong.  The fact that the classrooms were still a big part of their life and their identity, showed how they were still attached to their old life.  And, as a way to highlight this, the teens still called their English teacher Mr. Baxter.

However, aside from all the good things in this book, there are some things that really stuck out to me.  Even though her father was obsessive about hiding his abuse, I couldn't understand why the teachers didn't notice Sloane's behavior.  At some level, I think she wonders the same thing.  Further, I wish the author had stuck with Mr. Baxter a little longer.  While I liked his introduction and the story around it, I felt it ended all to quickly.  Finally, the grammar started to annoy me.  Honestly, it felt as though the author didn't understand compound sentences.  

Thinking about it, for me, this book really wasn't about zombies or the end of the world.  This book was about Sloane, her journey, and what needed to happen in order for her to wake up.  And it takes her until the end of the book for Rhys' comment to finally set in, "We're still here."  If you're looking for a book with a lot of zombie violence or horror, this book is not for you.  That being said, it was well written and wonderful.

Current Pages: 14,016
Current Progress:

45/50 books

Book Review — Flesh & Bone

Title:  Flesh & Bone
Author:  Jonathan Maberry
Genre:  Post-apocalyptic YA with zombies
Published:  September 11, 2012
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster
Pages:  Oversize paperback, 469
ISBN:  9781442439894
Opening Lines:  "Benny Imura thought, I'm going to die."
Author Links:  Website  ♠ Twitter  ♠ Facebook
Rating:

"Benny Imura and his friends are reeling from the tragic events of Wawona and the second Gameland, but there's no time to stop and mourn fallen comrades. Survival in the great Rot and Ruin requires movement, and so, with heavy hearts, Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chong continue their quest to find the jet that they saw in the skies months ago. If that jet exists, then humanity itself must have survived . . . somewhere. Finding it is their best hope for having a future and a life worth living.

"But the Ruin is far more dangerous than any of them can imagine. The zoms seem to be mutating in terrifying ways that could change everything they know about surviving among the walking dead. And even worse, a death cult has arisen that is gathering new followers at a frightening rate, and is devoted to sending every living person in the Rot and Ruin into the waiting arms of death."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts:  After Dust & Decay ended, I had no idea how Maberry was going to continue the series. Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chong are left in the Ruin without a guide or a clue as to their next step. Aside from Lilah having ample experience in the Ruin and amazing survival skills, the teenagers are basically town kids who have stumbled into some horrid situations. Without the guidance of Tom, I really wondered how they would function and whether they should return to Mountainside.

Feeling as if they have nothing to return to and wanting to honor Tom's memory, the teenagers continue on their cross-country trek to find the jet Nix and Benny saw in the first book. However, things are not easy. Things continue to be strained between Nix and Benny. Everyday Nix seems to be changing into someone Benny doesn't know, and she closes herself off more and more from the people around her. Reeling after Tom's death, Benny has also retreated into himself, started to become stoic, and views that he needs to take Tom's place. And, on top of that, Benny seriously doubts their decision to leave Mountainside. With Nix's growing obsession with the plane and seeming lack of concern for her comrades, Benny is unsure how to handle everything.

Things in the Ruin are starting to change. The teenagers have noticed changes in the zombies. Some of them are getting faster, and animals are getting infected. And if the evolution of the zombie plague is not enough, they are surrounded in the Nevada desert by a strange religious death-cult calling themselves the Reapers, who intend the open "red mouths" in all the heretics and lead them into the darkness.

Maberry put a lot of thought into the Reapers. While their religion seems extremist, living in a post-apocalyptic world where disease, famine, and death run rampant, it is easy to see where a death-cult could take hold. However, I did not find it to be coincidence that the head of the church was Saint John and his loyal follower was Brother Peter.

"You have been the rock on which I built the Night Church . . . You, Peter. Not her." (327)

Even though they worship the god Thanatos, the resemblance to Christianity is striking! Chapter 74 mirrors the discussion Jesus had with Peter before His crucifixion.

From the first page until the end, this book was emotional and raw. For me, the introduction was the perfect way to describe this book. It was about loss and grief. At one point or another, all of the main characters come face-to-face with loss and try to pull themselves through their own grieving process. Once again, Maberry tackles deep issues in this book and really forces the audience to look at human nature. He also shows the depravity and complete helplessness of suffering, loss, and grief. In his books, zombies are not the enemies, merely an aftershock of an already corrupt world.

This book is a tour de force! I found myself on the edge of my seat during all of the action and crying bitter tears with the teenagers as they continue to learn the harsh realities of life. If young adult novels allow teens to be voyeurs and experience things they might never have to, I think this series will go a long way in opening discussions, cause them to ask tough questions, and really start looking at the world around them. As Tom says, "You can fix the world. You, Nix . . . Your generation. You can fix the world and make it right."

**Note:  This book was received from the publisher for a fair and honest review.


Currently Reading:  Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
Pages:  10,489
Current Progress:

33/50 books

Book Review -- Ashfall

Title:  Ashfall
Author:  Mike Mullin
Genre:  Post-apocalyptic
Pages:  Hardback 456
Published:  2011
Opening Lines:  "I was home alone that Friday evening.  Those who survived know exactly which Friday I mean. Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing, in the same way my parents remembered 9/11, but more so."

"Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don't realize that the boiling hot springs and the spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano, so large that the caldera can only be seen by plane or satellite.  And by some scientific measurements, it could be overdue for an eruption.

"For Alex, being alone for the weekend means freedom from his parents and the chance to play computer games and hang out with his friends without hassle from his mother,  Then the supervolcano erupts, plunging his hometown into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence.  Alex beings a harrowing trek, searching for his family and finding help in Darla, his travel partner.  Together they must find the strength and skills to survive and outlast an epic disaster."

~Jacket copy

Thoughts:  The subject is what drew me to his book.  Living about six hours away from Yellowstone, I have often wondered about the volcano.  And, if it goes off, I'll grab my lawn chair and watch the fireworks!

This book starts shortly before the volcano erupts.  The main character, Alex, is remembering the fight he had with his mother; his family leaving for Warren, IL; playing on his computer, and then the aftershock of the volcano.  After his house falls on him and starts to burn, he ends up staying with the neighbors before he sets off on a mission to find his family.  Here starts his adventures of meeting Darla, dealing with the devolving human condition during a disaster, starvation, cannibalism, a FEMA concentration camp, and love.

I felt the beginning was rushed.  After a few comments about the fight with his mother, the book jumps headlong into the action.  While some books can pull this off, it was jarring in this book and made it hard to fully concentrate.  At first, I was upset that the author didn't spend a lot of time introducing the audience to Alex; however, we learn more as the book goes on.  Thinking about it know, I wonder whether the author wanted the audience to learn who Alex is now, after the volcano.

The author did a good job showing how a catastrophe can bring out the worst in people.  And, I have to wonder, did Alex actually end up eating someone?  When he meets Target, I got the distinct impression that the author was describing long pig without actually saying it.  The author also did a good job showing characters thinking through things.  The fact that Alex thought of using cross country skis to traverse the ash was a brilliant idea!

The scenery was well executed.  The descriptions of walking in the ash and the ash covered in snow was beautiful.  Growing up in a snow covered environment, I was able to fully empathize with the characters.  In addition, the author did a good job using the ashen landscape to show how bleak things really were.  The FEMA concentration camp was also well done.  Mulling was able sketch a picture of the toilet trenches, the line for food, the lack of sleeping space, and the austere nature of the camp.   

I loved Darla's character.  Her gift with mechanics was a unique touch. 

This book wasn't exactly as I expected; however, Mullin was able to pull a few punches and surprise me. 

Rating:
Currently: Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells
Current Pages: 5862
Current Progress:

16/50 books

Book Review -- Dust & Decay

Title:  Dust & Decay
Author:  Jonathan Maberry
Genre:  YA post-apocalyptic
Pages:  Hardback 519
Published:  2011

"Benny Imura and Nix Riley can't forget the jet they saw fly over the zombie-infested mountains of the Rot and Ruin.  

"The jet meant leaving, something that Nix and Benny were going to do.  Now—after months of rigorous training with Tom, Benny's zombie-hunter brother—Benny, Nix, Lilah the Lost Girl, and Chong are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future.

"But from the start, everything goes wrong.  They were pursued by the living dead, wild animals, and insane murderers, and are face with the horrors of the rebuilt Gameland, where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits.  Worst of all . . . could the evil Charlie Pink-eye still be alive?"

~Jacket copy

Thoughts:  Since I finished Rot & Ruin, I have been looking for this book!

This book picks up several months after the destruction of Gameland and the death of Charlie Pink-eye.  After seeing the jet, Nix is determined to find out where it came from.  Since the death of her mother, she feels no connection to their small town.  Even though Benny seemed happy to go, the closer it gets to their deadline, he secretly wonders if he really wants to go on their adventure.

Even though he is not following them, Tom arranges to take Chong with them into the Rot and Ruin for a one or two day camping trip.  Chong has been training with Benny, Nix, and Morgie.  Tom feels that it is important for Chong to know what the Rot and Ruin really held.  However, even though Tom intentionally took paths that were mostly untraveled, their trip went from bad to worse.  And, in the midst of it all, Benny thinks he has seen Charlie Pink-eye!

It is hard to say too much about this book without giving the whole story away.  I will say, however, I love the characters Maberry introduced in the book!  The bounty hunters were not the main characters in the book, but it honestly could not have stood without them.  Further, Maberry did a wonderful job keeping the reader in the dark about the current status of Charlie Pink-eye.

The book had great pacing and didn't lack in the plot department.  The scenery was just as rich and well thought out as the first book.  Honestly, the author did a wonderful job keeping the continuity through both books.  Even though there were some things that really distressed me in the book, I am very curious to see how the series plays out.  


Rating:
Currently: Ashfall by Mike Mullin
Current Pages: 5406
Current Progress:

15/50 books

Book Review -- Dearly, Departed

Title:  Dearly, Departed
Author:  Lia Habel
Genre: YA post-apocalyptic steampunk with zombies
Pages:  Hardback 467
Published:  2011
Opening Lines:  "I was buried alive.  When the elevator groaned to a stop in the middle of the rock shaft, I knew I was buried alive."

"Loves conquers all, so they say.  But can Cupid's arrow pierce the hearts of the living, and the dead—or rather, the undead?  Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

"The year is 2195.  The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era.  A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country's political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls.  But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who as squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money.  For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she's nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

"But fate is just getting started with Nora.  Catapulted from her world of drawing room civility, she's suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting "The Laz," a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them.  Hardly ideal circumstances.  Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead.  But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts.  And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there's no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever.  But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire."

~Jacket copy

Thoughts:  This book has been on my list to read for awhile.  However, due to various circumstances, I couldn't buy the book.  Once it was sitting in my house begging me to read it, I knew it had to wait for my Zombie Month.  Sadly, it didn't actually make it into the actual event . . . :(  That being said, it was worth the wait!

This book had me from the prologue.  When my husband came home for lunch, I forced him to sit and listen while I read it for him.  It was startling, heart rending, well written, and simply the best start to a book I have read in a long time.  Lia has the ability to fully put the reader into the moment.

Even though I don't know a lot about steampunk, I really liked where she went with the genre.  The basic premise of steampunk is that, in an alternate past, we went with steam power instead of electricity.  And, as part of steampunk, modern society is very similar to Victorian society.  In Lia's book, after the fall of Western civilization and the second Civil War, society desired to return to a perceived Golden Age.  From handed down knowledge and memories, they grasped onto the Victorian era as that Age.  While they had a high-tech society, they modeled the fashion, social classes, morals, and traditions of the Victorians.  However, on the fringes, there is a group known as the Punks who fight against this lifestyle.  I really enjoyed this take on steampunk.  Instead of giving us an alternate history, she gives us a new look into the future.  To me, she did a good job of making the genre her own and, in turn, really added something.

I loved the concept that zombies are not always the mindless, evil dead trying to eat people.  The fact that you can keep your sanity after dying was an interesting idea.  Also, having the good dead eat tofu as a protein source instead of flesh was awesome!  I felt Lia thought a lot about how zombies would survive without the flesh, how they would keep them from rotting away, and so on.

The characters and scenery were very rich!  Even though she did not have any one character take over, I felt she did an amazing job of fleshing them out (pun intended ^_~) and giving them the time they needed to develop.  Chas is one of my favorite characters, and I loved the little things Lia did to show her past.  I think showing Chas's writing at the end of the book was a good way to do this.  Further, I felt having chapters from different POVs was an exceptional way to give the audience a well-rounded view of the story.  Since each chapter was written from a first person POV, the audience was able to see things from various different angles and get a better idea of what was really going on.  I also appreciated that one of the POVs of Wolfe.

At the end of the book, it was interesting to see that our society has not progressed as far as we wold have thought.  The ending finds people devolving into actions very similar to the races riots.  In addition, I found myself wondering if they would mirror the laws of interracial marriages.

This book was amazing!  The writing style was out of this world!  I felt completely drawn into the story.  Honestly, I found myself trying to prolong the experience of the book as long as I could.  I didn't want it to end.  However, when a few of my inter-library loans came in, I realized I couldn't continue dragging my feet.  I can hardly wait for September and the second book.  Lia has really grabbed me with this one.  This book is one of my all time favorite zombie novels!

Rating:
Currently: Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry
Current Pages: 4887
Current Progress:

14/50 books

Zombie Month Book Review -- Rot & Ruin

Title:  Rot & Ruin
Author:  Jonathan Maberry
Genre:  YA post-apocalyptic with zombies
Pages:  Hardback, 458
Published:  2010
Opening Lines:  ":Benny Imura couldn't hold a job, so he took to killing."

"In the zombie-infested world Benny has grown up in, teenagers must work once they turn fifteen—or they;ll lose their food rations.  Benny isn't interested in taking on the family business, but he reluctantly agrees to train as a zombie killer with his older boring big brother, Tom.  He expects a dull job, whacking zombies for cash.  What he discovers is a vocation that will teach him what it really means to be human.

"As his worldview is challenged again and again by the lessons he learns from Tom, Benny is forced to confront another horrifying reality: Sometimes the most terrible monsters are humans."

~Jacket copy 

Thoughts:  I honestly had no idea what to expect going into this book.  At some level, I anticipated the traditional zombie-apocalypse with teenagers as the central characters.   However, this book really teaches valuable life lessons and forces the reader to take a closer look at society.

Wanting to find the easiest and most entertaining job they can, Benny and Chong, his best friend, start trying out jobs they find listed in the help-wanted pages.  After Chong finds his dream vocation up on the watch towers, Benny is left struggling to find something before his rations run out.  Even though he hates his brother and thinks of him as a coward, Benny decides that becoming Tom's apprentice is the only option.  Expecting a boring job of killing masses of undead for bounty money, Benny is faced with the horrible truth behind human nature in the Rot and Ruin—where there are no rules and those strong enough will take what they want . . . By any means necessary.

From start to finish, this book was engaging!  Even though I understand Benny's feelings towards Tom, I couldn't fully understand why he felt zombie killing would be a boring job.  After all, he loved to spend hours at a time listening to Charlie Pink-Eye and The Hammer talk about their zombie killing adventures.  Using that as a judge, it was surprising to be how insistent he was on the boring nature of the job.

I felt that Maberry did a wonderful job fleshing out the characters as well as the surroundings.  To me, the Rot and Ruin was as much a character as the people.  Each deserted town, Lilah's cave, etc. had it's own personality.  Further, even though the zombies were a vehicle for the plot, he manages to make them characters in his own right.

Maberry put a lot of thought and time into this work.  He uses it to address deep issues of true human nature and the nature of evil.  He questions whether zombies can really be called bad a or evil since they lack any awareness.  They are driven by an insane hunger they cannot control, and, from all outward appearances, seem to have no brain function outside of this insatiable hunger for human flesh.  Therefore, they cannot be blamed for their actions and those actions cannot be seen as malicious.  The people, however, choose to torture zombies, throw lost children into pits with zombies for entertainment, and so on.  Tom challenges Benny to look at the true monster in society.

The concept of the zombie being the "noble-savage" reminds me a great deal of The Last Man On Earth. What makes us human?  What separates us from the animals?  What keeps our baser instincts in check?  This book was amazingly deep, engaging, and well extremely well written. 

Rating:
Currently: Zombies Don't Cry by Rusty Fischer
Current Pages: 3246
Current Progress:

9/50 books

Book Review -- Life As We Knew It

Title:  Life As We Knew It
Author:  Susan Beth Pfeffer
Genre:   YA post-apocalyptic
Pages:  Paperback, 337
Opening Lines: "Lisa is pregnant.  Dad called around 11 o'clock to let us know."


"Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove." 

~ Goodreads

Thoughts:  I heard about this book when I was taking an young adult fiction course.  I cannot remember what we discussed, but it looked like an interesting book.  Honestly, I had completely forgot about it until a friend sent it to me for Christmas.  Even though I have 30+ books on my TBR pile, this one got pushed to the top!

The book is written in a series of journal entries; therefore, it is told from the POV of the main character, Miranda.  At the start of the book, everyone is getting ready for finals, the end of school summer vacation, etc.  However, during this time, everyone is talking about a meteor that is head for the moon.  According to the astronomers at NASA, it is just supposed to connect with the moon and make another crater.  While standing on the street with her family, Miranda watches as the meteor not only collides with the moon but knocks it closer in its orbit to the earth.

Everything starts out rather slowly.  Aside from Miranda's mother's shopping spree shortly after the impact, Miranda's story seems similar to a normal teen with extra restrictions on her life.  However, after the volcanoes start going off, the book quickly progresses in a downward spiral mirroring the weather.  First the sky is grey due to the increase of ash in the air, then a sudden freeze hits them in August, etc.  It follows their struggle to survive with dwindling food supplies, water, warmth, and so on.  They are also surrounded by death on every front.


The book was extremely well written.  I felt having the story told from Miranda's journal was an awesome idea.  It really helped the reader take part in the girl's struggles and suffering.  Even though it was only from her perspective, I felt all of the characters were well written and developed.  The narration also showed how much Miranda matured and grew as a character.  It does a good job showing the unbelievable sense of courage and strength a teenager can exhibit.  Further, I think the author did a good explaining what would happen when a meteor knocked the moon out of its orbit.  She also did a good job trying to figure out what surviving would be like.  To me, it showed that the author put a lot of work and time into researching.


I tore through this book in a matter of days.  Even though the writing is somewhat simplistic because of the age of the narrator, it does not lack in substance or plot.  The author does not shy away from issues that come up with the disaster.  She shows the cult like mentality that can follow a disaster, people unwilling to trust each other, looting, and anything else imaginable.  Adding the armed guards at the hospital was a nice touch.  I never would have thought of it, but it fit perfectly.  The small amount of mail coming in reminded me of the Post Man. And, honestly, I don't think I will complain about gas prices when they were paying $12/gal!

All in all, I enjoyed this book.  It was well researched, thought out, and paced.  It also helped that a blizzard started up outside my window as soon as a blizzard hit the family!  I was thankful for a warm blanket and husky! 


Rating:
Currently: Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things by Ted Naifeh
Current Pages: 1613
Current Progress:

4/50 books

Book Review -- The Dark and Hollow Places

Title: The Dark and Hollow Places
Author: Carrie Ryan
Genre: YA post-apocalyptic
Published: 2011
Pages: Hardback, 374
Opening Lines: "This city used to be something once. I've seen pictures of the way it gleamed -- sun so bright off windows it could burn your eyes."


"There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look in her sister's face before Annah left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the Horde as they swarmed the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But, most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.

"Annah's world stopped that day, and she's been waiting for Elias to come home ever since. Somehow, without him, her life doesn't feel much different from that of the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Until she meets Catcher, and everything feels alive again.

"But Catcher has his own secrets. Dark, terrifying truths that link him to the past Annah has longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah -- can she continue to live in a world drenched in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?"

~Jacket copy

Thoughts: Ryan has this amazing way with words. Starting with the first book, I was drawn in by her introductions. I was pleasantly surprise that she kept it going in the later books. Even if a few short sentences, she sets the stage for the story without giving anything away or pushing too hard. It also sets the narrator's tone and pace of the novel.

All of the previous books follow a different character in the story post Return. In The Dead-Tossed Waves, the story picks up with Mary's daughter, Gabry. With the way the book ended, I hoped that it would resume with Gabry and Catcher finding the Dark City; however, it is told from Annah's point of view. Since she left her sister on the path in the forest, her and Elias have been living in Dark City. Barely surviving, Elias enters the Recruiters with a promised to return after the required two year tour. The story picks up three years later. Annah is surviving in the Dark City without word from Elias. All she can presume is that he is dead. Not seeing any point in staying, Annah packs up her meager belonging and heads toward the gates to leave Dark City. However, on her way out, she sees her mirror image crossing the bridge to enter the City. Unfortunately, she is escorted by the Recruiters to the Sanctuary.

After reading this book, I'm not sure if Gabry is my favorite narrator. I adored Annah. She is a strong character. Even though the audience sees her wallowing in self pity, the book is not filled with this. On the contrary, I felt it helped make Annah a sympathetic character and allowed the author to show the major growth she under goes as a character. In this series, the author does an amazing job showing growth and development in her characters. This includes most of the supporting characters.

Ryan also has an amazing way to flesh out her backgrounds. She describes the scenery enough to give the reader and idea, but she allows the reader to fill in the details. When Annah was trapped in the cage, I started to feel extremely claustrophobic! It is amazing when an author is able to elicit such responses from her readers.

The only problem I had in the book was the ease with which they creating the hot air balloons. I wanted to know how the surviving residents of Dark City were able to make all of the propellers. In addition, I felt that it was a little too forgiving to allow Annah, Gabry, and Elias to create it in a vacuum. After Ox's pronouncement, it seemed ridiculous to assume that the Recruiters would leave the girls alone when Catcher would scrounge the City for supplies. I'm not sure how Ryan should have handled it; however, she made it much too easy.

That aside, I enjoyed the book! I liked watching Annah grow. At several points, I found myself almost crying for her in her dealings with Elias. The ending scene in the tunnel showed the audience just how strong she was as a person.

I would definitely recommend this series! It reminds me a a combination of The Hunger Games and a zombie outbreak.

Rating:
Currently: Blood Rights by Kristen Painter
Current Pages: 27077
Current Progress:

75/50 books