Review: Arclight by Josin L. McQuein

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein
Series: Arclight #1
Release Date: April 23rd 2013
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.

The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.

When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

Arclight was one of my most anticipated reads of 2013 and after I got the book, I kind of shelved it and forgot about it. That is until I got my eyes on the sequel. At this point I hadn’t read any reviews of Arclight so I dove into the book knowing nothing but the synopsis. If I had bothered with the reviews, I probably wouldn’t have so much as bought this book because.. love triangle alert. You know what the sad thing is though? The love triangle isn’t actually my main problem with this book. I loved it for the first 60 or so percent. This was an assured 4 star read until then and I was flying through the pages. 

The book opens with an attack by the Fade. At this point we don’t know much about anything except that light is safety because the Fade are allergic to it and that our MC suffers from amnesia. She remembers nothing from 'before' and she also happens to be the only person to have survived the Fade. People died to rescue her from the grey. She represents hope to many, hope that there is still a world outside the arclight but at the same time, she also represents the death of loved ones to certain kids. There are rumors about her being fade proof but they don’t work in her favor. Kids in her class despise her and are constantly getting in her face.

Marina is a pretty decent character. She didn’t actually annoy me. For the most part she isn’t actually stupid. It’s hard to actually talk about her because I don't actually have anything to say. Her character made no significant impact on me. She was realistic and well nothing about her shines out. She is dull as far as characters I’ve encountered go. I mean the twist that came later on? I guessed it so far in the beginning it’s ridiculous. The point I am trying to make here is that Marina was neither a good or bad character. She was just decent. She was easy to follow and you could understand her actions. Also she did not go on and on about how Tobin was absolutely gorgeous (I still have no idea whether he is or not).

Now Tobin, Tobin was someone who grabbed my attention. He may have been passive aggressive in the beginning. Hating her but also saving her at same time but I couldn’t help but like him. Marina is the reason why his father isn’t alive yet he is the one that helps her instead of all the other kids. He has more reason to hate her than they do but he decides to save her life. Before we even go anywhere with this, it wasn’t insta love, no he hadn’t decided he loved her and hence decided to save her, he saved her because that is what his father would have wanted. Tobin feels very real to me, he clings on to hope that his father is alive and he also tends to turn into a rage beast when someone says something about his father. It seems childish and angsty, but he lost his only parent, give the guy a break. It’s healthy to express anger. It’s one of the stages of grief. 

The romance (before the love triangle was thrown in) was well developed. It could definitely read like insta-love but for me it worked. They are two people, all alone in the world and so they depend on each other. They’re initial exchanges aren’t exactly hostile but neither are they full of love either but that changes. They cover each others backs, save each others lives and hence a bond forms. Their relationship starts blooming and no I love you’s are said. This brings me to the love triangle (which also happened to be strike 1). The love triangle adds a measure of angst that is NOT appreciated. I am a hater of all things love triangle so it’s a wonder I didn’t run in the other direction as soon as it was mentioned. I felt like it was completely unnecessary but this also ties in with something I’ll talk about later. As far as love triangles go, this isn’t actually horrid (if you can look past the amount of angst it adds and how it was completely unnecessary). The female lead actually has a good reason to be confused. It makes complete sense and there isn’t an obvious choice at the moment because Marina herself has no idea what she wants. She doesn’t know who she is and until she figures that out, neither of the guys will come out the victor of her affections. 

My ranting skills will now be unleashed as I talk about strike 2 which was when we learn about the reality of Fades. Up until that point, I thought, no I HOPED that this book wouldn’t go down that road. I thought that for the first time ever, the leaders of the society weren’t out to ruin lives, that they actually meant well but that was all a lie. It was just building up for that supposed big blow. It ruined the whole book for me. I might have been able to swallow the love triangle but this was the last straw for it took what I liked most about this book, and smashed it into pieces. It took away from the dark and scary atmosphere and it almost felt like I was in a rainbows and sunshine land. Where everything is perfect. Where everyone lives in harmony. Well let me tell you something, HELL TO THE NO. Things don’t work like that in the real world. Hell I COMPLETELY understand the supposed villain who I feel like is actually a victim because she is surrounded by brainless people with no sense of self-preservation. Perhaps I am one of those annoying people who think humans are better than everyone else but I am not completely sure about that. There are some things that just aren’t meant to be and the reality about Fades wasn’t. It pissed me off and I just couldn’t. Show Spoiler

I cannot enjoy a book that paints these disease stricken people as good. They destroyed humanity at one point, how did they suddenly turn good, and what the hell are they doing breeding and living in families? Are you telling me that they are human? BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT. Let me repeat that if you didn’t get it the first time around. THEY ARE NOT FUCKING HUMANS and I for one would definitely not want to hang out with them. Now I am not saying the whole family thing is only something humans do, it's just the way it pains these creatures, it feels like they are basically humans with a few 'advantages' and that does NOT work.

The whole situation basically ruined the world building for me. I loved the world building up until that point. I was immersed in this world the author had created and then it had to go down the drain because no good things can last. 

It pains me to give this book such a low rating but I cannot say I regret buying it. It does look pretty on my bookshelf. With that said though, I am not completely sure I want to read the sequel. I don’t want to dive back into that world after the ‘twist’ the author threw at us but that may change in the future.

Review: Defiance by Stephanie Tyler

Title: Defiance
Author: Stephanie Tyler
Series: Defiance #1
Release Date: June 10th, 2013
Publisher: Carina Press
Buy: Amazon

Goodreads Summary

Rebelling against her legacy as the MC's princess, Tru Tennyson escaped the ruthless, male-dominated culture of the Defiance motorcycle club. Three years later, her newfound freedom is ripped away, thanks to a massive hybrid storm that killed millions. Now, in the post-Chaos world of semi-darkness and near-total anarchy where gangs rule, she discovers the dangerous world of Defiance may be the one thing that can keep her safe.

Tru is at the MC's mercy when she's dragged back to her former home … and to the only man she's ever pictured a future with. Caspar is the bastard son of the club's leader, her safe haven when life got rough — and her onetime lover the night she left. When Tru refuses to trade sex for power and be claimed by a rival club leader, she also dares to announce she wants Caspar instead, throwing the MC into turmoil.

Tru's brazen revolt could start a gang war and destroy the club from within. Now both Tru and the MC must wait for Caspar's response … and the inevitable fallout.

NA hasn’t been a very favorable ‘genre’ (I put the quotation marks because I know there has been some debate as to what classifies as a genre and what not) for me. Most of my experiences have been pretty bad. This book however piqued my interest. A post-apocalyptic book that focuses on a motorcycle club? Count me in.

Okay so I only read this because the strange combination of the two was pretty intriguing. So many things could have gone wrong! It could have been filled with TSTL horny characters whose lives revolve around each other and nothing else (which does happen a lot of NA so you cannot blame me). But as it turns out this book was pretty good.

I haven’t read a lot of motorcycle club books nor do I watch the famous “Sons of Anarchy”.  So my knowledge is next to nothing when it comes to the whole Motorcycle Club thing. Even with my inexperience it felt like the author did a pretty good job with it. The reasoning, how it all started, what it had become, everything. The world of Defiance seemed pretty real to me.

The post-apocalyptic part however could have used a lot more development. For the most part I was a little confused about what had actually happened. Oh it was mentioned but it just seemed more like a pillar than part of the story. I also happen to be a little confused about what happened in the 3 years she was away.

The main characters were actually WAIT FOR IT the best part of the book and I mean this in a good way. I was pleasantly surprised by the two, by their maturity. They are both pretty young but they act like adults, a lot of this can of course be contributed to their childhoods (is that a word?) but I just love how they aren’t just angst filled characters.

Tru was forced to run away from home at the age of 16. It was either stay or die at the hands of her father. She had finally had enough and so with the help of Caspar she ran away. She is returned by the rival MC beaten up three years later, after her father has died. Right off the bat things start going crazy with her return. She spent the past (year?) with the rival club so people are vary of her but since her father was well respected they don’t kick her out immediately, instead preparations are made for her mating with the president’s youngest son. To escape that horrid fate, she asks Caspar to be her mate. That was when I first started appreciating her; I always like a main character who can stand up for herself. Weak, Tru was not. It’s evident in all her actions, she is not afraid to stand up if it means backing up what she believes in.

Caspar was a pretty mysterious character. Half of the time you don’t even know his motifs. What is he planning inside that big brain of his? He’s pretty elusive. One of his best qualities is how passionate he is about the club. He wants to change things for the better but even he knows that everything cannot change, some things will remain the way they are.

Them together makes for a good romance. It isn’t an angst filled relationship.  It’s kind of clear even in the beginning that the two have strong feelings for each other but they need to work on trusting one another and so the unravel each other, learning the others secrets and being supportive.

I am not exactly sure about the plot though, the book itself was a quick read but the plot could have used some work. Half of the time I wasn’t even sure what the whole thing was about.

In the end, the book makes for a hell of a journey and was just what I needed after attempting to read a book that didn’t work so well for me. 

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Title: Through the Ever Night

Author: Veronica Rossi

Series: Under the Never Sky #2

Publisher: HarperCollins

Date Published: January 3, 2012

Buy: Amazon

Goodreads Summary

It’s been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don’t take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe’s precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

The first sequel I read this year was disappointing but of course that’s nothing new. Most sequels tend to be disappointing, but if the first sequel of the year disappoints, you lose hope for the rest that you were looking forward to. It’s the reason why I didn’t read this book as soon as it came out. I couldn’t. I was too scared that Rossi would fail to make it as awesome as the first one. I should never have doubted her.

Rossi never fails to impress me, first with Under the Never Sky and now with Through the Ever Night. This sequel has given me hope again, it doesn’t matter how many disappointing sequels there are out there. You will come across some that will never fail to amaze you. Such is the case with this one.

I think the best thing about this book is the relationships amongst the characters. Rossi did the one thing most authors are too scared to. She has a platonic relationship between a guy and a girl, the one thing that authors are scared of (apparently). Friends can love each other without having feelings for the other. Really. I am so tired of friends in love triangles or whatever and I absolutely ADORE the relationship between Roar and Aria. It’s as good as the one with Perry and Roar. Both are in love with another person and it’s as clear as that. No messed up feelings. No nothing. And I am so glad for that because it gives me a better chance to enjoy Roar’s character. He is so different from Perry. Perry is serious (not in a brooding way) because he has tons of pressure on him and he is always trying to do what’s best. Roar follows his heart, he does what he needs to but he is a loyal friend and he is hilarious. He knows how to lighten the most serious situations. I just hope that nothing happens to him in the next book (me being paranoid).

There is a lot of character development as well. It makes me so happy to see that each character has improved in their own ways. Perry learns how to be a true leader throughout the book. He isn’t perfect and he isn’t an amazing leader in the beginning the way some people magically tend to be in YAs these days. He learns! Same with Aria, she develops into a better character (not that I had any problem with her before).

One of the things I don’t understand is why people think that authors who kill characters are brave. It’s not taking a risk if it’s a useless death. Yes I agree that sometimes someone needs to die but sometimes authors tend to kill for no reason (Suzanne Collins). Rossi didn’t do this and thank god for that. This is the sign of a good author, someone who can write a great book without going about killing people.

Also she doesn’t end the book with a cliff hanger. She ends it how authors should end books in the series. She solved the problems we were dealing with in this book leaving a bit of room for the third book. Perfect.

I think I am kind of sad I read it so soon. This means I’ll have to wait a WHOLE year for Into the still Blue. But I believe in Rossi and I know she will make the wait worth it.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Title: Under the Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Series: Under the Never Sky #1
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date Published: January 3, 2012
Buy: Amazon

Goodreads Summary

Since she’d been on the outside, she’d survived an Aether storm, she’d had a knife held to her throat, and she’d seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland – known as The Death Shop – are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild – a savage – and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile – everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria’s help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

I am not sure I can call this book a dystopia, I think this is more of a futuristic book. Aside from that, this book is a masterpiece. Perfection.

I read this a while before school started and well, it made me wish I had more days for my summer break so that I could hunt down more books like this and read the hell out of them.

This book has the perfect opening, someone breaking the law of course, with a fire and the author introducing us to the society in which Aria lives. Openings matter quite a bit because sometimes if the author fails to impress us with the beginning, we tend to either quit after a while or drag along with the book, which ends up with us not liking it as much. It also gives us an idea about what the rest of the book will be like, will it be worth reading or not? With an opening like that, I was drawn straight into the story and wasn’t let free until the end. I was never bored. This book is an adventure so there isn’t much opportunity for boredom.

Unlike a lot of people though, I actually liked the world building. Most of the reviews I had read were good but they all said that the world building was a bit sketchy. I guess opinions differ. It’s very easy to imagine the world. Plus the concept of Aether is cool, we aren’t told a lot about it in the book but I think there is a reason behind that. It’s something none of our characters really understand. If they don’t understand how can they be expected to describe it to us? The whole realms thing is kind of scary, “better than real”, because the people living in pods are secluded; they have what is known as realms. Everything they cannot experience in real life can be experienced through these realms. There is a realm for everything, the difference is, they aren’t real. The idea kind of scares me because as much as I don’t care for going out and seeing the world, to have it all taken away from me would suck.

The book is written in dual POV and is narrated by our Perry and Aria. Oh my gosh I love both of these characters so much, although I do prefer Perry because of his attachment to his nephew, Talon. They are both on a journey for someone that is important to them so they need to match forces to make this possible. Perry is a serious person, who although may not be extremely friendly, is extremely loyal. He is a great friend and a great uncle. Aria is a character that takes some time to warm up to mostly because of her prejudices which aren’t exactly her fault. But she is also a great character, a strong female lead who can think for herself.

I had a lot of fun watching the romance between the two unravel. It went from this:

“Oh, this was champ. She’d found herself a Savage prince. Don’t laugh, she told herself. Don’t laugh, Aria.” 

To this:

“What could she say? How could she possibly describe what she felt for him? He knew. He had to know.”

The plot was also great, like I’ve mentioned already, this book doesn’t leave much opportunity for boredom. I was always on the edge waiting for something new to happen, something even better than what had just happened.

Overall, Under the Never Sky is a great read for everyone looking for something that’s a bit different than everything else out there.

Defiance by C.J. Redwine

Title: Defiance
Author: C.J. Redwine
Series: Defiance #1
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Date Published: August 28, 2012

Goodreads Summary

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan–the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same one who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but a fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

I cannot write a proper review like thing for this. This is going to be mainly thoughts and a rant of sorts.

I liked the idea of this book but this book didn’t work out for me. I feel so disappointed! I was excited to read this book.. so excited and all my hopes for this book were shoved down a hole and buried alive.

Everything about this book appealed to me when I read the summary. It sounded so perfect! But after a few chapters, I had to force myself to get through the book.

For starters the romance popped out of nowhere, I don’t mean that they aren’t perfect for each other or anything. It’s just that it was so random. There was no time for it to develop. They both come to a creepy realization that they are in love, this happens when they are away from each other. Don’t ask me how that works. I don’t know. The short time they are together in the beginning of the book, Rachel hates him, because of course she told him she loved him (this was when she was 15) and he told her to get lost (not literally but you get the idea).

First we are told Logan rejected her and then Logan says he has always liked her. Confusing. Logan wasn’t that bad actually, he was pretty clever and nerdy and I always love reading about nerdy love interests, but oh my god, he was creepy. He was threatening her SO MUCH! Like what is she? 5 years old? She can take care of herself thank you very much. For example:

“No. You’re lucky I’m not wringing your neck.”

You say stuff like that and then claim to love her, I don’t see how that works. Also the feminist me screams at how women are shown in this world, always looked down upon.

The author may have been trying to achieve the whole kickass female lead with Rachel by making her different and willing to break the rules but Rachel was seriously annoying. There is this point in the book where Rachel is whining about loss, I get the point but she should have been stronger instead of trying to sink into a hole. She thought she could be angry and avoid the pain. She did some of the most horrible things in that period of time without thinking twice.

I had actually kind of liked Logan in the beginning like I mentioned but then there was the creepy thing. There was also the jealousy thing. That pissed me off because I was hoping that Logan would be the sane guy (seeing that Rachel has nothing better to do then whine about loss and couldn’t even make her mind up about anything except her HATE) and appreciate Quinn and Willow’s help but instead he is jealous *face palm*. Doesn’t even thank them.

The plot wasn’t that bad but I would have been able to appreciate it more had the characters been better. There were some interesting things going on but it wasn’t much of a dystopia.

I get the feeling the sequel will have a love triangle in it but seeing how this book turned out, I don’t think I’ll read the sequel.

Don’t let my opinion about this book keep you from reading it though, a lot of people loved it as well.

Angelfall by Susan Ee

Title: Angelfall
Author: Susan Ee
Series: Penryn & the End of Days #1
Date Published: June 14, 2011
Buy: Amazon

Goodreads Summary

It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

It’s been a while since I’ve read this. This does NOT mean that I forgot what happened in it. This is not the sort of book that you can just forget. It doesn’t happen. Sometimes I wanna bang my head on a wall for not reading this earlier. I have preconceived ideas about books dealing with Angels. I’ve read too many that fail to amaze and leave me wanting to burn the book so when I saw all the amazing reviews for this, it got to me. I know a lot of people agree that there are too many angel books out there that are absolute crap. So I wondered what would be different about this one. The idea of the book, despite that it dealt with angels, was rather original. A post apocalyptic world with Angels. I usually like post apocalyptic novels (as long as they are not dealing with zombies)so I decided to give this a read.

I went in not expecting much. Just the usual. I was so surprised by how awesome this book was. Like so freaking surprised. It even made it to my favorites list for last year. That’s how much it impressed me. I mean someone who isn’t that into Angels loving an Angel book so much is rather ironic isn’t it? No this didn’t change my mind about Angel books in general though. Most of them still suck.

But I guess the thing about this one is that it isn’t ABOUT angels, it involves them yes, but it isn’t about Angelic mythology or their origins and all that jazz. It’s about the post apocalyptic world and how angels are destroying it.

I also feel awkward about human/angel relationships. They usually piss the hell out of me because they have the whole insta feel to it. My question is How does an angel fall in love with a human all of a sudden? They’ve been around forever, how come it’s one human who catches their attention? It’s pathetic. Like this one book I read it was “love at first site” aka, you are so beautiful so I am in love with you.

This book however beats the system once again. Rafe’s and Penryn’s relationship is one of my favorites. It has a lot of time to develop. It changes over time and the process is SO MUCH FUN to watch. They aren’t people who are attracted to each other and denying it like pathetic idiots. There is an ACTUAL change in their opinions and it amazes me how the author pulls it off. You see why Rafe would fall in love with this chic. Hell if I were Rafe I would probably be in love with Penryn as well. But since I am not, I get to be hopelessly in love with Rafe. Oh Rafe where did you come from? You have droven me crazy. Every day since I’ve finished this book I yearn for the second so I can be with you once again. I won’t say much about the characters except both of them are Kickass and Hilarious. They have rather similar personalities and goals that they are out to achieve.

I don’t even know why I attempted to try to explain why I love this book so much. It’s too hard. I love EVERY SINGLE THING ABOUT THIS DAMN BOOK! It’s freaking amazing. I was actually surprised it was self published.

Also because I am cool I am going to add some hilarious quotes, if they don’t convince you to read this book, I don’t know what will.

“Oh, please. Your giant head is getting too big for this forest. Pretty soon, you’re going to get stuck trying to walk between two tress. And then, I’ll have to rescue you.” I give him a weary look. “Again.” 

“The next time you have a quarrel with me, I’d appreciate it if you could just talk to me first before resorting to pelting me with rocks.” 

“My friends call me Wrath,” says Raffe. “My enemies call me Please Have Mercy. What’s your name, soldier boy?” 

Last one. If it were up to me, I’d put up the whole book so I should stop.

“You’re like a little girl demanding answers to questions during a covert operation. Why is the sky blue, daddy? Can I ask that man with the machine gun where the bathroom is? If you don’t stay quiet, I’m going to have to dump you.”

After The Ending by Lindsey Fairleigh and Lindsey Pogue

Title: After the Ending
Author: Lindsey Fairleigh and Lindsey Pogue
Series: The Ending Series
Publisher: L2 Books
Date Published: February 22, 2013
Buy: Amazon

Goodreads summary

The Virus spread. Billions died. The Ending began. We may have survived the apocalypse, but the Virus changed us.

When people started getting sick, “they” thought it was just the flu. My roommate, my boyfriend, my family…they’re all gone now. I got sick too. I should have died with them—with the rest of the world—but I didn’t. I thought witnessing the human population almost disappear off the face of the earth was the craziest thing I’d ever experience. I was so wrong. My name is Dani O’Connor, I’m twenty-six-years-old, and I survived The Ending.

The Virus changed everything. The world I knew is gone, and life is backwards. We’ve all had to start over. I’ve been stripped of my home, my dreams…all that is me. I’m someone else now—broken and changed. Other survivors’ memories and emotions haunt me. They invade my mind until I can no longer separate them from my own. I won’t let them consume me. I can’t. My name is Zoe Cartwright, I’m twenty-six-years-old, and I survived The Ending.

We’ve been inseparable for most of our lives, and now our friendship is all we have left. The aftermath of the Virus has stranded us on opposite sides of the United States. Trusting strangers, making sacrifices, killing—we’ll do anything to reach one another. Fear and pain may be unavoidable, but we’re strong…we’re survivors. But to continue surviving in this unfamiliar world plagued by Crazies and strange new abilities, we have to adapt. We have to evolve.

And more than anything, we have to find each other.

Really like the simplicity to this cover! 

This is one of those books where you really enjoy but you’re not too fussed about the ending or what’s to come as literally anything could happen.

The story is about people getting the flu and dying… that is the apocalypse. Zoe and Dani two best friends who live on the opposite side of the country need to find each other after the “ending”. That is the jist of the book. Basically people die and then they gain these “abilities” which are pretty much superpowers (some can talk to you in your mind, others can calm you down, manipulate you) it’s all great fun (apart from all the dead people and their bodies just piling up)

So with the new hype of apocalypse with World War Z coming out in the cinema (which was pretty awesome) I couldn’t wait to be a part of this book tour and yay me for signing up for it. I really loved this book. I thought it was a really interesting idea and I really liked it.

The style of writing is brilliant. Each chapter is told by either Dani or Zoe and they switch about which I thought was pretty awesome as you get to know what is happening with both of the girls. At the end of the chapter the girls write emails to each other (who knew the internet would still be up after the end of the world?) which got really annoying. At first it was nice as the relationship between the girls grew but holy hell did that get boring. It was just re reading the chapter but with more chatty comments.

I love how two authors worked together on this book, it’s one of the first books that I’ve read that two authors are included in the whole story; and they really pulled through the book had a really good flow to it that I loved.

To be honest I would love to have one of those abilities… no I’d want more than one it would be so awesome… but shame about all the people dying and not surviving the virus.