SHADOWS

– Poor

Book Summary: The Apocalypse does not end.
The Changed will grow in numbers.
The Spared may not survive.

Even before the EMPs brought down the world, Alex was on the run from the demons of her past and the monster living in her head. After the world was gone, she thought Rule was a sanctuary for her and those she’d come to love.

But she was wrong.

Now she’s in the fight of her life against the adults who would use her, the survivors who don’t trust her, and the Changed who would eat her alive.

Welcome to Shadows, the second book in the haunting apocalyptic Ashes Trilogy: where no one is safe and humans may be the worst of the monsters.

Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick Book Review Overview:

• A little confusing, must be read right after Ashes
• Ilsa J. Bick is a talented writer who can write awesome and really gruesome scenes
• Unfortunately, this failed to match up to my expectations and I’m not compelled to finish the series

Unfortunately, SHADOWS by Ilsa J. Bick is not a book that you can just pick up on a whim. Ashes, the first book in the trilogy, cannot be a book you read in the distant past. SHADOWS by Ilsa J. Bick does pick up where Ashes finished, but the book needs to be fresh in your memory, or you’ll be completely lost like I was. Bick does very little to aid readers in remembering what exactly happened in the first book. For the first 100 pages, I wasn’t sure what was going on and I needed a dire refresher on who’s who.

I’m surprised that I managed to read this whopping monster of over 500 pages because I did not feel like I was ever hooked into one of the many meandering plots. My determination to read through SHADOWS by Ilsa J. Bick had more to do with the fact that I wanted to remember what happened in the first book. The problem with SHADOWS is the multi-narrative approach. In the end, there were just too many things going on, but not enough things that made me care about what was happening.

Despite my qualms, I do have to admit that Bick is still one talented writer. Once or twice, I’ve had to stop to admire her vividly gruesome descriptions. Furthermore, Bick’s world is a little different from zombie novels out there because of the fact that they are not exactly dead, but Changed. Changed people who have an appetite for human flesh. It takes a little bit of readjusting to get used to this thought, but this detail sets the Ashes trilogy apart from others.

The ending failed to leave me satisfied, which is such a bummer. I remember finishing Ashes with the thought, OMG BOOK TWO NOW PLEASE, only to be disappointed to hear that the next one would not be out for an entire year. Finishing up SHADOWS by Ilsa J. Bick, my final thoughts were more along the lines of, Wow, I’m glad that’s over and done with.

Unfortunately, SHADOWS by Ilsa J. Bick just fell under the category of sequels that didn’t live up to the first. While SHADOWS by Ilsa J. Bick is not the worst book ever, it didn’t make me excited about the series anymore. This might just call for a series break-up.

Why I’m Biased: I was such a big fan of Ashes. SHADOWS by Ilsa J. Bick was one of the few ARCs that I really wanted my hands on at BEA.

Post written by Muggle-Born.net

THIS IS NOT A TEST

– Exceeds Expectations

Book Summary: 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?

This is Not a test by Courtney Summers Book Review Overview:

• Nail-biting tension from beginning to end
• Reminds me of the Walking Dead because of the complex social interactions
• A fantastic zombie book that will have you reading more of the genre

THIS IS NOT A TEST  by Courtney Summers is the kind of book you should not be reading in public – especially if you’re the type of reader like me. THIS IS NOT A TEST is full of nail-biting scenes that made me gasp in shock and jittery with anticipation. I could have read it straight through if it weren’t for the fact that my e-reader’s battery died.

Don’t expect a plausible explanation for the zombie outbreak. THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers explores more of human interactions after a disaster rather than the science behind the outbreak. The science is explained a little, but is based on observations made by Sloane and the other characters. Besides, the story revolves around a group of teenagers. They wouldn’t be the ones to know what is going on. At first, THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers is confusing because you have no idea as a reader what is going on after the prologue and first chapter. It takes a while for the pieces to come together. In a way, I like that this is how Courtney Summers organizes the novel because it reflects what it would be like in the shoes of Sloane. Utter chaos.

THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers reminds me of The Walking Dead on AMC because it’s more than just a novel about zombies. It’s about the complex social interactions between the survivors. It’s about discovering and appreciating life – or what’s left of it. For the main character, Sloane, accepting the fact that she is alive becomes a major struggle and she constantly has to overcome suicidal thoughts. Courtney Summers makes you think about survival and the ways it changes you. One of the most striking observations in THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers is about nostalgia. The author makes a great point that despite the fact that they can be nostalgic about their past, it means absolutely nothing in the present world that the characters were living in. Everything they knew was gone.

I loved the tension and suspense in THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers. She gives readers an impression of a false sense of security right before all hell breaks loose. The tension kept me on my toes the entire time. I was no silent reader. I gasped, I cursed, and I flailed wildly at the first sign of zombies. Like I said, I was so glad I didn’t read THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers in public.

I’m pretty new to zombie books, but I can say for a fact that Courtney Summers has me hooked with her first, THIS IS NOT A TEST. The novel can stand on its own but the ending is open for a future sequel.

I would definitely recommend this book to those who are fans of ASHES by Ilsa J Bick and the Walking Dead television show.

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Post written by Muggle-Born.net

THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH

– Acceptable

Book Summary: In Mary’s world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan Book Review Overview:

• Religious themes made it difficult for me to get through the beginning
• The love rectangle did little to increase my interest
• The world-building is admittedly great and the zombie scenes were nail-biting

Initially, I had difficulty getting into THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH by Carrie Ryan, the first in a three-book zombie series, due to the religious themes. I’m not really a fan of books where religious figures hold positions of power. However, looking back, the religious themes were essential to the novel because they provided an interesting contrast to the world that Mary knew with her new perceptions of her surroundings.

THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH has quite the complicated love scenario, but it is one that I could really care less about. The conflict is introduced very early on in the novel and it includes Mary, her best friend Cass, and the brothers Harry and Travis. Usually, I’m all over forbidden romances, but there just wasn’t enough development and chemistry between the characters to get me to care. The characters all have shared pasts, so it makes sense that the development would be on the lesser side, but it makes for an unsatisfying read. I sensed a lack of passion from all the characters. I felt like the romance was forced. Mary had to defy the Sisterhood and her obligations to her society, so it was almost as if she was obligated to fall in love.

The plot was compelling, but to me, it was still missing that special factor that would have made me care more about the characters. I understand why Mary yearns for the ocean, but Ryan is unable to make Mary’s dream my own as well. Similar to the other characters in THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, striving for the ocean is a dream that is unique to Mary and we all struggle to make it a part of our plan. THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH was an entertaining read, but after finishing it, I am not exactly quite compelled to continue on with the series and find out what happens next.

The highlight of this book was the world-building and nail-biting scenes that Carrie Ryan has written. For all of Mary’s life, she had lived in an enclosed community in the middle of the forest surrounded by wire fencing. Her community has lived in isolation for as long as they can remember, but they do not know why or how. They are not in contact with any other people, for they believe that they are the last people on earth. Carrie Ryan stirs up some interesting thoughts about the world that Mary lives in, and this is mostly what motivated me to continue on reading.

Furthermore, the book really started to pick up for me with the introduction of the Unconsecrated.THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH was moving on a slow pace, up until all hell breaks loose in Mary’s village. Ryan’s descriptions of the attack are fast-paced and suspenseful and will keep you at the edge of your seat.

THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH is a decent read. It will definitely have you at the edge of your seat at times, but for the most part, the uncompelling characters and love interests hamper the novel from being an excellent read. I can see my self reading the rest of the series, but I am not going to rush out to do so.

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About the Author Carrie Ryan was born and raised in Greenville, SC and is a graduate of Williams College and Duke University School of Law. A former litigator, she now pursues her true passion and writes full time. Although Ryan’s 2009 novel, THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, is set in a world roamed by the living dead, before meeting her fiance JP she was actually a self-proclaimed “scaredy-cat” who avoided horror movies. JP was the one who convinced her to go to her first zombie movie and opened a whole new world up to her, which is why she dedicated her first book to him.

Find the Author Website | Twitter | GoodReads

Post written by Muggle-Born.net

ASHES

Summary: Alex has run away and is hiking through the wilderness with her dead parents’ ashes, about to say goodbye to the life she no longer wants to live. But then the world suddenly changes. An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky zapping every electronic device and killing the vast majority of adults. For those spared, it’s a question of who can be trusted and who has changed… Everyone still alive has turned – some for the better (those who acquired a superhuman sense) while others for the worse (those who acquired a taste for human flesh). Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the zombies that are on the hunt, Alex meets up with Tom – an Army veteran who escaped one war only to find something worse at home – and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse. This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to find food, shelter, while fighting off the ‘Changed’ and those desperate to stay alive. A tense and involving adventure with shocks and sudden plot twists that will keep teen and adult readers gripped.

Review Overview:

• A gripping novel that couldn’t possibly be overhyped.
• Violent, disturbing graphic images – extremely gross and extremely cool at the same time
• The characters actually try to come up with a scientific explanation. Gotta love logic.

I was a non-believer. I knew that there was a ton of hype surrounding this book in the blogosphere, but the cover didn’t appeal to me. I was wrong. ASHES is hype-worthy. I can’t even count the number of times that I said “Yuck!” out loud. In a good way, of course.

ASHES is a non-stop sensory overload. And that’s how you know that Ilsa J. Bick is a fabulous writer. It’s one thing to see a scene unfold right before your eyes, but it’s on a whole different level when you can actually smell and taste what’s going on. She’s an unbelievably descriptive writer especially when it comes to the gruesome zombie scenes. The book gets quite graphic and violent so if you tend to get queasy, I wouldn’t pick this up… but then you’d be missing out.

One of the many reasons why I loved ASHES was the fact that Bick tries to get the characters to come to a scientific reasoning as to why everything is happening. Bick doesn’t take the easy way out by saying that everything happens just because she says it did. Alex’s knowledge is limited to what she knows from her AP Bio science class and random tidbits that she’s picked up over the years. She may not be a scientist, but she’s also not an idiot. I think it gives ASHES a more realistic feel because I think that people would definitely try to figure out what on earth is happening if they were in this situation. You can’t always be running from zombies. There’s definitely a lot of time to think about what’s going on. As to the question of if this can really happen? I’m not sure about that. I’m no science expert, but Bick’s writing definitely makes me hope that it never does.

Believe it or not, there’s actually a love triangle in this book. Uh oh. But for once, I can actually say that I did not mind. I know we’re all tired of the silly and unnecessary love triangles that are taking over the YA market but it actually works in ASHES. Why? Because ASHES does take place within a few months and SO MANY THINGS happen in that amount of time. I’d hate to give out spoilers, so trust me when I say that it works and it’s quite a dilemma.

So now that I’ve been properly exposed to a zombie book, I want more! Specifically, I want more ASHES. I felt satisfied once I completed ASHES but I feel an insane urge to find out what happens next. There is no cliffhanger ending, but you will be left with a ton of questions that will be dying to be answered.

Why I’m Biased: I’m almost immediately turned off by anything that sounds remotely dystopian / post-apocalyptic just because there were so many of them this year. I’m obviously way too quick to judge.

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Post written by Muggle-Born.net