The blog Stainless Steel Droppings has hosted this reading challenge for the past 6 years. This reading challenge asks you to read books that fall into the following genres:
Mystery
Suspense
Thriller
Dark Fantasy
Gothic
Horror
Supernatural
If you’d like to join up just click the image above to find more info. Know that if you’re new to challenges (or just really busy reading other things) this challenge comes with levels. Including one that asks you to read just one book. I’ve chosen Peril the First, which means I’ve signed up for 4 books! That’s a lot of scary for a scaredy-cat like me, lol.
Without Further Ado, My 1st Book…Ashes
BookTalk
It all begins with an Electromagnetic Pulse. An EMP that shakes the world leaving all modern technology…and many people dead.
Those people the pulse doesn’t kill instantaneously are either the very old or the very young. But, anyone from puberty to roughly age 24 are instead ‘Changed’. The change could happen after a matter of minutes to a matter of days…but the end result is the same. A zombie-like state that leaves the person wild and instinctual…and also, very, very hungry for flesh…
But there are the few…the ‘Spared’ who defy the EMP. The youth that managed to survive. Alex is one of these few. She was on a week-long hiking trip in the mountains when the EMP hit. Alex was on the run from the death of her parents and the massive brain tumor about to cause her own demise. But after the EMP not only is she ‘Spared’ Alex is also seemingly healed. Perhaps beyond healed…
Armed with extra senses, Alex will need all the help she can get to battle not only the flesh-eating changed…but the ‘Spared’ who would hunt her down at any cost…
Review
Oh my gosh this book just ended…Like black-out ended…Like hurrygivemethenextbookNOW ended. And just my luck the book debuted a month ago. The second isn’t even slated with a date yet. But I’ll be internet stalking the second for the following reasons…
1. This book was Scary!
Seriously, believe people when they say this book will make you pee your pants. It’s a sleep-with-the-light-on kinda read. Personally, there were times where I was wound so tight I had to remind myself the zombies or “Changed” weren’t after me…I was safely ensconced on my couch, in a fully lit house, with my dogs in the room (dogs smell “Changed” people first you know). Honestly, this was a tension filled ride. The action keeps on coming and the journey is not an easy one for these characters. You never know what’s around the next bend and odds are it’s going to try to kill you…
2. The love interests were oh, so, likeable
I know “likeable” isn’t how we always want our romantic heroes to come across. Sexy, bad boy, sweet…this is what we usually look for. But Tom and Chris (yep Alex gets two hotties) were exactly the type of guy you’d want by your side in this apocalyptic situation. Nobody wants to deal with the “beaudouche” in this book. When zombies are chasing you around and others are trying to kill you or take you for property…What you really want is a survivor-man type.
Enter Tom: the ex-Army guy who paid attention to basic medic training and thinks like a soldier who just spent a tour in Afghanistan. He’s got survival down pat, and isn’t afraid to fight his way out of any situation. True he’s got some secrets of his own…but we may have to wait till book two to find out what they are…
Enter Chris: sure he’s the quiet type but, a man willing to travel miles to fulfill a book request is a man after my own heart. He’s strong and willing to lead…but is he strong enough to break all the rules?…
Again I ask…Book Two…Where for art thou?! I’ve got questions only you can answer!!
3. The World-building
I loved the uniqueness of the plot points. An electromagnetic pulse may be a little far-fetched to create such mass destruction. But the explanation holds for the moment because:
- I’m not a science kinda gal and I’ll believe just about anything an author writes, so long as it comes with an authoritative voice.
- Our characters are still searching for the reason…more books will provide more insight.
- Honestly, if people can’t be changed back from zombie status…it may not actually matter what did the changing.
The ‘Changed” a.k.a. the zombies were horrific and display potential to continue to become even scarier and more bloodthirsty. Chills!
Finally, the use of animals throughout the text. Animals were an underlying gauge of safety. They clue our heroine into many, many situations. Providing everything from rescue, to a tip-off, to comfort. Loved it! The scene with the wolves and the puppy…broke my heart!
4. Alex…Our Heroine
What a kick-butt kinda gal! I read a few reviews that claimed she was a little too prepared for a situation like this. I have to disagree. I don’t know if it’s because I just finished Waterfall by Lisa Bergren, in which the main character defies logic in her medieval-skills skill set…But Alex’s camping ability and basic medical knowledge seemed reasonably explained. It makes me want to take a survival course of some kind…maybe to go camping…or glamping
(Anyone got a million dollar RV I can tool around in? Anyone?)
Ok, maybe not glamping…I’ll never learn Alex’s skills from an experience that involves flat screen tvs. But her sheer determination and survival tactics were very cool to watch. And they played out in a seemingly realistic fashion.
This book is a “Do Not Miss” for me. Super-scary, filled with likeable characters who have an action packed story. Can’t believe it sat around on my Nook for this long…For Shame! lol
Rating: 5/5 Well written horror romp out just in time for Halloween…Enjoy!
*Book received for review from Egmont via NetGalley…Thanks!*
Sara O
thelibrarianreads 