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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Great read! It was frightening because this is something that could actually happen. I was shocked that the break down of society took only days, and that barely any families mentioned in the book had ANY water, sports drinks, juice, or really any beverages at all in their homes. That part seemed very unrealistic. The survival instinct and what people will do when push comes to shove was accurately depicted.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Absoloutely amazing! heart wrenching and beautiful. The diffrent layers of panic, love and despair brings tears to my eyes.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Somehow I found this even eerier than Parable of the Sower, mostly due to the water restrictions I grew up with living in this exact area. Absolutely nothing this extreme, but it threw it into extra perspective, having names of cities and locations I'm intimately familiar with frequently being used.
This is a book that makes you thankful for each thing you have in front of you, but at the same time, you know it won't change a thing - and perhaps that's part of the point. Sometimes we can't have the ability to change until the change has been made for us, and at that point it is up to us to choose who we are to be in those circumstances.
Overall a wonderfully difficult, thought provoking book and one I recommend to anyone.
This is a book that makes you thankful for each thing you have in front of you, but at the same time, you know it won't change a thing - and perhaps that's part of the point. Sometimes we can't have the ability to change until the change has been made for us, and at that point it is up to us to choose who we are to be in those circumstances.
Overall a wonderfully difficult, thought provoking book and one I recommend to anyone.
I began reading this book in early 2020. The opening pages made me fight the urge to run to the closest store and stock up on water.
When COVID-19 hit my state in March, I put the book aside. I could not handle the stress of real life and the stress of the plot. I remember going into the store and seeing all of the meat, toilet paper, and cleaning products cleared. It reminded me of this book's plot.
I picked the book up and finished it in July-- a few days after Disney World's recent reopening. The similarities between what Shusterman created in 2018 and what happened in 2020 were uncanny. (spoiler alert ) "But the Magic Kingdom is at the forefront of the effort to restore life as we knew it. [...] No character costumes, no electrical parade... [...] This has been the longest closure since the park was built. [...] There was looting here" (375-376).
This book also discusses different types of people during a catastrophe:
Alyssa: teen from a "normal" home
Garrett: her younger brother
Kelton: the "weird boy" from a family of preppers
Jacqui: the smart outsider/runaway
Henry: the opportunist
I also like the "four kinds of people" following the Tap Out (378-379).
I would not recommend this book to anyone whose anxiety has increased because of 2020's events.
When COVID-19 hit my state in March, I put the book aside. I could not handle the stress of real life and the stress of the plot. I remember going into the store and seeing all of the meat, toilet paper, and cleaning products cleared. It reminded me of this book's plot.
I picked the book up and finished it in July-- a few days after Disney World's recent reopening. The similarities between what Shusterman created in 2018 and what happened in 2020 were uncanny. (spoiler alert ) "But the Magic Kingdom is at the forefront of the effort to restore life as we knew it. [...] No character costumes, no electrical parade... [...] This has been the longest closure since the park was built. [...] There was looting here" (375-376).
This book also discusses different types of people during a catastrophe:
Alyssa: teen from a "normal" home
Garrett: her younger brother
Kelton: the "weird boy" from a family of preppers
Jacqui: the smart outsider/runaway
Henry: the opportunist
I also like the "four kinds of people" following the Tap Out (378-379).
I would not recommend this book to anyone whose anxiety has increased because of 2020's events.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The writing is trash, it doesn't feel like a Neal Shusterman book. It was corny, tacky, the stakes didn't feel high enough for me to care, and the characters were all weird and had confusing motives.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Everything went to shit so fast