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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
tense
This was a good book overall. The only reason I gave it four stars, was because I did not like how the aliens were described. It was very generic. As the book progresses, There description makes sense.
I loved this book! Such a great spin on a typical zombie ya dystopian.
A well done, well thought out, and well written book, I enjoyed In the After quite a bit, reading steadily until I was finished. What ultimately kept me from raving about it, though, is that it's a bit predictable, maybe because I read so many books in the genre. This didn't destroy my enjoyment of the book, but it did temper my enthusiasm. Some spoilers to follow, though nothing to do with any major plot points.
The biggest thing In the After has going for it, in my opinion, is the fact that it's what it advertises itself as being: a post-apocalyptic novel in which the character struggles for survival. Later in the book, there is the hint of a romance between Amy and a boy, but it never overtakes the novel and serves as just one plot thread that works well alongside the main thrust of the plot. I was pretty much overjoyed by this. Lately, it seems like every time I pick up a YA dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic novel, it's actually more of a contemporary romance with a dystopian/post-apocalyptic setting used as window dressing. I like romance just fine, but in a book of this nature, I expect it to be a side dish and not the main course.
Another strong point of the novel is Amy. I feel like the whole "strong female character" thing is starting to become a bit of a cliche, and a title people throw around that doesn't at all apply to the main female character. Imagine my delight, then, when Amy turned out to actually fit that title. Above all else, Amy is pragmatic, and I was over the moon to read about this because I find it so exasperating when people in post-apocalyptic settings act in ways that are more appropriate to a world with a functional society and a rule of law. Some of the stuff Amy says seems cold, but it makes sense, given the world in which she lives, and I loved that aspect of the book. Amy isn't perfect and she isn't above being scared and vulnerable, but she's capable and she has a clear grasp on her priorities, which informs every step she takes in the book. It means she sometimes has to make sacrifices, sacrifices that aren't always easy, and the book is the stronger for it. Yet Amy isn't just defined by her struggle for survival, there are also small touches that give the reader a good idea of the sort of person Amy is, from her past relationship with her parents and her regrets over it, to her love affair with books. This is one of those rare and glorious instances where a female character is a whole, complete person who isn't defined by her looks, isn't helpless and/or stupid, and doesn't need a male character to rescue her. Please, please, please let this become a trend in YA lit!
The author also gets a huge gold star for creating one of the most believable dystopian settings I've read in a long time. I immediately understood why the society of New Hope is structured as it is, and I thought Lunetta did a good job of underlining the tension between allowing citizens rights and requiring what was necessary for survival. There are no easy answers here, and I don't think the author means for there to be any. It's up to the reader to decide how they fell about the way the society is structured, and to ask themselves tough questions about how those institutions apply to our current society. I hope there will be even more development of this in future installments.
Which leads me to another small disappointment with the book: once in a while, I'd like to read a YA dystopian or post-apocalyptic that's a standalone novel. Yes, marketing and all that, I know. But not everything needs to be a series. Granted, I think there's still plenty more story to mine here, but I think the book could have been equally strong if it had been a one-off.
Still, the setting is fascinating. Lunetta's descriptions of post-disaster Chicago are chilling, and I was on the edge of my seat whenever Amy and Baby had to venture outside of their safe zone. There's also what I felt was a realistic depiction of the variety of ways in which characters deal with the aftermath of that disaster. There's nothing overly gory in the book, but Lunetta doesn't pretty things up, and it's disturbing to read about some of the ways in which the survivors react. It's nice to think that humanity would band together for their common cause if something like an alien invasion were to happen, but I think Lunetta does an excellent job of showing why that's probably not the most realistic expectation to have.
Secondary characters are also well-done in this book, though their development is more limited, mainly because the story is told in the first person from Amy's perspective. The nice thing about that is it allows the reader to really be in Amy's head, but the downside is that it puts some distance between the reader and other characters. In some cases, this is a good thing as it allows the motives of those characters to be more secret, but in others it hampers the believability of some of the characters. There's one in particular who feels a little too cardboard for my liking, but I'm hoping he'll see more development as the story goes on. Of all the secondary characters, I liked Baby and Kay the most, and I'm eager to see where the story will take them.
Overall, I was very pleased to read something that was thoughtful and felt as if it had been carefully constructed. As much as I love reading books in this genre, its popularity has had its downside as there have been a flood of books that were not really ready to see the light of day. I guess the upside to this is it does make it all the more satisfying to come across a book like this one.
The biggest thing In the After has going for it, in my opinion, is the fact that it's what it advertises itself as being: a post-apocalyptic novel in which the character struggles for survival. Later in the book, there is the hint of a romance between Amy and a boy, but it never overtakes the novel and serves as just one plot thread that works well alongside the main thrust of the plot. I was pretty much overjoyed by this. Lately, it seems like every time I pick up a YA dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic novel, it's actually more of a contemporary romance with a dystopian/post-apocalyptic setting used as window dressing. I like romance just fine, but in a book of this nature, I expect it to be a side dish and not the main course.
Another strong point of the novel is Amy. I feel like the whole "strong female character" thing is starting to become a bit of a cliche, and a title people throw around that doesn't at all apply to the main female character. Imagine my delight, then, when Amy turned out to actually fit that title. Above all else, Amy is pragmatic, and I was over the moon to read about this because I find it so exasperating when people in post-apocalyptic settings act in ways that are more appropriate to a world with a functional society and a rule of law. Some of the stuff Amy says seems cold, but it makes sense, given the world in which she lives, and I loved that aspect of the book. Amy isn't perfect and she isn't above being scared and vulnerable, but she's capable and she has a clear grasp on her priorities, which informs every step she takes in the book. It means she sometimes has to make sacrifices, sacrifices that aren't always easy, and the book is the stronger for it. Yet Amy isn't just defined by her struggle for survival, there are also small touches that give the reader a good idea of the sort of person Amy is, from her past relationship with her parents and her regrets over it, to her love affair with books. This is one of those rare and glorious instances where a female character is a whole, complete person who isn't defined by her looks, isn't helpless and/or stupid, and doesn't need a male character to rescue her. Please, please, please let this become a trend in YA lit!
The author also gets a huge gold star for creating one of the most believable dystopian settings I've read in a long time. I immediately understood why the society of New Hope is structured as it is, and I thought Lunetta did a good job of underlining the tension between allowing citizens rights and requiring what was necessary for survival. There are no easy answers here, and I don't think the author means for there to be any. It's up to the reader to decide how they fell about the way the society is structured, and to ask themselves tough questions about how those institutions apply to our current society. I hope there will be even more development of this in future installments.
Which leads me to another small disappointment with the book: once in a while, I'd like to read a YA dystopian or post-apocalyptic that's a standalone novel. Yes, marketing and all that, I know. But not everything needs to be a series. Granted, I think there's still plenty more story to mine here, but I think the book could have been equally strong if it had been a one-off.
Still, the setting is fascinating. Lunetta's descriptions of post-disaster Chicago are chilling, and I was on the edge of my seat whenever Amy and Baby had to venture outside of their safe zone. There's also what I felt was a realistic depiction of the variety of ways in which characters deal with the aftermath of that disaster. There's nothing overly gory in the book, but Lunetta doesn't pretty things up, and it's disturbing to read about some of the ways in which the survivors react. It's nice to think that humanity would band together for their common cause if something like an alien invasion were to happen, but I think Lunetta does an excellent job of showing why that's probably not the most realistic expectation to have.
Secondary characters are also well-done in this book, though their development is more limited, mainly because the story is told in the first person from Amy's perspective. The nice thing about that is it allows the reader to really be in Amy's head, but the downside is that it puts some distance between the reader and other characters. In some cases, this is a good thing as it allows the motives of those characters to be more secret, but in others it hampers the believability of some of the characters. There's one in particular who feels a little too cardboard for my liking, but I'm hoping he'll see more development as the story goes on. Of all the secondary characters, I liked Baby and Kay the most, and I'm eager to see where the story will take them.
Overall, I was very pleased to read something that was thoughtful and felt as if it had been carefully constructed. As much as I love reading books in this genre, its popularity has had its downside as there have been a flood of books that were not really ready to see the light of day. I guess the upside to this is it does make it all the more satisfying to come across a book like this one.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
fast-paced
There has got to be another book after this one. More action and adventure, danger and the uncovering of ugly secrets. This story just keeps getting better, totally a page turner!
This book was typical of the genre. The dramatic reveal at the end was no surprise because I had figured it out rather early in the book. My library has the second book in the series and I'll eventually read it because as I said before, it was better than a stick to the eye!
Okay this book is just... wow i was on the edge of my seat the WHOLE time. I’m a sucker for plot twists and let me tell you there is quite a few in this book!!!!!