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jaclynbartelt's review
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
I received a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
My review contains mild spoilers if you have not read the trilogy before reading the prequel story. I highly recommend reading the trilogy first, and reading this book last. I feel like you appreciate what's going on in this story a lot more if you read the trilogy first.
<Spoiler> I honestly felt so torn listening to this book because you know how it's going to end. I mean the whole setup for the series it's post-apocalyptic and this story happens before the apocalypse. So you as the reader know that this book will end with the world ending, but the characters are trying to stop it. I felt like this prequel was such a good conclusion to the overall story because it really circled back around to the beginning of the first book. I think Carol Beth Anderson deserves an award for the series. <Spoiler>
Now for some larger spoilers.
<Spoiler> I was a wreck when Rena died. I knew it was going to happen but I wasn't ready.
I also really liked that the antagonist of this book isn't just a maniacal villain. The antagonist for the trilogy (the king) really wasn't either, he was a man suffering with addiction and grief, but Alvin really believed that his discovery was going to change lives and advance the medical field incredible ways. But he was jumping over safety standards to get there. He didn't want the world to end, he wanted it to thrive. And I don't know why I liked that so much, but it felt very real. As a saying goes the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Also the world that Carol Beth Anderson created with the tech and the hover cars and the flex screens was just so modern utopia. It did almost feel like things were going so well in the world something had to give, something had to break. I kind of want a phone that I can crankle up and put in my pocket like a handkerchief though. 😂 <Spoiler>
My review contains mild spoilers if you have not read the trilogy before reading the prequel story. I highly recommend reading the trilogy first, and reading this book last. I feel like you appreciate what's going on in this story a lot more if you read the trilogy first.
<Spoiler> I honestly felt so torn listening to this book because you know how it's going to end. I mean the whole setup for the series it's post-apocalyptic and this story happens before the apocalypse. So you as the reader know that this book will end with the world ending, but the characters are trying to stop it. I felt like this prequel was such a good conclusion to the overall story because it really circled back around to the beginning of the first book. I think Carol Beth Anderson deserves an award for the series. <Spoiler>
Now for some larger spoilers.
<Spoiler> I was a wreck when Rena died. I knew it was going to happen but I wasn't ready.
I also really liked that the antagonist of this book isn't just a maniacal villain. The antagonist for the trilogy (the king) really wasn't either, he was a man suffering with addiction and grief, but Alvin really believed that his discovery was going to change lives and advance the medical field incredible ways. But he was jumping over safety standards to get there. He didn't want the world to end, he wanted it to thrive. And I don't know why I liked that so much, but it felt very real. As a saying goes the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Also the world that Carol Beth Anderson created with the tech and the hover cars and the flex screens was just so modern utopia. It did almost feel like things were going so well in the world something had to give, something had to break. I kind of want a phone that I can crankle up and put in my pocket like a handkerchief though. 😂 <Spoiler>
Content Warnings
Minor: Chronic illness, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, Blood, Death, and Medical content
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