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spacewhombus's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
<i>Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.</i>
What a wild adventure! The pace of this book was great, and I finished it really quickly. The story takes place in the aftermath of a pandemic that causes humans to lose their higher brain function, and it flops between two different perspectives- Seth, who lives alone in the desert with the scientist who raised him, and Sarah, who lives in a protected community in Costa Rica. They both end up on a dangerous journey after making disturbing discoveries about the world they thought they knew, and their paths cross in an explosive way. It was also really interesting that the author based the Great Fatigue on his experience battling chronic Lyme disease.
I liked both perspectives and kept imagining what I would do in each of their situations, and who I would trust. Though there was quite a bit of violence in this book, it wasn't enough to give me nightmares and was not as scary as The Walking Dead, for example. However, if you can't read about gory wounds in detail, then this is not the book for you. There were also many situations when I thought a character would get sexually assaulted, and though it didn't happen I would say it is definitely still triggering.
I only wish there had been more emotional revelations at the end, however. I kept waiting for mysteries to get resolved or characters to connect more deeply, but they never did. I am not sure if this book is the first in a series, but I think it must be due to the huge cliffhanger at the end and the sheer amount of information that was hinted at but never actually resolved. If there is another book, I will definitely add it to my reading list!
What a wild adventure! The pace of this book was great, and I finished it really quickly. The story takes place in the aftermath of a pandemic that causes humans to lose their higher brain function, and it flops between two different perspectives- Seth, who lives alone in the desert with the scientist who raised him, and Sarah, who lives in a protected community in Costa Rica. They both end up on a dangerous journey after making disturbing discoveries about the world they thought they knew, and their paths cross in an explosive way. It was also really interesting that the author based the Great Fatigue on his experience battling chronic Lyme disease.
I liked both perspectives and kept imagining what I would do in each of their situations, and who I would trust. Though there was quite a bit of violence in this book, it wasn't enough to give me nightmares and was not as scary as The Walking Dead, for example. However, if you can't read about gory wounds in detail, then this is not the book for you. There were also many situations when I thought a character would get sexually assaulted, and though it didn't happen I would say it is definitely still triggering.
I only wish there had been more emotional revelations at the end, however. I kept waiting for mysteries to get resolved or characters to connect more deeply, but they never did. I am not sure if this book is the first in a series, but I think it must be due to the huge cliffhanger at the end and the sheer amount of information that was hinted at but never actually resolved. If there is another book, I will definitely add it to my reading list!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gore
Moderate: Sexual assault
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