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litwrite's review
4.0
I give this a 4 stars on the zombie novel scale, which is a sliding scale, graded on a curve, not so much as a 4 star 'one of the best books I've ever read' scale. But let's face it, the zombie novel genre is filled with some stinkers. This one is a cut above the rest. I liked the clever conceit of why zombies were created, the protagonist was interesting and likeable, and the storyline was different from most. Would recommend to zombie novel fans.
andimontgomery's review
4.0
This was a quick read, and I enjoyed it.
Cass awakens two months after being taken by the zombies (Beaters, as they are called here) but not turned into one, with thoughts only of finding her three-year old daughter. Her journey is an interesting one, with the backstory slowly unfolding as Cass continues in her search. She meets several interesting characters along the way, particularly Smoke, whose frank acceptance of her and willingness to help at any cost ultimately helps Cass to start the healing process.
Cass awakens two months after being taken by the zombies (Beaters, as they are called here) but not turned into one, with thoughts only of finding her three-year old daughter. Her journey is an interesting one, with the backstory slowly unfolding as Cass continues in her search. She meets several interesting characters along the way, particularly Smoke, whose frank acceptance of her and willingness to help at any cost ultimately helps Cass to start the healing process.
chllybrd's review against another edition
5.0
Reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/
What a fabulous book set in an apocalyptic world. From the beginning AFTERTIME had me glued to the pages. Cass has a troubled past and was trying to make herself better to get her daughter back in her custody when the world went to hell. She wakes up in the middle of nowhere, in pain and scarred having lost a bunch of time and not knowing what happened to her daughter. She doesn't trust anyone or let anyone in and prefers to be on her own. Smoke is a mysterious man that offers to help Cass find her daughter for his own reasons. This book seriously rocked. I have not read many Zombie books but if they are anything like AFTERTIME I think I will have to start reading them more. Emotional, shocking, high-stakes, zombie filled awesomeness is in your future if you pick up this book!! And YAY its the first in a series.
What a fabulous book set in an apocalyptic world. From the beginning AFTERTIME had me glued to the pages. Cass has a troubled past and was trying to make herself better to get her daughter back in her custody when the world went to hell. She wakes up in the middle of nowhere, in pain and scarred having lost a bunch of time and not knowing what happened to her daughter. She doesn't trust anyone or let anyone in and prefers to be on her own. Smoke is a mysterious man that offers to help Cass find her daughter for his own reasons. This book seriously rocked. I have not read many Zombie books but if they are anything like AFTERTIME I think I will have to start reading them more. Emotional, shocking, high-stakes, zombie filled awesomeness is in your future if you pick up this book!! And YAY its the first in a series.
lisaluvsliterature's review
3.0
I got this book as an ARC from the bookstore I work along with the sequel, which I haven't read yet. But I will soon, because I really did enjoy this book. This is another zombie story. But I like that we have started in after all of it has started and it is the "after time". Our main character is Cass, who has just woken up and is not sure exactly why she is where she is, or why she is alive. The surprise in why she is alive is that she has the tell-tale marks of having been attacked by the zombies on her back, and the strips of flesh missing on her arms tells that she was a zombie. Yet now she's not. The only thing on her mind now is finding out where her daughter Ruthie is. Her daughter who she last saw the night she was taken by the zombies.
The zombies in this story are a little different, they just want to eat the skin. And they do drink blood, or at least when they see blood it hypnotizes them. These aren't the slow, shuffling zombies really, but they are pretty stupid. At least that's what everyone thinks, although they are beginning to do things that makes people wonder. Cass meets a man named Smoke at the first settlement of people she finds. Smoke agrees to take her back to the library where she was taken to try to find her daughter.
She finds out her daughter was taken by a group of women, kind of a cult. And she must find out how to get in to see if her daughter is okay and to rescue her. So that's where the book kind of leaves off for the sequel. And it's a big cliffhanger, so I'll be ready to pick up part two pretty soon.
The zombies in this story are a little different, they just want to eat the skin. And they do drink blood, or at least when they see blood it hypnotizes them. These aren't the slow, shuffling zombies really, but they are pretty stupid. At least that's what everyone thinks, although they are beginning to do things that makes people wonder. Cass meets a man named Smoke at the first settlement of people she finds. Smoke agrees to take her back to the library where she was taken to try to find her daughter.
She finds out her daughter was taken by a group of women, kind of a cult. And she must find out how to get in to see if her daughter is okay and to rescue her. So that's where the book kind of leaves off for the sequel. And it's a big cliffhanger, so I'll be ready to pick up part two pretty soon.
readalatina's review
1.0
I just couldn't get through it! The interpersonal relationships just weren't believable
bellatora's review against another edition
4.0
This is pretty much a standard post-apocalyptic zombie novel, but I liked that the protagonist was an adult and, even more, was a flawed heroine (an ex-addict who also uses sex as a weapon and a drug) with a very specific mission (finding her daughter).
setaian's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you Sophie Littlefield!
You are an awesome writer.
Yes it's a part of a series...and yes I've put it on my "stand alone" shelf...and I'm going to say, thank you Sophie Littlefield a second time because I can do that.
You are an awesome writer.
Yes it's a part of a series...and yes I've put it on my "stand alone" shelf...and I'm going to say, thank you Sophie Littlefield a second time because I can do that.
otherwyrld's review against another edition
3.0
I generally give 3 stars to books that were OK but ultimately unmemorable, and this book is a perfect example of a 3 star book.
The story follows Cassandra as she tries to survive in a post-apocalyptic California, whilst looking for her missing daughter and avoiding marauding zombies (or "beaters" as they are called here for no apparent reason). The problem is that Cassandra is not a likeable character - as a self-loathing alcoholic, she had her daughter taken away from her. After the apocalypse she bides her time and then steals the child away from her legal guardians (her own mother and stepfather), just because she thinks she has the right to do so. Of course, this is the exact moment that the small amount of civilization that has been left blows up in her face and she is taken by Beaters to be eaten alive (a particularly gruesome fact is that the Beaters only eat the skin of the living and leave the flayed people to die slowly in agony). Somehow she survives and then fails to become infected, before then dragging every character she meets into her selfish quest. An attempt is made to soften her by making her the victim of an abusive stepfather, but the effort is too little, too late. Nearly all of the story is spent with a character who has few redeeming qualities. The only other character of note is a man who falls for her for some reason, and who remains a cypher.
The real shame is that there is actually a really good story lurking in the background - namely one in which bioterrorism has destroyed all the plants and animals that human beings rely on to survive before a last ditch attempt to save humanity is made with the bioengineered superplant called kaysev. A mutated strand of kaysev causes anyone who eats it to turn into a Beater (if they survive the fever), who are closer to the rage creatures in 28 Days Later than to classic zombies. This is a story I would have liked to read, but unfortunately this is not the tale we get here. Perhaps the author would like to write that story and I would be happy to read it
The story follows Cassandra as she tries to survive in a post-apocalyptic California, whilst looking for her missing daughter and avoiding marauding zombies (or "beaters" as they are called here for no apparent reason). The problem is that Cassandra is not a likeable character - as a self-loathing alcoholic, she had her daughter taken away from her. After the apocalypse she bides her time and then steals the child away from her legal guardians (her own mother and stepfather), just because she thinks she has the right to do so. Of course, this is the exact moment that the small amount of civilization that has been left blows up in her face and she is taken by Beaters to be eaten alive (a particularly gruesome fact is that the Beaters only eat the skin of the living and leave the flayed people to die slowly in agony). Somehow she survives and then fails to become infected, before then dragging every character she meets into her selfish quest. An attempt is made to soften her by making her the victim of an abusive stepfather, but the effort is too little, too late. Nearly all of the story is spent with a character who has few redeeming qualities. The only other character of note is a man who falls for her for some reason, and who remains a cypher.
The real shame is that there is actually a really good story lurking in the background - namely one in which bioterrorism has destroyed all the plants and animals that human beings rely on to survive before a last ditch attempt to save humanity is made with the bioengineered superplant called kaysev. A mutated strand of kaysev causes anyone who eats it to turn into a Beater (if they survive the fever), who are closer to the rage creatures in 28 Days Later than to classic zombies. This is a story I would have liked to read, but unfortunately this is not the tale we get here. Perhaps the author would like to write that story and I would be happy to read it