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vikingwolf's review
5.0
This book picks up where the first book left off. The convoy have settled at the farm with Monroe and Millie trying to ensure that everyone feels welcome and that there is no need for any of them to look beyond there for a safe place to stay. Mike takes charge of security and with Russ, Bob, Brian and Monroe start looking at an old treehouse as a vantage point to watch the road and foxholes as a second line of defence. Lee and his helpers start constructing a bunkhouse for the extra people to sleep in and the women find accomodation for everyone and get everything unloaded and stored. Everyone gets to work in preparing the new community for what lies ahead.
Monroe is concerned about a few bad eggs in town who know where he lives and it doesn't take long for Jay and Clay to arrive at the gate, looking for a handout. While Jay is receptive to learning how to hunt food for himself, Clay starts dishing out threats before they leave empty-handed. They haven't seen the last of trouble with the brothers going home defeated though. A trip back to the neighbourhood where Mike and the other families lived to get the rest of their belongings turns into a confrontation with the raiders that targeted Anne's street in the first book. The real threat is the psychotic drug addict Alan, who is determined to use the apocalypse to get the things he wants-a supply of drugs and women, willing or otherwise, and to take food, water and supplies off other people. He and his friends Steve and Rich are working the properties in the area and Alan thinks nothing of killing those in his way to get what he wants. After a run-in with Monroe and his people at another property, Alan is determined to find the farm and take everything that they have for himself.
Concern about their neighbours means risking leaving the compound to visit them and persuade them to come and stay at the farm as there is safety in numbers. The problem is trying to do this without getting the attention of the less desireable members of the local area who are looking for easy targets. In town the Sheriff and the Mayor are starting to come up with a plan to look after the people in the community and find a way to feed everyone and keep them alive. Reports about the violence by Alan's group are causing the Sheriff concern, as is the thought of a lot of refugees from the towns and cities who could be headed their way.
The one person who annoys me is Sara. She and her family were taken from the roadside by Anne and her people, given safe passage to the farm and offered a home there but all she seems to do is whine and complain. Normally this would've driven me mad but her character is there for a specific reason and that is so the preppers can educate her about the new world and how things are going to be. She complains that giving the kids chores as well as school will leave them behind other children when the government fixes things, and her hosts are quick to point out that other children not safe at the farm are too busy surviving to care about maths, and that school is not something likely to happen again. Her next complaint is why can't they share what they have with those with nothing and again it has to continually be pointed out that the preppers have a responsibility to look after their own, not every person who didn't prepare. It leads to some good debates and I can see why it was important to have that character there.
My favourite characters are grizzly old Monroe, Mike the military expert and Brian. I have to say though that I don't want anything bad to happen to anyone which tells you how well the author has written the story and developed the characters. Some are preppers and some are not but they are all just people who are trying to do the best that they can. You can really relate to them.
The action really ramps up in this second book. Relief at arriving soon turns to concern about the amount of work that needs to be done, especially on the security front. Throughout the story, there is an air of menace hanging over the farm with the raiders, Alan's group and the thieving brothers all entering their lives. There are several nerve shredding encounters that leave you worried about the safety of your favourite characters and the action in these scenes are well written and exciting. The constant tension going on is also entertaining as you wait to see what is coming next.
I can't wait to read the third book which Amazon are due to deliver today!
Monroe is concerned about a few bad eggs in town who know where he lives and it doesn't take long for Jay and Clay to arrive at the gate, looking for a handout. While Jay is receptive to learning how to hunt food for himself, Clay starts dishing out threats before they leave empty-handed. They haven't seen the last of trouble with the brothers going home defeated though. A trip back to the neighbourhood where Mike and the other families lived to get the rest of their belongings turns into a confrontation with the raiders that targeted Anne's street in the first book. The real threat is the psychotic drug addict Alan, who is determined to use the apocalypse to get the things he wants-a supply of drugs and women, willing or otherwise, and to take food, water and supplies off other people. He and his friends Steve and Rich are working the properties in the area and Alan thinks nothing of killing those in his way to get what he wants. After a run-in with Monroe and his people at another property, Alan is determined to find the farm and take everything that they have for himself.
Concern about their neighbours means risking leaving the compound to visit them and persuade them to come and stay at the farm as there is safety in numbers. The problem is trying to do this without getting the attention of the less desireable members of the local area who are looking for easy targets. In town the Sheriff and the Mayor are starting to come up with a plan to look after the people in the community and find a way to feed everyone and keep them alive. Reports about the violence by Alan's group are causing the Sheriff concern, as is the thought of a lot of refugees from the towns and cities who could be headed their way.
The one person who annoys me is Sara. She and her family were taken from the roadside by Anne and her people, given safe passage to the farm and offered a home there but all she seems to do is whine and complain. Normally this would've driven me mad but her character is there for a specific reason and that is so the preppers can educate her about the new world and how things are going to be. She complains that giving the kids chores as well as school will leave them behind other children when the government fixes things, and her hosts are quick to point out that other children not safe at the farm are too busy surviving to care about maths, and that school is not something likely to happen again. Her next complaint is why can't they share what they have with those with nothing and again it has to continually be pointed out that the preppers have a responsibility to look after their own, not every person who didn't prepare. It leads to some good debates and I can see why it was important to have that character there.
My favourite characters are grizzly old Monroe, Mike the military expert and Brian. I have to say though that I don't want anything bad to happen to anyone which tells you how well the author has written the story and developed the characters. Some are preppers and some are not but they are all just people who are trying to do the best that they can. You can really relate to them.
The action really ramps up in this second book. Relief at arriving soon turns to concern about the amount of work that needs to be done, especially on the security front. Throughout the story, there is an air of menace hanging over the farm with the raiders, Alan's group and the thieving brothers all entering their lives. There are several nerve shredding encounters that leave you worried about the safety of your favourite characters and the action in these scenes are well written and exciting. The constant tension going on is also entertaining as you wait to see what is coming next.
I can't wait to read the third book which Amazon are due to deliver today!
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