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A review by amrsalehduat
Together in a Broken World by Paul Michael Winters
5.0
Together in a Broken World is a brilliant post-apocalyptic blend of YA romance and adventure that kept me engaged from start to finish.
Paul Michael Winters delivers solid world-building in his debut novel that made me want to learn more about what happened to the world and the type of society that formed after its collapse. For me personally, that’s the make-or-break aspect of a post-apocalyptic story. I was very pleased with how the story delivered on that front. So much in fact that I’d love to explore more stories in that broken world.
But the heart of the story, the one aspect that gives it life and character, are the two protagonists, Aiden and Zack (from A to Z, if you know, you know). I loved how they perfectly complemented each other despite being different people with their own distinct personalities, something the audiobook did a great job of showing. Even for someone like me, who doesn’t care all that much about romance, I really loved the slow-burn development of their feelings toward each other and how they offered me countless beautifully touching moments. I also loved how the post-apocalyptic adventure side of the novel complemented the romance plot and how both aspects of the story fed into each other. It wasn’t an adventure that kept getting interrupted by a flat romance subplot or a romance that just happened to take place in an underdeveloped post-apocalyptic world. No, this was a story of how two boys found each other in a broken world (my appreciation for the title is growing as I am writing this, by the way).
Together in a Broken World made me cry, laugh, and kept me on the edge of my seat. I listened to it on the bus, at work, in the gym, and every moment I could because I simply couldn’t put it down. I can’t recommend this incredible debut by Paul Michael Winters enough, and I can’t wait to read his future work.
Paul Michael Winters delivers solid world-building in his debut novel that made me want to learn more about what happened to the world and the type of society that formed after its collapse. For me personally, that’s the make-or-break aspect of a post-apocalyptic story. I was very pleased with how the story delivered on that front. So much in fact that I’d love to explore more stories in that broken world.
But the heart of the story, the one aspect that gives it life and character, are the two protagonists, Aiden and Zack (from A to Z, if you know, you know). I loved how they perfectly complemented each other despite being different people with their own distinct personalities, something the audiobook did a great job of showing. Even for someone like me, who doesn’t care all that much about romance, I really loved the slow-burn development of their feelings toward each other and how they offered me countless beautifully touching moments. I also loved how the post-apocalyptic adventure side of the novel complemented the romance plot and how both aspects of the story fed into each other. It wasn’t an adventure that kept getting interrupted by a flat romance subplot or a romance that just happened to take place in an underdeveloped post-apocalyptic world. No, this was a story of how two boys found each other in a broken world (my appreciation for the title is growing as I am writing this, by the way).
Together in a Broken World made me cry, laugh, and kept me on the edge of my seat. I listened to it on the bus, at work, in the gym, and every moment I could because I simply couldn’t put it down. I can’t recommend this incredible debut by Paul Michael Winters enough, and I can’t wait to read his future work.