A review by enchantingreads_rosyreviews
Before Their After by Nelle Nikole

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

"Forever is not infinite... Forever is practical... Forever has limitations, whereas infinite does not... Forever is foundational. You can build off it. Use it to power you. Infinite is limitless. Infinite love will have you burn the village down at the risk of your own safety."

Each novella in this collection is a set of stories from the points-of-view of our main cast of characters: the “Band of Misfits.” With these glimpses, we get to see what life was like before “Day 0” (i.e., the day the world ended). And we learn what each character dealt with leading up to the first time we meet them in Rising (book 1). Nelle previously gave us the stories of her leading ladies, but she’s added those of her leading men to give us a complete picture. These POVs provide insight to the establishment of The Compound in Monterey (which is constructed in the first book) and the development of powers amidst the undead “Pansies” roaming the US now. These stories are beautifully written, give us insight to characters we love (or allow you to learn who they are before the story takes off in book 1) & add rich detail to the world Nelle has created!

"Life doesn't stop the moment the worst thing in your life happens. It keeps moving and you mold yourself into the person you need to be in order to survive."

Will this story tug at your heartstrings? Yes. Are these novellas filled with devastating carnage? Also yes (I mean, it's a zombie apocalypse, duh.) But do these stories make the entire series sweeter because we're able to understand our favorite characters more? HECK YES!

I cannot recommend this collection more. I'd suggest reading it before diving into Rising & officially entering this world, because understanding the characters, where they come from, the grief & pain they're carrying when we meet them at The Compound, etc. makes the story richer. But no matter where you read this in your journey through this universe, you simply must add this to your collection!

"If all we did was kill each other, then the dead would win. We needed to work together, play to each other's strengths. A group with a survivor's mentality would be a force to be reckoned with."
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