Friday, June 28, 2013

Review: In the After by Demitria Lunetta

In the After
Release Date: June 25, 2013
Publisher: Harper Teen
In the After Book #1
ISBN:  0062105450
ISBN13: 9780062105455
Genre: YA/Dystopian
Review Copy Source: Publisher

They hear the most silent of footsteps.
They are faster than anything you've ever seen.
And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead.

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.

Rebellious, courageous, and tender, this unforgettable duo will have you on the edge of your seat as you tear through the pulse-pounding narrow escapes and horrifying twists of fate in this thrilling debut from author Demitria Lunetta.

Amy is home alone when the world turns to chaos. Alien type creatures that are attracted to all noise attack and decimate the population. Luckily her parents built a great house with fencing that they can not get through. As time goes on she adapts to the new world she lives in, rescues a toddler that she found in a grocery store and learns to live in silence and isolation. CRAZY!! There was so many twists, turns, danger, and action that I don't know where to start. I got so into IN THE AFTER that I found myself not talking and trying to be silent. If only my kids would have gotten on board with that.

Amy makes the book. Her character is fierce and adaptable. She plows through issues and makes sure all decisions made are the right ones. Although she is only 17 her experiences have hardened her and she is unforgiving. I can not think of any point in the book that I did not agree with the way she handled something. Without Baby the toddler she found in a grocery store she would be alone. She teachers her, raises her and looks after her like she were her own family and they have a really close bond. There are a lot of dark and down right freaky moments in IN THE AFTER. Situations are so well described that you feel like you are right smack dab in the middle of them. The book is long but I still read it at a nice fast pace that left little room to do anything like clean, or feed the kids, or sleep.... Oh they are still alive don't worry they have learned to feed themselves ;)

I will leave you with my final thoughts. I loved it from the moment I picked it up until the moment it ended.

I gave it 5/5 stars