YA Fanatic

*Somewhat spoilery. But I really think you'll be okay if you haven't read the book yet*

Never have I ever been as frustrated about a book than Ashes. So much so that I really don't know what rating to give it. Ugh.

Firstly, we have to talk about the first half. Because the first half of the book is ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. I mean that, BRILLIANT. I loved every single thing.

We meet, Alex, a seventeen year old girl fighting a brain tumor, decides to take a trip in the woods, to end things? To decide fate? That's what she hopes to do anyway. Then the electromagnetic snap happens, causing deer to go crazy, birds to start falling, and the elderly man she just meets (Jack) who was hiking with his 8 year old granddaughter in the woods (Ellie) drops dead. Alex seems to be cured but with a super strong sense of smell.

Ellie and Alex make their hike to the rangers in hopes to find what happened when they run into army man, Tom. Children are turned into zombies, with the few exceptions. Elderly for the most part have survived.

We learn all this in the first half. It's non-stop action with brilliant characterization.

When the three are separated Alex finds herself in a strange town full of rules, strange elder's, few children, and a world where woman don't have choices. This is most of the second half. The zombies are all but forgotten, as are Ellie and Tom for the most part. Alex becomes naive and rather obnoxious as most of the characters in the town, in fact this town is the nearly exactly the SAME as to that of, The Prey which I just read and gave a fairly bad rating.

There's a big "twist" at the end. Which, I was not shocked. And indeed, this as well is the SAME exact twist as that of The Prey, instead of vampires its to do with zombies. Maybe if I hadn't read The Prey only a few weeks ago I would have enjoyed this book a little more.

Like I said, frustrating. To think there are two more books in this series. I have no idea if I'll get to them or not. Chances are if I see them at the library I'll give the next one a chance.

Audiobook: I loved it. The reader had different voices for each characters. For every action scene she sped up and was so enthusiastic. It felt like I was listening to a voice over for a movie! Fantastic!