Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication date: June 2008
ISBN: 9780061448782
Source: Library
The world changes in an instant. All the adults, everyone over fourteen, disappears in a single moment. As the children and teens left attempt to come to terms with this new world, there are no boundaries, rules, or parents to control things. Chaos begins to rule and the bullies, those with interesting special new powers, begin to take over. Not only does everyone have to take sides, but they need to figure out what to do to stop what happens with they turn fifteen. Or they will disappear too.
Things I Liked:
What an intense story! You can't put this one down, because it will still be sitting in your brain saying, "What happens next? What will they do? AH!" until you decide to pick it up again. It was fast-paced and things kept happening in very quick succession; there was definitely never a dull moment. I liked how it unfolded too, showing us a little at a time. It was also very scary to see just how kids will respond in the situation - it felt quite realistic in how it portrayed kids who are sadistic and power-hungry and those who are reluctant leaders. Interesting, frightening, and compelling. And making me need to grab the second one from the library soon!
Things I Didn't Like:
It really had me depressed, almost throughout the entire book. Sometimes I just didn't want to pick it back up because I didn't think I could handle any more bad stuff (but then I HAD to know what happened). It was also a touch too violent for my tastes, especially when I kept thinking about the ages of the children.
Read-alikes:
Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
surprisingly few, considering
mrg-factor: X
also not a lot, maybe a few suggestive parts
v-factor: ->->->->->
it is quite violent, some of it is graphic and disturbing
Overall rating: ****
Do you freak out sometimes looking at disaster-type books and wonder how you would respond in that situation?
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Hi!! So, these are my favorite sorts of book - I'm obsessed with "end of the world" stories. I do sometimes freak out - ESPECIALLY when I read Life As We Knew It. Have you read that one? It made me want to fill my basement with canned food ;)
ReplyDeleteCorinne, I'm on a kick of these kinds of stories too! And yes, when I read Life As We Knew It, I totally went wild storing cans and other food. That grocery store scene was incredibly terrifying.
ReplyDeleteI read this and like you I couldn't put it down. I was hoping it would just end though. I mean, I didn't know it was a whole series when I picked it up. It was seriously long. You're right, it was depressing. I haven't decided if I want to go on in the series.
ReplyDeleteI love this series! To me, it's not nearly as scary as the LIFE AS WE KNEW IT books - they seem so much more realistic. Still, the thought of kids trying to survive by themselves is definitely frightening!
ReplyDeleteAmy, I have decided to pick up the next book, though it's been a few months since I read this one. I think if I give myself plenty of time between each one, I'll be ok.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I think your reviews actually got me into this series! And definitely Life As We Knew It is more terrifying because it's real. But boy I had a hard time with the kids dying for some reason.