Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Review: In The End by Tracey Ward

Book Blurb:

Jordan and Alissa made it out of Portland, away from ground zero where The Fever still rages on. But they couldn't beat the quarantine. Now barriers are being built and the remaining survivors of the outbreak are trapped.

And the undead just keep coming.

The wave of infected is building as city after city is devoured. As they head east into the mountains they will be forced to fight both the dead and the living as they search for a safe place to weather the storm.

But what they believed would be the death of them might actually save them, and in this hell on Earth they'll uncover something even more shocking than the risen dead. Hope.

My Review:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Dystopian, Survival, Zombies--

In the End picks up right where Until the End leaves off, smack dab in the middle of an outbreak that causes death and reanimation of corpses. Ali and Jordan are on the run with Ali’s newly discovered father, who goes out of his way to keep Jordan away from Ali. Together the three of them have to battle the undead, find safety and stay alive, as well worry about Ali’s unraveling mental condition and her deteriorating medication supply. Tension runs high and hope has shriveled to almost nothing.

I love end of the world stories, be it books or movies. Add in the fact there are zombies and I couldn’t be happier. Thrown in a dash of mental instability and fear? Icing on the cake. Told from the male perspective with a hint or romance and drama? That’s just like the sprinkles on top. All the components of this book appealed to me and the author executed it so well I could not ask for more. Well, not more from this book, but I can most certainly ask for more books from this author.

Book 2 did not disappoint me in the slightest. This did not really feel like another book, more like another chapter in the first book just told from Jordan’s point of view instead of Ali’s. I would not recommend that these books be read out of order or as standalones because together they tell a complete story. Also, there is a lot of violence and gore in the book (what do you expect from a zombie story?) so don’t read if you are squeamish. The characters are so well developed that you feel the emotions of fear, hurt, anguish and hope right along with them, as if you too are experiencing this world.

Jordan is the ultimate survivor, his instincts motivate him to prevail. I found him an interesting mix of affection and fear in his feelings towards Ali. It seemed that he spent most his time waiting for her to crack and spiral off mentally. I personally felt that Ali seemed incredibly competent in this story, her survival skills in top form and her mental issues firmly restrained regardless of Jordan and her father’s worry. Book 1 was told from Ali’s view, and the reader gets to see her unraveling at the seams with her issue of differentiating between reality and her psychosis, but this side of the worry brought its own issues of boundaries and right vs. wrong. I also found it interesting that Ali was the pursuer in their romantic relationship, which is usually a man thing in my stereotype world.

I wanted more at the ending but will have to be content with the little snippet of the future they author provides. I have loved every minute of this series and look forward to all the post-apocalypse books the author wants to write.

I received this title from the author in exchange for my honest review.

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