Note: I was contacted by the author's PA about doing a review of this book.** I was given a free e-copy of the book to read for the review.
Book Summary:
Caleb, a 17-year-old boy, survived the zombie uprising, but he didn’t come out of the ordeal unscathed. He’s been scarred—both mentally and physically. The rest of humanity is trying to rebuild, to make the world normal again. Caleb is trying to return to a normal life also, but after all he’s seen, after the loss of his family and friends, the transition is difficult. The darkness that led him down a path of self-doubt and self-harm keeps trying to creep back into his mind.
Things only become worse when he discovers he’s immune to whatever makes a zombie a zombie. Fighting zombies was predictable. He knew what to expect. Fighting humans is volatile. They are malicious and treacherous. They won’t stop to get what they want, and Caleb has to figure out exactly what that is.
My Review:
First things first, I will be the first to admit that I absolutely loathe the entire idea of a zombie. I hate all the shows about them, all the books, games, and movies. However, I do love a good apocalypse story, but I am always left wondering what happens after that apocalypse. This time around though, Sinclair has given us the "what next" of all apocalypse stories. It showcases what humanity is, and how it reacts to devastating disasters. It rebuilds, starts again, makes it better, and I think that is what people need to hear about themselves.
I have a problem with Young Adult novels that I've had ever since I myself was a young adult who was reading them. The Fate of the World Rests in the Hands of a Teenager is the tagline of this book, and it just makes you wonder "... Why?" And I think that's how anybody who isn't a young adult sees a book like this. However, I do remember as a teenager that it certainly felt like the fate of the world was depending on me. Sure my world at the time was worrying about getting papers and lab reports turned in on time and trying to get into college, but it felt the same way. So much pressure on one person for no reason.
These two problems from my own psyche aside, I was able to identify with the main character, Caleb, from a mental health standpoint. I was able to completely understand why he acted the way he did, and even sympathize with some of his thoughts. However, because of the aforementioned problems, this relatively short novel, in comparison to what I have been reading recently, took me forever to get through. The novel was definitely not a page-turner, but it was a pleasant reading experience. I do not feel like I have wasted my time reading this novel, but nor am I particularly pleased with myself for reading it. I appreciate being reached out to personally for a review of this book, but alas, I feel ashamed for not enjoying the book as much as I would have liked.
Review Summary:
Readability: 2.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing Style: 4.5/5
Total Pages: 253
Reading Time: 26 hours
Would I recommend this book: Probably
**If you would like to contact me for a review request, hop on over to my "About the Blogger" page! There you will find my contact information so you can get in touch. I will leave an honest review no matter what, so just keep that in mind.
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